This is posted elsewhere here on FTE so I get a good range of usable info.

Re: 2005 E350 w/5.4 gasser

So had an Accusump accumulator rupture (due defective end cap threads) and because it was mounted over top of the intake just in front of the throttle body it made quite a mess in the engine bay. I'm curious how to best clean the oil off the engine? The engine has about 1200 miles on a reman'd install and I hate it being dirty already.

What products and procedures have worked? I have heard of those using pressure washers and too harsh of cleaners causing all sorts of problems I'd like to avoid. Naturally the quick and easy low-effort process is preferred but if it means I'm removing bits of the induction or electrical system that's fine too.

TIA

 

JWA: I watched some youtube videos saying that you could soap up and wash down an engine in a Japanese car like my wife's Corolla (but it did warn against doing that with a Mercedes).

So, I soaped up and washed down my wife's Corolla engine. And it worked and looked Great!

So, much so that I decided to also do it on my wife's Dodge Dakota. And it looked great. But afterward had a missfire. Which codes determined was a failed injector in cylinder 8. (I forgot that Mercedes owned Chrysler at the time my wife's Dakota was manufactured...) Deep wells for the injectors.

After I verified it was injector 8 by switching it with cylinder 1, I purchased a new injector and it has been working great ever since.

Moral of the Story: I will never wash down the Dakota's or any other engine but the Corolla's unless I first can find some authority for it.

 

Dawn dishwasher liquid is a great degreaser. It's the detergent of choice for cleaning up animals that have encountered an oil spill.

But avoiding the electronics is the difficult part. Disconnect the battery, and protect electrical stuff with foil, wrapped as tightly as possible. Scout it beforehand to see if there are places where you just should not be spraying water.

If you have compressed air available, following up with that would be a good thing, I think.

Then let it all dry well before reconnecting the battery.

 

What about something like simple green? Or Purple Power?

 

I've always liked Gunk from Radiator Specialty Co. It cuts oil and grease and emulsifies it, making it water soluble. No need for high pressure rinse to wash it away.

 

I like to spray cleaner of choice - Purple Power, Simple Green, Gunk, watered down Dawn in a spray bottle, whatever - on to a warm engine then close the hood and let it steam clean itself, then come back and rinse later.

Essentially, drive home from work, change clothes, pop hood, spray down with cleaner, close hood, do something else for a while, rinse. Repeat next day as needed.

 

I'm aware the truck in question runs of gazoline..

well mine is a Diesel and I try every cleaner available to my disposal and none of they even make a dent of the crud gather in 200.000, until you scrap it HARD, nothing changes..

 

Thanks for all the great advice guys----got this wrapped up (mostly) yesterday. With a combination of aerosol brake cleaner and a lot of paper towels the pooled oil in the galley was soaked up and there's very very little of the oil remaining. I did remove the alternator for clear access to the galley from the front which made this go sooooooooooo much easier.

BTW I've used Dawn for a lot of other oil mishaps, most in my light colored driveway. Over a few years I developed a half-assed method to remove nearly 100% of anything spilled--mostly it's wet the area. apply, scrub and repeat as necessary. I've also noticed letting the sun shine on the driveway helps remove or evaporate even the small bits that remain.

I did discover Purple Power's Driveway Cleaner and OMG that stuff is just crazy good. In fact its a bit better than Dawn and all things considered not a lot more in cost. It doesn't take a lot so you save there and because its works a bit better there's some effort saved in the process. Pick some up if you're a driveway DIY like me.

Thanks again guys---great advice here!

 

I notice the evident efficiency of the "Brake cleaner", is any short coming like Toxicity, cancer, fumes, damage to the metal...??

Can somebody tell me why we don't use it to clean everything...??

 

If you use Brake Cleaner don't buy the "non-chlorinated" variety, it's worthless in my opinion. The old style with it's carcinogenic recipe and toxic fumes works. It won't be long before they have us trying to clean our auto parts with an orange cut in half.

 

I was having a conversation about brake cleaner and how the formula changed back in the mid-80's---the non-chlorinated version was just about half as effective as the chlorinated. Of course that era was just about the time more work place chemical use came under much, much closer scrutiny by various gov't agencies. These days what's available is good enough for most uses so maybe we've become accustomed to the lower strength and theoretically "safer" formula?

(BTW 3M #08180 High Power Brake Cleaner is available which I'm told is still chlorinated but I don't know to what degree. Also FWIW I found it at Advance Auto for under $4/can IF you have a commercial account. Their WearEver private brand is $2/can. Prices to Joe Blow Walkin are $7+ for the 3M and $5 for the private brand.

