Cleaning the Engine Bay?

Idleone said:

Armor all spray foam works great cleaning mud in the engine bay. Give it a try

Click to expand...

armoredveh said:

Simple Green is an extremely effective detergent...but should not be used on aluminum parts, which, I'm told, will ruin the finish.

Click to expand...

Wilson said:

P.S. sorry Adams simple green on engine bay is cheaper not sure if it's safer I'm sure it will strip selent also. PPS I'm not an expert.

Click to expand...

Wilson said:

I did not know this! @AdamsPolishes how about all purpose

Click to expand...

AdamsPolishes said:

Simple Green is a moderate cleaner at standard dilutions but not a heavy degreaser even at a 1:1 dilution. Since the pH is only 8.5-9.5 in the concentrate form, and then less than that using standard dilutions of 10:1 to 30:1, it will clean some oil and grease but may not get all of it.

All Purpose Cleaner is a professional strength degreaser, with a pH of about 12.

If you use Simple Green on your engine but still have areas that did not come clean, use the stronger All Purpose Cleaner.

Any moderate-to-high pH cleaner can damage raw aluminum. This is typically only a concern with raw, polished aluminum. Cast aluminum on a engine block is not a concern, but polished aluminum valve covers would be a concern, as would raw, polished aluminum wheels. For any surface, aluminum or painted, do not let the cleaner sit more than 5 minutes, do not allow to dry, and rinse thoroughly.

Factory aluminum wheels are clear-coated, so there is not issue using All Purpose Cleaner on them.

Also, the All Purpose Cleaner can be diluted with distilled water to make a gentler cleaner, and also to reduce the cost-per-ounce for use with lighter levels of cleaning, where you don't need the full-strength cleaning power.

Some dilutions used with All Purpose Cleaner:
8:1 - delicate aluminum wheels or trim
4:1 - bug or tar pre-treatment, door sills, kick panels
1:1 - coated/painted wheels

For each of these dilutions, the bigger number is the ounces of distilled water, and the smaller number is the ounces of All Purpose Cleaner. These dilution ratios do not need to be exact. For example, the fist dilution is often just 2 ounces of APC in a standard 16ox spray bottle, then fill teh rest of the bottle with distilled water. That ratio is technically 7:1 (14oz of water and 2oz of APC), but it is close enough. Always mix product dilutions with distilled water, as regular tap or well water can have minerals or other stuff in it that negatively affects the product.

Lastly, never allow any cleaner to get on hot paint or use in the sun, and never allow to dry on any paint, even the painted parts in the engine bay. This is important for engine cleaning, that you don't just spray the cleaner all over the engine and also get it all over the outside of the truck (fenders, bumper, hood, etc). If you get overspray outside the engine bay, rinse immediately, and then remember to re-apply sealant of wax to the paint, since the cleaner will strip these off.

Since the Car Wash Shampoo is pH nuetral, it can be allowed to dry on the paint with no issue.

-Dan

---------- Post added at 10:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 AM ----------



^ see above.

Click to expand...

2014RubyRed said:

I'm not totally clear as to why we have to use distilled water? Since we aren't letting it dry, what is the problem with using tap water?

Click to expand...