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Degreasing the firewall and engine

One end in compressor, other end in mineral spirits, spray away, wipe down and done. What is it called, don't know. Works great once a year. :)
 
Cleaning the engine area

I will not use any high pressure sprayer to clean my aircraft. That high pressure can push water and cleaning agents in to places where it can do harm.
When I was young I used to pressure clean a Harley Davidson until my front wheel bearings went out. The high pressure sprayer pushed out all the grease from the bearings!
Now for the most part I just wipe down the excess grease or oil with a rag. If it is kind of dried on I put a little Go-Jo waterless hand cleaner on the rag and wipe it off. Doing it this way keeps water out of the alternator and other electronic connections.
For the fuselage I just use a little dish soap and water. Then put on wax so the bugs will not stick on so hard.
 
RV3bpilot said:
I will not use any high pressure sprayer to clean my aircraft. That high pressure can push water and cleaning agents in to places where it can do harm.
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Absolutely.
The siphon type I think they are talking about isn't high pressure at all. The one I use sort of sputters the solvent out at very low pressure. It is just an easy way to apply the solvent, then clean off with rags.
I don't use it on the RV. It doesn't get that dirty, but it sure is handy on older engines that are much less clean.
 
I use $15 pump up garden sprayer and mineral spirits. Catch the liquid below the engine in a tarp. Air dry. Don't jet it into the electrical devices/connections, but a splash or two won't hurt.
 
Engine cleaner

You can pick up one at Harbor Freight. It is called an engine cleaner and I think is about $15.
 
Cleaning FWF

All I ever use now is a spray bottle and alcohol with cheap disposable paint brushes. For scrubbing jobs cut the brush bristles shorter to make them stiffer.


Don B

RV 9 Rebuild in Progress
 
Harbor Freight has what they call a "professional" spray paint gun for about $20 with the canister attached to the gun, which seems a little more user-friendly than dealing with a tube into a can of mineral spirits and the air hose to the compressor.
 
Apexeon said:
You can pick up one at Harbor Freight. It is called an engine cleaner and I think is about $15.
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That one is terrible. It will need to be completely disassembled, sealed with teflon tape. Even then it doesn't work very well.
 
turbo said:
One end in compressor, other end in mineral spirits, spray away, wipe down and done. What is it called, don't know. Works great once a year. :)
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It's ok to miss a beat sometimes, but not when in hover in that whirlybird!!:D
 
BillL said:
It's ok to miss a beat sometimes, but not when in hover in that whirlybird!!:D
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It's kind of hard to miss a beat after 1,600 heli hours. You don't even think, it goes we're you want it to go. I hope so. ;)
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Use your solvent of choice, Stoddard, Mineral Spirits, even Jet A-1, but mix in some Gunk SC.

Stands for Super Concentrate, I think. From memory, it is a 10:1 mix ratio.

What it does, is make the solvent emulsify in water. So, spray on in the total absence of water, then rinse off with plain water. It runs off and appears "milky" as it runs off.

Absolutely dry to the touch when it drys, leaving no residue.

Plain solvents leave a residue.

NAPA has it, probably others.

I use it on a T-6 engine and accessory compartment, which is always very oily.
 
49clipper

spray with mineral spirits, rinse with the water hose, let dry. Perfect every time. Been doing this for 15 yrs. on many planes
Jim
RV-6
 
Ordinary Gunk brand engine degreaser in the spray can from any auto parts store or Walmart. Rinse off with low pressure water. Just keep the degreaser and water out of the mags, alternator, starter and other electric stuff. I've used this for years on my old Cherokee and now my RV. It's always worked great and never caused any problems for me.
 
Do not use...

Super Clean on any metal parts or paint. Even will leave streaks on stainless. However, great stuff for small parts cleaning. Shoot solvent on, then Superclean, then lotsa water. Voila!!