Generally as DIY's we're not in too much danger of toxic issues with using a can or two--its the full-time mechanics who might be exposed to this and lord knows how many other chemicals daily who are or should be concerned with repeated exposure. Up until 1984 I was involved in large A/C unit construction and we never thought twice about the potential issues refrigerant gases posed. These days A/C technicians wear the throw-away latex shop gloves to prevent or reduce skin absorption of R134a etc.

Working safely with any aerosol or sprayable chemical requires good ventilation and/or some sort of respirator or breathing apparatus designed to reduce inhaling things that are known to cause health issues with long term exposure.

 

Many of my responses are "tongue in cheek" and I don't advocate chloro-floro whatever for after dinner cocktails. I mentioned the chloronated versions for the new comers that never used them. The auto parts stores seem to give maximum shelf space to the "eco-friendly" versions and the makers litter the labeling with green ink and promises that it's just as effective and friendly to fire ants. The one safety issue I would like to mention is the danger of using an aerosol propelled cleaner in a room heated by an open flame (kerosene heater, wood stove, etc. Not for the recognized danger of explosion, if fumes really get too high, but the creation of phosgene gas from the chemical reaction. It's heavier than air and many times more poisonous than chlorine gas. It can accumulate in the lungs from multiple exposures. Take your grungy parts and spray cleaner outside to clean. A final thought on use of latex gloves. Due to the low flash point of refrigerants they're really cold when released. I think the gloves are more for clean hands than absorption unless the tech is really old and has no feeling in his hands at which point the frozen fingers die, fall off and becomes self regulating.

 

AFAIK, the current chlorinated stuff is the same as it has always been.

True, as long as you follow your good advice about ventilation, AND don't get that stuff near a heat source!!!!!

Chlorinated brake cleaner will produce phosgene, a very deadly nerve gas, then heated over 315 C. I read of a person who used it to clean a piece of metal before welding on it. He gave it a few moments to dry, like we all would, then did his welding. Apparently there was a small pocket in the surface of the steel that hadn't dried completely. He almost died, and did permanently ruin his health. The amount of brake cleaner that did that damage was less than a raindrop.

It's serious business.

We all know that these days, the Chicken Littles are in charge, warning us that everything is dangerous, even just standing still, I suppose. Yada, yada, yada, right?


Please take this warning seriously. It's real. This stuff will kill you, or make you wish you were dead.

It's kind of expensive for degreasing a whole engine, anyway.


https://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2...t-get-careless

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hazards+of...&t=ffnt&ia=web

 

I was once responsible for monitoring air quality in a work space that used Tri-chloroethylene in a vapor degreasing application----over 6,000 gallons in a steam heated open top tank mostly below the floor, a refrigerated vapor containment ring circling the tank about 4' below the open top. Additionally there was a vapor extraction vent drawing escaped vapors out of the area.

We also had a welding shop in the same 100,000 sq/ft building although some distance apart. A newly installed make up air system for the welders was started one day and within a short period of time people were having breathing difficulties. That system was temporarily shut off, I was called in to sample the air and found relatively low levels of any noxious gases---work resumed, the air system turned back on, breathing issues returned just as quickly

This time I sampled the air and found a very high level of Tri-chlor---the welding arc's were acting with the air-borne Tri-chlor which in turn caused the breathing issues. The welding supervisor was advised and agreed the make up air system would remain off until we resolved the what and why or this. Oddly enough before that system was installed we had a simple roof mounted exhaust fan. As it turns out the exhaust stack for small amounts of Tri-chlor that escaped from the vapor degreasing operation was too close to the intake stack for the make up air system---Tri-chlor was being drawn into the welding room.

The stacks were moved to prevent this and it worked.

So yes some vapors when heated to certain temps but I was working on a cold engine and completely not in a confined space---doors and hood open, dog house removed. All in all I used a total of two cans brake cleaner @ $2 a can, probably spent more for the paper towels.

I NEVER put myself in any situation where vapors could exist no matter what those vapors might be---that's one area of personal safety I pay very close attention to.

 

I think mister Wireless advice is for all of us, it fits me well since I'm kind of a space cadet..

for example in my old house I build a "Work shop" in the work shop room, but I fail to make the connection (Various inspectors too) the furnace of the house was on the same place, so with the air pick up there they whole house will get the smell of whatever i was working on, even tybond glue..