Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    97

    Default Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    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!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Eric Page's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Toledo, WA
    Posts
    863

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    Quote Originally Posted by 3kdscf View Post
    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.
    Eric Page
    Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
    Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
    ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
    Map of Landings

  3. #3
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    Varsol. AKA Mineral Spirits.
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  4. #4
    Senior Member Delta Whisky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Amissville, VA
    Posts
    637

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    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).

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    97

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    Quote Originally Posted by 109JB View Post
    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.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    97

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Page View Post
    I haven't cleaned an airplane engine (yet), but I would probably try Simple Green.
    Quote Originally Posted by Delta Whisky View Post
    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

  7. #7
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    3,562


    DesertFox4
    Admin.
    7 Super Sport
    912 ULS Tri-gear


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    97

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    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!

    IMG_8404.jpg

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    469

    Default Re: Safe cleaning product for engine exterior?

    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.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •