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Topic: Engine Bay Cleaning (Read 2798 times) previous topic - next topic

Engine Bay Cleaning

is there an easy way to clean carbon from the firewall?  I have tried brake cleaner, carb and choke cleaner and the good old pressure washer at the car wash with no luck.  I'll get a pic here in a bit its pretty bad and I want to have it cleaned up when I get the new exhaust put on.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #1 –
Have you tried Castrol Super Use it stright and it should take it off but it also might take off the paint.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #2 –
Superclean does wonders on baked on crud. I used it to clean off my trans on my tbird after I blew a trany line, the firewall looked like the front passenger side strut tower before hand. Spray it on full strangth, let it sit for a few min's and spray it again, let it sit for 5-10 min's (less if the engine is warm as it will evaporate) then hose off with a regular garden hose, didnt harm my paint in the least.

1980 birds X 3, 1982 bird, 1984 XR7, 1988 TC
 

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #3 –
i think over the years iv tried everything, and the 2 best things that work is that simple green stuff in a spray bottle with a brush or something, and por-15 degreaser with their chem resistant spray bottle. it realy cut through the layers of cooked on grease on steering racks, k members, firewalls, and engines(some of it was around a 1/2" thick). i also hear alot of good things about a citrius cleaner, but i forget the name of it.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #5 –
If you can't get it as clean as you want you'll have to paint it. It's not that hard with spray paint it's just a bunch of masking.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #6 –
Ive been using Greased Lightning, and like it better than Simple Green.

Purple Power is potent, but it makes your aluminum items look chalky.
It's Gumby's fault.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Tbird232ci

Purple Power is potent, but it makes your aluminum items look chalky.

This is true. You can usually clean up the look of your aluminum stuff by following up with Eagle One Metal Polish.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #8 –
Mother's aluminium polish works good as well. If you want to replicate that cast look on the alternator and other front equipment use some aluminium colored engine paint. It's duarable and it'll hold up much better than cleaning the aluminium and having it oxidize again.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #9 –
I think we have a winner!!!  Simple Green works very well I didnt even have to scrub anything, spray it on and everything pretty much runs off. but it did leave the aluminum looking chalky :(

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #10 –
anyone watch MYTHBUSTERS they use COLA with suprising results

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #11 –
Quote
anyone watch MYTHBUSTERS they use COLA with suprising results

Yeah but it didn't work on automotive grease.
-Jim
1987 Cougar LS 5.0

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #12 –
this is what mine looks like. when the motor was out, i scrubbed it down with simple green, then touched it up hear and there. and recently i used my left over por15 degreaser (in watered down form) and it came up almost new, dont want to sound like im marketing the stuff, but its crazy, i wiped stuff off with a paper towl after spraying, where scrubbing and hozing on simple green  didnt work.

Engine Bay Cleaning

Reply #13 –
I had a surprising experience with a product i found in lows paint remover section.

Jasco is the product in a spray can.
It says it removes paint in 5 min so i tried it. 

results,,, in about 5 to 10 minutes it removed old paint but as a bonus, it removed rust and left little black spots where rust was by using my presure washer.  I moved right in with primer after i used my leaf blower to dry out the bay.

Very good stuff,,5 stars from me with this product due to the added bonus of rust removeal as well. This stuff speeds up your restoration time IMHO.