OMG, It's so filthy!

[Oldyeller]

I just finished resealing the turbo on my bus this afternoon. The engine compartment is so filthy that I decided to NOT even think about resealing the HPOP until I dealt with the oily filth under the hood.

Here are a couple videos of the under hood. I'm not sure they capture how bad it is. I may get more videos tomorrow.

https://youtube.com/shorts/3-IIYH1ImDo?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/u17VVlRvJUQ?feature=share

[ol trunt]

I've eaten off plates at AAA rated restaurants not as clean as your motor. Looks fine to me?
Jack

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

I've eaten off plates at AAA rated restaurants not as clean as your motor. Looks fine to me?
Jack

I'll get more video tomorrow, it's really grungy. Pretty much every surface is covered with oily grime. I'll try to remember to get some video of the underside of the hood. I'm reluctant to even wash it in the driveway. Thinking I may save the worst, the intake valley, for a trip to a self service car wash.

[Oldyeller]

Today I spent a couple hours cleaning the driver's side under hood area. Attached are 2 videos. You can compare them to the before in the first post.

This is going to make it easier to work on the engine. It will also make it easier to trace wires. It actually came cleaner than I expected though in the coming months I intended to try to get it cleaner overall.

For some reason the second video's link doesn't work. I'll try to fix it when I'm working on my laptop.

https://youtube.com/shorts/T3vcJNaaJoM?feature=share

https://youtube.com/LikXUXiB5k0

[Oldyeller]

Just to add information to this thread, yesterday I decided to try my light duty Black and Decker electric pressure washer. I figured at about 2000 psi max. if I didn't aim it at any of the electrical components I should be OK using it in the engine compartment.

I had three different detergents that I was going to try, gallon bottles of Simple Green and Krud Cutter for power washers and a small spray bottle of ZEP degreaser.

The pressure washer has a soap dispenser that I used to apply the Simple Green and Krud Cutter. I only had a little of the ZEP left so I just took the top off and splashed it on. I was focusing my attention on the underside of the top of the hood. ZEP was the only one of the three products that seemed to have any affect on the black, oily build up. It made it much easier to blast off the gunk. Neither the Simple Green nor the Krud Cutter seemed to make any difference at all.

I'm going to have to find some other detergents to try. If anyone has a favorite they've used I'd like to hear about it. Maybe I'll try to find the ZEP in a gallon bottle, at least it does something.l

[Veloc]

I would avoid using Simple Green anywhere there might be aluminum, like engines with aluminum radiators and other parts. The US military claims that it attacks aluminum aircraft surfaces and causes it to degrade. True or not? Dunno, but there's enough other cleaners out there to not risk it.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

my favorite one cant be had anymore?
we used to have a GANT gas station with a car wash in the back and would take gallon jugs there throw a few dollars in and fill up four or five jugs at a time.
that stuff when you put it on you could see the stuff just melting off.
i guess if i had to pick it would be the purple power degreaser

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223

my favorite one cant be had anymore?
we used to have a GANT gas station with a car wash in the back and would take gallon jugs there throw a few dollars in and fill up four or five jugs at a time.
that stuff when you put it on you could see the stuff just melting off.
i guess if i had to pick it would be the purple power degreaser

After my last post I was at the local odd lot store and found ZEP Industrial Purple Degreaser. I'll see if it works better than the other ZEP I had.

I'm going to be spending more time cleaning the engine and tranny, top and bottom, during the coming months. It's so filthy it's difficult to see components which can be a problem which I'm going to describe in my build thread.

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by Veloc

I would avoid using Simple Green anywhere there might be aluminum, like engines with aluminum radiators and other parts. The US military claims that it attacks aluminum aircraft surfaces and causes it to degrade. True or not? Dunno, but there's enough other cleaners out there to not risk it.

It seemed to help when I used a brush so I could see using it on steel components but I won't be applying it with the pressure washer applicator anymore.