Best cleaner for engine compartment?
#16
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Originally Posted by Hounddog
Well ARMOUR ALL has a bad habit of holding crud,creeping into elect.connectors and causing issues.Ruins door, window,cruise control,light switches AND DASH's .(holds heat,will about burn your skin off in direct sunlight)I find it to be nasty stuff.if you want a SHINEY engine bay spray it with a film of CLEAR laqure spray paint.Helps seal,looks great,causes no issues and lasts with out attracting dirt,dust and makes it easier to clean in the future.
I've found, under the hood, after spraying out, mist everything, and it dries up clean and shiny. Also lessens the need for a cleaner the next time. It does attract all the dust and crap and washes off with water leaving everything pretty clean.
Interiors, dashes, door panels, etc, couldn't do without the stuff in my work truck. It sees alot of dust, and the Armor all or whatever brand you choose, attract's the dust and I can just wipe the dash, etc w/ a dry rag and it leaves everything nice and clean. Armorall about 1x a month, wipe down 1-2x a weeks depending on dust. W/O it, the dust gets stuck in the grain of the panels and needs to be washed off to come clean.
I also use Armorall and WD 40 liberally on my snowmobiles' engine, suspensions, bellypans, skis, track, etc after cleaning and before summer storage. Keeps UV rays, rust, and other corrosion from damaging things.
IMO
#17
I use simple green daily and swear by it. I have tried everything as I restore vintage motorcycles and build custom motorcycles an hand built street bike engine powered atv's. simple green is strong on grease yet gentle on glossy finishes and softens hands wheile you do dishes! . all gunk products do remove grease well but they will completely dull painted surfaces with just 1 or 2 uses. castrol purple is a nightmare . I sprayed a completely polished drag bike motor with the wonderful purple stuff and found out imediately that it instantly micro etches bare aluminum and removed all shine and actually grays and darkens bare aluminum. my neighbor who lived about 400 yards away heard me sceam . I use about 3 gallons of simple green a month and found that the best place to buy it is home depot where its about $8 for a jug that is slightly larger than a gallon.verses $6.50 for a 32 oz spray bottle . I then use it full strength and poor it into my own adjustable spray bottle. the costco stuff doesnt seem to hurt anything but it also doesnt have near the power of simple green IMO. simple green is completely not toxic and even smells like root beer. one of my brilliant kids informed me that it doesnt taste like rootbeer though .... . I am also not a fan of armor all. I personally use mothers preserves on plastic, paint, anything under the hood or any shiny interior part. it doesnt make plastic retain and build heat and isnt as oily or sticky once dry and it leaves a great shine. it is expensive though and can be hard to find. I buy it by the gallon as well and I believe it was close to $40! but it lasts a long time and its worth it.
#19
Looking at what Castrol purple does to some metals, guess what it can do to electrical connections that it can get to. I quit using it on the vehicles as it was basically oven cleaner, and just used it on the floors and driveway until it ran out. I'll try some Simple Green next, but suspect that it too is a caustic based cleaner.
I've used WD40 for years to clean/lightly oil stuff, like garden tools, lawnmowers, greasy parts, etc, just spray, brush, and hose it off.
I've used WD40 for years to clean/lightly oil stuff, like garden tools, lawnmowers, greasy parts, etc, just spray, brush, and hose it off.
#20
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ila georgia
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I found the GREEN stuff to be very harsh also.Thats why I stick with the Foamy Engine Brite cleaner.Everthing I tried over the years and I always go back to something designed to clean engine areas.
#22
The reason for my trucks existance is to pull my race car to and from the track (and it's my work truck). I race a porsche in GT-3 and the marbles flying around all weekend long typically leave rubber markes all over the paint. The easiest thing I have found to get the rubber, grease and various crud off the paint is simple green. 8 years of using it undiluted on the paint and she still polishes out like new. I've also used it for years on my motorcycle rims (painted) to get the chain lube off. I can't say that I spray it on and leave it all day but I am also in no hurry to get it back off. I have never seen any evidence that it in any way harms the paint. Not sure what 'green stuff' people have had problems with but I seriously doubt it was simple green....or I would see some kind of dulling of my porsche paint after 8 years of washing it down a dozen times a year with it.
Just my .02
Bill
Just my .02
Bill
#24
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I find the Simple Green to discolor some,remove and blotch decalls under the hood and leave a film.I found the GUNK FOAMY ENGINE BRITE to work much better.Thats me.I use it on all my equipment to clean such as tractor,bushhog,22 h.p. riding mower,chain saws,under hood,door jams etc.Found it to disolve heavy grease and grime if used per instructions much better then Simple Green and easier to apply then a hand squirt bottle.More even coverage also.No diluting also.Shake and squirt.
#28
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Eagle, Idaho. Please set your watch back 20 years when entering.
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Huh. I just go the quarter car wash 2 or 3 times a year and blast away. Been doing that for 30 years and it works great if you keep it out of your distributor cap. Wait! We don't have distributor caps! WE WIN!!!
100 Proof
100 Proof
#29
Registered User
THE BEST PRODUCT MADE BAR NONE! For engine degreasing and underhood paint cleaning is S-100 motorcycle degreaser/cleaner!!
It is the only product that I have ever used that takes off all the gunk and leaves the paint and aluminum alone!
Ask any one who owns a motorcycle, Harley riders swear by it!!
Rick
It is the only product that I have ever used that takes off all the gunk and leaves the paint and aluminum alone!
Ask any one who owns a motorcycle, Harley riders swear by it!!
Rick
#30
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: LI, NY
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I wash under the hood every time i wash the truck... If it doesnt get a chance to get really dirty, it doesnt take much to keep it clean . If it does get really dirty for some reason (overflow bottle overflowed). I use gumout engine cleaner, on the oil, no problems so far