Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

[3kdscf]

Sorry for this very newbie question but I searched and found nothing. What product do you use to clean the exterior of your engine? I was just going to use a basic automotive degreaser but the label said it was not safe for aluminum. Better to ask than do something stupid :)

Thanks!

[Eric Page]

What product do you use to clean the exterior of your engine? I was just going to use a basic automotive degreaser but the label said it was not safe for aluminum.
I haven't cleaned an airplane engine (yet), but I would probably try Simple Green. It's a good degreaser and carries no warnings about aluminum. The bottle says, "Any washable, water-safe surface...can be safely cleaned with Simple Green."

Wear nitrile gloves; it's murder on your skin in large doses.

[109JB]

Varsol. AKA Mineral Spirits.

[Delta Whisky]

Simple Green used to be "no bueno" on aluminum. They changed the formulation quite a while ago but test on an inconspicuous area if your bottle is old.

As an aside - I too use mineral spirits or Varsol (preferred) if I can find it. I use a siphon spray gun on an air hose with a reducing orifice in the pick up line to minimize the amount used. It doesn't take much and no corrosive chemical (including water).

[3kdscf]

Varsol. AKA Mineral Spirits.
Mineral spirits is brilliant, thank you! I will just put it in a spray bottle. Not sure about the rest of the country but oil based paints and mineral spirits are getting a lot more difficult to find and buy in California so I will buy a few gallons while I can still find it. Varsol appears to still be sold in Canada and the low VOC version might be available here in USA.

[3kdscf]

I haven't cleaned an airplane engine (yet), but I would probably try Simple Green.


Simple Green used to be "no bueno" on aluminum. They changed the formulation quite a while ago but test on an inconspicuous area if your bottle is old.

As an aside - I too use mineral spirits or Varsol (preferred) if I can find it. I use a siphon spray gun on an air hose with a reducing orifice in the pick up line to minimize the amount used. It doesn't take much and no corrosive chemical (including water).


Thanks! I will make sure to get a new bottle of simple green and test it out first. I think I will first use mineral spirits and then simple green. Between the two, my engine should sparkle again :)

[DesertFox4]

https://www.leadingedgeairfoils.com/extreme-simple-green-gallon.html


Don't have to worry about "trying out" this version of Simple Green.



(https://www.leadingedgeairfoils.com/extreme-simple-green-gallon.html)

[3kdscf]

Thanks to everyone for their help. What I did on my cold engine was:

0) put a plastic bag over the air filter
1) spray paint thinner on the engine using simple spray bottle from home depot, wait 5 minutes
2) hose off engine
3) sprayed with simple green, wait 5 minutes
4) hose off really well

I didnt even scrub at all and it got really clean!

28540

[WWhunter]

I've used mineral spirits sprayed through a cheap sprayer for decades. Stick the pickup hose in the mineral spirits container and let the air pressure do the work.
You can get one at HF for cheap.