In getting my V6 ready for its new home in my notchie, I wanted to get it as clean as possible and go over it checking for loose, damaged. or missing fasteners. I used this engine in my old driver and I spent several days trying to clean it when it was in that car. Now that it was easy to get to, I wanted to get as much gunky crud off of it as I could see and reach.

I spent two days of my car work time with Gunk brand engine degreaser and a home steam cleaner. I'll spare you the details but I wasn't satisfied with the results. This is after all the work I had done before. Who knows how many cans of Gunk I had gone through on this thing. Needless to say, it was really caked on thick.

After I ran out of my last can of Gunk, I still had more to do. I had a little bit of kerosene left so I poured it into a plastic throw-up pan and started applying it with a toothbrush. I sure wish I had done this from the beginning because that mess practically melted off. It was amazing how well and how quickly it worked. No sitting and waiting for it to soak in.

Afterwards, I poured a bucket of hot soapy water over it and then hosed it all off. Then I used my motorcycle blow dryer to dry it all. What a time saver. I'll never buy another can of Gunk!

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Jonathan
1987 Notchie - undergoing surgery
I'm not a mechanic but I play one in my garage - me
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. - Lord Acton
Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not. - Thomas Jefferson

Yup, I use Kero or Diesel all the time, much cheaper then gunk and works alot better. Gas works on the nasty sticky grease even better. and a high pressure washer to get the built up stuff broken down. EPA frowns on this though !

EPA can bite me! I think I actually helped the environment by using less product.

Jonathan

well it came from the ground. so why not put it back

quote Originally posted by Boostdreamer: I'll never buy another can of Gunk!

Don't blame the Gunk. Over many years I've always been successful using Gunk "Super Concentrate," which you dilute with Stoddard Solvent, naptha, mineral spirits, or kerosene in ratios anywhere from 5:1 (5 parts solvent to 1 part Gunk concentrate) to 10:1 or higher. Always mechanically remove as much dirt, grease, and grime as possible (by scraping, brushing, etc.) before you apply any solvent-based cleaner. The solvent in the Gunk mixture will slowly dissolve most of the remaining oil-based grease deposits, and brushing will vastly speed things up and enhance cleaning. The Gunk itself only slightly assists in the first (dissolving) phase, but its action as an emulsifier plays a major part in allowing you to use water to rinse the solvent/grease/dirt mess cleanly off the base metal. You should always try to remove as much greasy dirt as possible in the first application of the Gunk mixture, because it will be less effective in subsequent attempts. The solvent itself will tend to draw out the oily part of dirt accumulations, leaving the hard, dry part behind, still firmly stuck to the base metal.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 02-22-2010).]

I first use the Gunk while the engine was in the car. I wanted it to do the work because I couldn't reach the mess. It didn't. Then when the engine was out, I used it with a toothbrush and steam cleaner together and I was still working my hind end off. When I went to straight kerosene, there was an immediate change in the work I was having to put into it. Mine was so nasty it looked like black stucco. Kerosene cut throught it like a hot knife through butter.

Gunk might be good for maintaining an already mostly clean engine but it isn't cut out for heavy duty crud busting.

Jonathan

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: Yup, I use Kero or Diesel all the time, much cheaper then gunk and works alot better.

Same here. I use Diesel in my cheapo 20 gallon recirculating parts cleaner.

Kevin

http://www.harborfreight.co...taf?Itemnumber=97014

When it comes to dissolving heavy gunky buildup, nothing beats an oil-based solvent. Diesel, kerosene, naphtha, and mineral spirits all work very well. After you're done with the solvent, clean up the residue with a heavy-duty degreaser and you're good to go.

I haven't used Gunk in a long, long time, but it's primary ingredient used to be kerosene or mineral spirits. Always left a lingering odor long afterwards. Made it very difficult to convince a prospective buyer that this was the original condition of the motor.

My choice is to take a putty knife and scrape off all the heavy caked on stuff, then use diesel mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. The diesel has enough oil to keep the exposed metal parts from rusting and keep the solution on the engine without running off or evaporating. If you still want to clean it further, I like Castrol SuperClean. Unless the grease and dirt is hardened on, it will remove the balance.

We used to use Tide washing powders. Wet down the engine, dust it with Tide and let it stand for about 5 minutes then rinse. Do they even make Tide Washing Powders anymore?

ya i second the castrol cleaner but i think its actually called castro purple clean the stuff works awesome

Wal-Mart sells a camp stove fuel that is fairly cheap and works like kerosene, smells like kerosene but it isn't kerosene. The only caveat is that if you put it on a hot engine, it will flash but that goes for kerosene too. Don't ask me how I know it will flash.

quote Originally posted by jetsnvettes2000: ya i second the castrol cleaner but i think its actually called castro purple clean the stuff works awesome

There's a cleaner called Purple Power and comes in a white container. Castrol SuperClean comes in a purple container. Probably why the confusion.

It's also great as a tire and wheel cleaner and for cleaning the wheel well liners. It leaves a nice natural rubber finish on tires. Cleans trunk carpets and removable floor mats, too.

I've used kerosen often, works good but smells awful and leaves you smelling likewise. The best cleaner I've found is flamable break cleaner. Comes in spray bomb cans and simply blast grime off and quite often the paint with it. Cost about $2-3 a can.

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[IMG]




trueleo.com
RSpiderII@aol.com

Just read all these good ideas for degreasing engines and parts. I also like to use Laquer Thinner, Simple Green and Mean Green. I used to use Gunk but got away from that in the '80's. So many good products out there today. These three products leave no oily residue so you can apply paint if you want to. All great ideas. Just my 2 cents. Ernie

quote Originally posted by joshh44: well it came from the ground. so why not put it back

I know you're joking, but the reason is IT GETS IN THE GROUND WATER. Anyone who drinks water (or cares about life in general) should care about keeping it clean.
If you're going to use petroleum products, get a large piece of cardboard to catch it, & dispose of it properly.
Laquer thinner works well, but with anything flammable you have to be VERY careful not to use it near ANY flame or hot surface. This is ESPECIALLY true with laquer thinner. Gas fumes will stay close to the ground & find their way over to that gas water heater - BOOM! I always use laquer thinner as a final cleaner, 'cause I'm usually painting the surface.
You can pick up spray oven cleaner cheap at the dollar-type stores, & it's a good degreaser as well.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Crawling on the planet's face,
An insect called the human race.
Lost in time, & lost in space...
and in meaning.

i heard you shouldnt use oven cleaner on alum parts?
why is that? does it just discolors the metal?
and yes i was joking :P

If an engine is out of the car, kerosene works OK. If its not caked on, i also use something like Simple Green, or Fantastik. I do the best jobs though putting paint stripper in a spray gun and soaking it down, then washing it with a power wash. Be sure to wear face and eye protection and dont do it near anything else. Just as spec in your eye is torture...been there . It takes off all the grease and even old paint and decals, but dont bother rubber or plastic parts like dist cap (Bakelite). It will attack regular type plastic though so if anything is there like plastic loom, cover or remove it first.

Watch out when using certain brake cleaners. It can cause some plasitcs and rubber to become real brittle and break apart. I believe that "non chlorinated" brake cleaner is safer, but I still try to avoid using it on plastic surfaces.

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* 97 Olds Cutlass DD
* 86 Mustang SVO Rear Ended, R.I.P

* 86 Fiero GT, Soon to be Northstar

The purple stuff doesn't work well if it gets on mothers polish. I cleaned up my rims and had them looking pretty good, but when I cleaned the tires it streaked the rims where it turned the polish milky.

The purple degreasers, like the zep stuff at home depot, are basically all the same. You can mix them directly with kero and use a spray bottle to clean with also. (home made gunk cleaner)
But those purple cleaners will strip most wax off any surface if heavily concentrated, so you have to protect any waxed surfaces if using it in car.
use it about 50/50 with water by itself, and wear rubber gloves, it will remove all those nice callouses you worked so hard to build up, and dry your skin horribly. A good cleaning brush is your best friend, tho a small home power washer is nice to blast off heavy stuff.

Lots of folks are posting that they like to use a pressure washer on their gunked up engines. I had done that too, BEFORE, when the engine was in a running car. THAT'S how bad mine was! I can't take any credit for it being like that. That's how I got it. I guess that's why I was so amazed at how effective the kerosene was all by itself. I don't really understand the advantage of mixing any of the previously mentioned cleaners with the kerosene. Why would I want to go to the extra effort of mixing the cleaner AND covering/potentially damaging other parts? Is it an "ease of rinsing" thing?

Jonathan

Oven cleaner is great when cleaning muck from engines/transmissions that will be repainted - foam it up and let it sit for 30 minutes then rinse. I wouldn't use it on something that I just wanted to rinse off because it is not the nicest to painted or polished surfaces.

Brake Clean is also great, but you can go through alot of cans on a nasty project.

I might just try the kerosene in a vat for soaking parts in.

quote Originally posted by Boostdreamer: I don't really understand the advantage of mixing any of the previously mentioned cleaners with the kerosene.

They serve two primary functions:

1) They emulsify the dissolved kerosene/oil/grease mixture so it can be cleanly rinsed off with water. Otherwise, there will always be a thin film of the stuff left behind; diesel fuel is even worse as a cleaning solvent in this respect.

2) The cleaners may help dissolve stuff that the kerosene alone would leave behind. Not all engine deposits will readily dissolve in kerosene. For example, kerosene won't touch most varnishes, but they will dissolve readily in alcohol, and most stuff that is water soluble won't be affected by kerosene, either.

Kerosene alone is an oil product and will leave a greasy film. You need some sort of detergent and water to wash it away.

becareful about smoking near it

yes, kerosene is a great cleaner
and so is soap & water
one of the key aspects about the Gunk Degreaser is: it works best when the engine is HOT. during a swap, and as the opening post described - getting the motor hot was impossible. yes, spray bomb brake cleaner works too - but that get expensive quick. paint brush/scrub brush & kerosene is a great way to go. as is ethenol - another fine cleaner. even gasoline. the options are endless.

quote Originally posted by joshh44: i heard you shouldnt use oven cleaner on alum parts? why is that? does it just discolors the metal? and yes i was joking :P

The active ingredient in most oven cleaners is lye. This is a corrosive alkaline and is caustic. It will definately cut baked on grease, as well as paint, and will also remove a layer or 2 of skin if you don't use gloves.

The reason you should not use it on aluminum and some other metals is because there is a chemical reaction that generates hydrogen gas. Probably not an issue outdoors, but in an enclosed garage it could result in a Hindenburg type event.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye

Diesel for grease, laquer thinner for paint.