Simple Green

[HarryD]

Originally posted by HarryD
Randy,

When I get to work next week I'll ask the guys in the shops.

I checked with the guys in the Air National Guard Corrosion Control (metal work and painting) Shop about the Technical Order concerning Simple Green. He told me that it is true that Simple Green is not allowed on the base. However, it is not it's corrosive effects on the metal but because of its effects on the coatings where it significantly reduces it's life and they need to strip and repaint more often.

[aigel]

Why not use something that was designed to do the job, like engine degreaser? I got my engine and transmission spanking clean with "Gunk" brand engine degreaser.

George

[Crachian]

Hands down the best cleaner I have used is Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity All-purpose cleaner. Fairly high pH, I think simple green is about 9 where this stuff is 10 or more. The stuff is amazing.

[Andras Nagy]

Not to roil the pot too much, but wouldn't plain old karosene also work?

I've used karosene for heavily soiled parts, and it simply "melts' gunk (petroleum by-products) away. And since it is soluble with lots of water, it is more environmentally friendly some of these other ".....enes".

What say you?

[mb911]

simple green is listed with the faa as being caustic to aluminum and magnesium

[Wil Ferch]

I think kerosene works well as a general degreaser....look also at "Oil-Flow"...I believe it is kerosene based...and I used it to de-gunk the wheel wells of cosmoline very successfully without attack to the PVC undercoating or paint.

Wil

[scottb]

Wil: Do you have a web site for "Oil-Flow?" Google search didn't turn up anything. Thanks.

[daka]

I think I remember in the "old days' the firemen used to wash the firetrucks with a mixture of about a cup or two of kerosene to a bucket of water.
Boy, I'm giving away my age.

[Hetmann]

Sorry about the delay in getting back. I bought one of those little steamers and have used it to clean several items. The stream of steam it generates is useful for small areas and works well when combined with a solvent and elbow grease. I have my little arsenal of used toothbrushes, scotch brite pads, rags, etc.

It is fairly slow and will not replace an industrial machine, but is quite satisfactory for little parts and is able to get into tight little spots and blast the gunk out of there.

[Wil Ferch]

for Oil Flow...look here:

http://www.carcareonline.com/detail.asp?product_id=11002

Wil

[randywebb]

corrosive according to the FAA...
Hmmm, the plot thickens. Ben, do you have a web site or anything else on that?

Generally, the best thing to do is to use high-pressure hot water - maybe not pressure washer levels, but 120 psi or so if you've got it. A water heater outlet is useful, or you can install a small on-demand heater somewhere handy.
Next, I would go to an "orange" type cleaner.
Brake cleaner has its own magic...

Just remember, you will be dealing with a mix of polar and non-polar gunk, so you need two types of cleaners.
I know this is anathema to us modern technologically enabled primates, but elbow grease is almost always needed. Brass is the right metal for your cleaning brushes; followed by nylon - avoid steel.

[no substitute]

Originally posted by daka
I think I remember in the "old days' the firemen used to wash the firetrucks with a mixture of about a cup or two of kerosene to a bucket of water.
Boy, I'm giving away my age.

I hear ya on the age thing, me too--those weren't horse drawn fire trucks were they?

[speeder]

I have used a lot of different cleaning products over the years to clean greasy parts/motors/etc..., most of the really effective ones were pretty toxic. I'm a big SG user, FWIW, I use it as car wash soap. (Diluted in a lot of H2O). For routine motor/under hood cleaning, I just use GUNK spray "Engine Bright", (NOT the foamy version, it sucks), at the coin car wash. I use it on a fairly hot engine, which makes it more effective, but sometimes it can flame up when it hits the hot exhaust. You have to really be ready w/ the coins to put out the fire.

If you used it the way that the label says, (on cold engine w/ garden hose), I can't imagine how on earth it could work, but they have to cover their asses legally, so there you have it w/ the label. One or two applications @ coin car wash over time has given me fantastic results on my daily driver cars/trucks.

If you want show quality results on aluminum, my advice is to do this: after getting all of the grease and dirt off, use an *etching type* mag wheel cleaner, like Eagle One or Mother's w/ a brass wire brush and scrub the heck out of it, leave the stuff on for a while and then rinse. (This advice is NOT for anodised parts)!!

Here is my case after doing this:

[RickM]

I'm also a fan of citrus based cleaners. Home Depot sells gallon containers of the concentrated stuff so you can dilute to taste.

Spray-nine is excellent as well but smells like a stronger version of Fantastic.