A Great Way To Clean Cast Aluminum!!!

Likewise.

Tape and bag, tape and bag.

 

Kerosene is what professional mechanics use ... with a part cleaning brush (plastic bristles ). Some even wash the outside of their cars with it!

For carbs they soak in a scary fluid ... ring up a carburettor specialist.

Pete

 

On a Boxer most of the suspension parts are either gold or silver cad plated. I would have thought that the same applioed to a 308?

 

Ahhhh... Eau de Berrymans, the car nut's cologne. The aromatic equivalent to sheep dip or cleaning out your fraternity's grease trap during pledge hazing.

If you use it, be sure to swath every exposed part of your body in plastic garbage bags. Even your head (poke out holes for your eyes). Put those asbestos-abatement guys to shame. If you get even a drop of it on you it will smell for days. Nothing washes it off. You can rub the spot with fresh garlic and the smell will overwhelm the garlic.

To clean your carbs, find a park nearby with picnic tables, running water and barbeques. After being properly attired, clean the carbs following the directions on the Berrymans can. Bring along a bucket and liberally rinse the parts, then place them in plastic zip-lock bags. put the bags in progressively larger bags - 5 or 6 layers should do.

When done, strip off all the plastic bags, duct tape and heavy rubber gloves, as well as ALL of your clothes, underwear and shoes. Place them in the bucket and burn it all in the barbeque. No fire starter needed here - it will go up in a toxic flash.

Run naked to the nearest dumpster and dispose of the used Berryman's can clandestinely. Understand, the dumpster now qualifies as a Toxic Fund Supersite.

Drive home (preferably in a friend's borrowed car or a rental). Place the bags of cleaned parts in an open area where they can air out for a few days. Destroy all evidence (sales receipts, etc.) that you ever bought the Berrymans. Did I mention to wear a disguise or buy it in a car parts store a few towns away?

Take two or three hot showers using Lava soap or Brillo to remove a few layers of skin. Pay particular attention to under and around your fingernails.

Crawl into bed quietly to avoid waking your sleeping significant other. Don't worry, she will immediately awake, sniff twice and say "What is that SMELL?" You'll be sleeping on the couch for the next couple of nights, Bub. But rest easy, children and pets will not bother, or even approach you. Besides, sleeping on the couch puts you closer to the front door, which you can answer when the EPA agents come a' knocking.

 

Simple Green has a new cleaner certified for aircraft use. They offered a free spray bottle to Aviation Week subscribers earlier this year and I bit. The stuff is great! Distribution is limited but should spread soon. Sporty's Pilot Shop has it. Your local FBO may have it. Don't know price yet since I am using my sample sparingly. I expect price to depend very much on distribution; we will see.

"Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner" is the official name.
www.simplegreen.com will get you all the details. Let us all know how it works for you.

John

 

Now that SPASSO has posted pics of his engine I am ashamed to raise the cover on mine. It is such a beautiful job I don't know how I could ever come close. So my #1 tip for detailing your engine bay is send your car to SPASSO.

Thanks DJ for the inspiration
Larry

 

Spasso--stunning looking motor--hats off to you--that is my project for this winter.

 

Dittos on the Simple Green Aircraft version. The bottle states "non-corrosive formula assures no damage to integrity of structure or finishes" Picked up a bottle at the Oshkosh airshow but haven't yet tried it.

 

Will this method work on the air intakes of a 348 or will hurt the "flake" like finish?

 

If the acids are a concern, then catch as much of the run off as is possible and add simple swimming pool soda ash to the caught water. It will foam and bubble everytime you add a little of the soda ash to the vessel, and then eventually there will be no reaction when the soda ash is added. At this point the acids are neutralized and can be disposed of down the sanitary sewer.

 

This is encouraging! The Airforce swore the stuff off after extensive testing because of it's corrosive properties. WATER is corrosive also!

 

For the life of me I cannot understand why you guys are ignoring a previous post (#25) plus my own and don't just use friggin Kerosene.

You can buy it for bugger all at your local service station, it is what professional mechanics have been using for close to 100 years and is known not to harm alloy's, etc. You just rinse off with water after washing and blow dry (which you should do anyway). I have though in the past when lazy just wiped off with a rag ...

Keep your head in the sand if you must ... but I for one will never ever understand why you guys keep looking for alternatives to something that works brilliantly .
Pete
ps: Heck why not do a NASA and start a company and invest millions in creating something else that does exactly the same thing ... ????

I always have a bottle of kero in my garage at home and clean anything (metal) on my car with it ... buggered if I am going to buy something else when there is no gain.

 

Kerosene, often called Jet A is hazardous in enclosed areas. Causes explosions in high concentrations and it is NOT biodegradeable,
Simple Green is NOT flammable and does the same job with less hazard and pollution.

 

Okay that is a reasonable reason.

Not sure why we are so worried about the flammable bit ... last time I looked so is the stuff we fill the tank with ... but yes the biodegradeable reason is a fair enough.

Most parts cleaning things recycle (via a pump in the bottom of the tank) the kerosene around so it doesn't end up in the drains anyway ... but I guess that is only for washing parts.

Pete's learnt something

 

I used gasoline (petrol) as a solvent for years and lived to tell about it. Didn't get cancer from it either.

 

Hey, coming from the guy that likes the thought of using his waste brake fluid and random captured hydrocarbon mess to kill the weeds growing in his driveway, the idea of using fuel of any sort as a spray it down and wait for it to evaporate engine cleaner is a bit much even for me! I use gasoline as a solvent for cleaning all kinds of things, but IN A CAN where it's reused a few times before being creatively (and responsively, of course) disposed of. I plan to give my new lawnmower a healtheir diet than the last one suffered... I'm hardly a tree hugger, but I've gotta admit... when it comes to what I'm going to spray a gallon of on my engine, it probably won't run your lawnmower! That's a lot of HCs to evaporate and leech into places they don't need to! And that flammability issue does merit SOME consideration!

 

Yeah, but it works. Plus, dirt is afraid to stick to your car for months afterward.