Jerry
 
Avgas in a degreaser spray gun from Northern Tools (way better than Harbor Fright)

Don't shoot me down -----

Avgas has been used for years in UK for degreasing - all solvents are volatile but Avgas degreases well and evaporates well.

Just so long as you aren't a tree hugger.
 
mike newall said:
Avgas in a degreaser spray gun from Northern Tools (way better than Harbor Fright)

Don't shoot me down -----

Avgas has been used for years in UK for degreasing - all solvents are volatile but Avgas degreases well and evaporates well.

Just so long as you aren't a tree hugger.
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Or a smoker.... or working in a garage with a water heater in it...:)
 
mike newall said:
Avgas in a degreaser spray gun from Northern Tools (way better than Harbor Fright)
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I watched our local highly regarded A&P clean engines with avgas in a metal garden sprayer...he had been doing it that way for decades, and his Paw, an A&P, even longer.

This summer I used avgas and a cheap chip brush to wash the engine in the RV-6. The plane was outside the hangar and the avgas worked great. I don't have a water supply at the hangar so need something that evaporates without residue.
 
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I have nothing against using AvGas or solvent to clean dirty engines, but be VERY carefull spraying any of them using a syphon sprayer! I have personally witnessed a fire involving a multi-millon dollar aircraft, a syphon sprayer and alcohol. The problem with spraying solvent is that you atomize a combustable, if not explosive mixture that travels very far. In the fire that I witnessed the ignition source was a 120 VAC extension cord being unplugged! Just the tiny sparks from disconnecting the cord ingnited the massive cloud of atomized alcohol. Looked like something from a bad moovie....and you couldn't even see all the flames since alcohol burns blue and it was bright inside of the hangar. I could only imagine what an atomized cloud of AvGas would look like when it burns!

If the engine does not have baked on, caked on oil and dirt I will sometimes use LPS 1. I spray down the entire engine, firewall and mount with the LPS 1, wait a few minutes then wipe eyerything clean with blue paper towels. This is also a good way to inspect FWF since you are looking at and touching every part as you clean it. An added benefit is the protective film the LPS leaves on the engine case, cylinder fins and engine mount tubes.
 
degreaser

Spray it with Gunk Engine Degreaser from any auto parts store.....let it set for a few minutes......hose it off with a garden hose. It does a good job.
 
Mike H said:
I have nothing against using AvGas or solvent to clean dirty engines, but be VERY carefull spraying any of them using a syphon sprayer! I have personally witnessed a fire involving a multi-millon dollar aircraft, a syphon sprayer and alcohol. The problem with spraying solvent is that you atomize a combustable, if not explosive mixture that travels very far. In the fire that I witnessed the ignition source was a 120 VAC extension cord being unplugged! Just the tiny sparks from disconnecting the cord ingnited the massive cloud of atomized alcohol. Looked like something from a bad moovie....and you couldn't even see all the flames since alcohol burns blue and it was bright inside of the hangar. I could only imagine what an atomized cloud of AvGas would look like when it burns!

If the engine does not have baked on, caked on oil and dirt I will sometimes use LPS 1. I spray down the entire engine, firewall and mount with the LPS 1, wait a few minutes then wipe eyerything clean with blue paper towels. This is also a good way to inspect FWF since you are looking at and touching every part as you clean it. An added benefit is the protective film the LPS leaves on the engine case, cylinder fins and engine mount tubes.
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DEWATSON said:
Spray it with Gunk Engine Degreaser from any auto parts store.....let it set for a few minutes......hose it off with a garden hose. It does a good job.
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Atomized avgas would indeed be dangerous. If using a sprayer it should be adjusted so the gas is discharged as a course stream, not a fine mist.

I don't have running water at the hangar so Gunk isn't a good option. Besides, the times I've used it on bikes and cars I didn't care for the residual odor.
 
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Carpet Cleaning

With the safety issues in mind, I am amazed how a stiff brush and a little avgas can remove stains from carpet.
 
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