Engine and Transmission Tech

Hey guys,

what would you all recommend for cleaning an engine in an environmentally conscious manner? Out here on the mountain everyone's drinking water comes from springs and wells so I don't want to mess with the ecosystem. I want something that works but not lethal like the old Gunk stuff from the 70s.

Tim

There are a lot of products that fit the bill, but.
Its not the cleaner that is the problem. It's the stuff your washing off the motor.
There is just no way to neutralize all that toxic gunk.
I would run it by a shop that has the proper equipment to handle it.
Cheers
Fred

Thanks Fred,

I considered that. I'll have to find someone that can do it with engine in situ and make sure they have a capture system for the gunk in the drain water. I want to clean this baby before I start pulling it out. Plenty of folks will steam clean it but who knows where the cr*p ends up?

Tim

Move the car over a heavy sheet of poly in your driveway and place 2x4's under the poly to make a raised lip around the perimeter of the engine bay. Get about 3 or 4 large cans of brake cleaner and a long scrub brush and start spraying and scrubbing. The brake cleaner will cut through the oily gunk and wash down onto the poly. After you are done move the car out of the way and let the sun beat down on the oily solution. The brake cleaner will evaporate and leave the oily crud on the poly. Now roll up the poly and put it in the garbage. This method will clean the engine reasonably well enough that you can work on it. Some parts may require another treatment, you can do this over a large cookie tray (don't use your wife's cookie tray) and wipe the tray clean with paper towels.

Cheers
Byron

Thanks Byron,

That's a great idea! I've got a huge cookie sheet I used to keep under my '53 Ferguson to keep the oil drips off the ground. If anyone else needs a huge cookie sheet (about 4' x 6') Tractor Supply has them.

Tim

Don't want to nit pick but,
you're going to release a huge amount of VOC's into the air that way and throwing that stuff into the garbage just puts the pollutants into someone else's yard.
You're still better off with a pro who disposes with the waste properly.
Cheers
Fred

I vote for taking it to a pro too. However, when I have occasionally cleaned gunked-up engine parts, I've found the biodegradable "purple stuff" in a squirt bottle usually works better than any of the aerosol-can products including brake cleaner. Save brake cleaner for what it's better for, which is its property of not leaving residue. I really hate breathing brake cleaner fumes!

Up here in Canada you can buy biodegradeable degreasing agents that are non toxic. You mix this stuff with water and you can wash off the oily film on concrete or engine parts. The reason I advise not using it to clean the engine as you end up with a bunch of water with an oily film on it. You then have to skim the oil off of it and dispose of the water.
I agree with Fred on the issue of the VOC'S but the amount is not that much and the stuff oxidizes on its own in the atmosphere. I am sure a paving crew paving a road releases far more VOC's and for that matter a roofing crew spreading hot tar on a roof releases more VOC's. As for the oily sludge on the poly you can scrape most of it up and put it in a container and put it in the oily stuff bin at the dump.

Cheers
Byron

Got Simple Green ? Don't most of the do it yourself car washes have a catch/sludge tank ? In Ca,I believe it's considered hazardous waste, and must be disposed of properly. Cheers, roverman.

Thanks Guys,

I like the fact that you're all thinking in sound environmental practices. Cheers to you! There is a car wash in West Asheville that I've seen people spraying their engine compartments in so I checked it out this week. They do, indeed, have a grease pit with several side drains with catch basins installed and baffles before the actual side drains so this will be my best option. I have many nontoxic degreasers here so I'll try a few.

I'll just cross my fingers and hope I don't get any high pressure water into somewhere the Rover doesn't like when I'm 20 miles from home. At least I can walk the 1-1/2 miles to my office if I have to get a truck.

Cheers,
Tim

Uhmm.....Did I hear pressure wash..Rover..and drive it again, all in the same sentence?

Fred,

Yes you did . . . lots of electronic crap under the hood . . . am I being overly cautious? I realize these are the foremost off-road vehicles but I've never seen one driven under water like my old FJ40.

Tim