Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Hey guys,
Does the brand antifreeze make a difference. I been simmering a muffler for about 5 days now and its not getting any better. I changed it out and still no better results. Brand is autozone antifreeze. I dont remember for sure but I think the first time I did it I used prestone which did a fantastic job in a couple of days on a really gunked up engine.
Edwin

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Its needs to be fresh ethelene glycol antifreeze. I use prestone. There's a couple kinds so check the ingredents.

jsn

My Feedback: (8)

Edwin,

I'm not sure what brands work... like barracuda I use Prestone. I just did the mufflers on my Saito 56 and 72's... took about one hour after the pot heated to soften the THICK castor/crud build up... I also take the used green scrub pad out of the kitchen sink to help get off the build up faster... it just helps to remove the loosened gook... I wouldn't use a new one though it may scratch the muffler... like always make sure you THROW IT AWAY WHEN DONE!!! since your on day 5 I'd say you have the wrong stuff is that auto zone brand tree hugger friendly? I seem to remember that the environmentally friendly stuff does not work well at all.


John

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

It dont look or say tree hugger freindly. Guess I'll go back to prestone. I used a scribe to chip off some of the thick gunk and it was dry inside. Live and learn.
Edwin

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Bet its pink or yellow in color.

You need the green stuff. I had trouble finding it last time I needed some. I ended up locating an off-brand at Auto Zone.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I have had success with the green stuff, straight from the bottle, not diluted. I had my crock pot on high with the lid on and let it cook for about 48 hours. Did a good job.

planenut1965

My Feedback: (3)

Ok when you do this does it bring the shine back to the engine block. I have some that have got dull looking. Almost turned a black color. Thay dont have any castor on them just the alum is turning colors. But thay are older engines Let me know i mite have to get me a old crock pot and cook up some engines.

TimC

planenut, if the engine was shiny when new, it will be again after the crock pot bath. The anti-freeze wont do any additional polishing, just make it perfectly clean. Beware that some engines will turn grey if too high a heat is used. Best use the low setting to be sure this doesn't happen.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Yeah, if your engine comes out grey you have it too hot...
My slow cooker has a "keep warm" setting that I leave it on over-night that works just about perfect.

I've found that for really stubborn baked on crud it helps to scrub it (after an over-night cooking ) with a tooth brush and let it cook again for a while.

If that ain't workin' then you probably have the wrong coolant?

Motions

I really hate to take 2 steps back in this thread, but this is the first time I've ever heard of this. When do you use this type of cleaning? I've been nitro only about a month and have never heard of cleaning the muffler/engine. SOrry for my ignorance.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

The stuff I got from Autozone was green (in color). Just something about it thats not working. I'll be getting prestone on the way home today. I wonder, you think its still usable in the radiator?<g>
Edwin

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Probably they left out the anti-cat additive... but we won't go there.

Like barracudahockey said, it needs to be ethylene glycol; and the comments regarding too high of a temperature are spot on. Such WILL etch aluminum; use the "low" setting on your pot.

Motions, there was a big thread on this a year or so back that provides all the details. But there's basically nothing to it. However, how you handle the parts AFTER they're "cooked" makes a difference; especially carbon steel parts, bearings, etc.

If you cannot find that thread, I'll post them again here when I get back from the IMAC boot camp in Mount Pleasant this week-end. We're about to saddle up and head out.

wcmorrison

My Feedback: (2)

Motions, after long use the engines build up a Castor Oil based coating on the mufflers, it is brown to black and will not readily wash off using normal cleaners. It has been found that anti freeze has cleaning agents to keep the internal aluminum blocks on auto engines clean. So some enterprizing person decided to try to cook his engine in anti freeze to clean it and it worked. As you can tell it appears the better brand names and grades of anti freeze work best.

The cleaning will not remove discoloration from ammonia compounds. Some household cleaners have a lot of ammonia in them and tend to discolor the aluminum. The anti freeze treatment is to remove caked on castor oil.

If you drop an engine in the crock pot be sure to reoil it generously when rebuilding it. The anti freeze will remove all the oils too. And remove all the seals, gaskets and o-rings prior to cooking the engine; the anti freeze may attack those soft components. Works great on the metal but will destroy the soft stuff. And never ever use that crock pot again to cook food for human consumption again, the ethylene glycol is poisonous.

Cheers,

Chip

sscherin

My Feedback: (1)

It does work..
The OS FS-40 has not been cleaned (runs fine so I won't bother either)
The Saito FA-45 went in the pot on low for 4 hours with fresh straight AF
It was completly castor locked when it went in.




Saito running video 2.7meg
http://www.pontiacs.org/pics/projects/RC/mvi_2590r.mpg

I tried some whacker engines.. It didn't do much for them..

Motions

So at what point do you know your engine/muffler need cleaning? My TT50 engine is about a year old.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I'm not sure an engine ever 'needs' cleaning. I cleaned mine because I had taken it apart to replace the ring and bearings. Cleaning is more of an aesthetic thing than a functional thing. A really gunked up engine may be more likely to overheat I suppose.

For some reason I had to have my crock pot on high with the lid on. I had no success with the low setting. The parts did not turn black, but maybe I was just lucky. I was using Pep Boys store brand green coolant.

Larry D.

My Feedback: (2)

Don't let the antifreeze level go down in the crockpot. if the engine is not completely submerged the exposed part will turn black, and it is on there for ever, recooking it won't help.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

JP...maybe bring the AF up to temp. then turn it down to low...
I turn mine on hi for a little while just to get things going, keeping a close eye on it, then when I see light wisps of steam rising off the surface, I turn it down to the "keep warm" setting...that's the system that works very well for me with a 3 1/2 qt. GE "Slow Cooker".

TimC

proptop, I use the "Stick your finger in then dance around shaking your hand and yelling hot, hot hot" method. Your post about wisps of steam is right on the money. My pot on low keeps it about 250 degrees I would guess with those wisps of steam.

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

I did the Welders trick the first time...
"Jeez, that sure looks purty" and grabbed ahold of it![X(] Yeow!

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I think I discovered a new substance. Even the new Prestone didnt work over night. This muffler was almost totally black and thick and I've been down to the little bit thats left around the end at the exhuast and pressure nipple. Not a lot but I guess I was being pretty anal about getting ALL of it off. Even the wire brush wont budge this stuff. I'm calling it good and putting it back on the engine.
Edwin

misterpanda

Don't be afraid to boil your engine in the antifreeze. Careful, antifreeze gets much hotter than water. Immerse only the metal parts. It will work wonders in a matter of 20 minutes or so. You need an awful lot of ventilation, though, because it gives off a terrific choking cloud. (in fact they use it as an ingredients for making the liquid used in smoke systems for planes).

Use kitchen tongs and rinse carefully with hot water and an old toothbrush. Then reoil the engine generously, especially the bearings. You will be amazed at the results. I use undilluted Texaco antifreeze, and the way the engines turn out could almost fool someone into thinking they were new !!!!!!!!!!

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

The engine has been done for a week. This is just the muffler with some gunk left on it. Its already turned grey, but I dont care. Maybe I'll try the high setting one more night and see what happens.
Edwin

vancouverman

Wow...learn something new all the time. Ida never thunk it. Cook your engine in a slow cooker : )

rainedave

My Feedback: (1)

I have been seeing more and more engines on *bay that have that grey look to them as if they've been crock-pot cleaned. I prefer to see the varnish when buying a used engine.

Back OT, I just bought a bottle of Dawn Power Dissolver. Used with a green Scotch Brite pad I have gotten amazing results. I recommend getting a bottle of this stuff.

David