Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Hi all, so I have a three part question:

1) Can you or should you tear down your engine to clean any or all varnish/tarnish/gunk (on the head, around the carb, exhaust, etc). I’ve heard you never want to tear down an engine unless absolutely necessary – call me fickle :eek:, but I like a clean engine – especially one that I got used in trade.

2) If I DO tear it down, what’s the best way to clean w/o impacting the internals? I’d use copious amounts of After-Run oil for re-lubrication of course.

3) If I DON’T tear it down, what’s the best way to clean?

• I have an old Braun electric tooth brush and some 'cleaners' that I was going to use to clean up the engine – Anything I should be concerned about before I dive in?

Thanks!

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Let me ask you do you tear your car engine down to clean it? No. No engine should be taken apart to clean unless there is a problem. Yes sometimes there are problems that arrise that require disassembly but then only clean the heavy deposits. Engines thend to wear fit or set themselves as we run them (all engines) and if we take them apart they have to go throught this over again. Lets face it glow engines are very simple engines and most can take one apart and put it back together but that doesn't mean it would be done correctly. Even the most professional engine builder makes mistakes on assembly and there aren't many professional glow engine builders around.

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Take the carb off along with the back plate, save the seals. Remove the head if you so desire. Remove the muffler. Immerse all of it in a crock pot containing anti-freeze solution (undiluted, straight out of the container), slow cook the engine for 8 to 12 hours. Remove and wash off. Use a tooth brush or similar device and clean the outer surfaces of the engine. Make sure engine is dry, add liberal amounts of after run oil down the intake, inside the crankcase, on top of the piston, move all the parts around, reassemble what you took apart.

Your engine will be clean if not shinny bright again. Note do not remove piston or sleeve. Make sure all water/anti-freeze solution is out of the engine. Make sure you use liberal amounts of lubrication when putting it back together.

Good luck

Chip

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Agree with buzzingb. I made a little box that keeps parts separated and labled so they will go back in the right spot. When I just want to cleanup an engine I'll use the crockpot antifreeze method. Take the backplate off, sometimes the head (but rarely). Then about 5 hours, or overnight if its really bad, in the crockpot on low. Just recently I had to totally disassemble an OS91fs due to crash damage (bent pushrod and tube), and replaced the bearings cause I was able to hear them. The bearings werent really bad, just old. I'm not so concerned with tarnish as I am with carbon buildup. Sometimes its necessary to clear the carbon from the exhaust valve. It can cause the valve to get a little sticky. But you dont have to totally disassemble to do that. When I have an engine that wont be used in a plane for awhile I'll clean it, lube it up and wrap it in a lightly oil soaked rag for storage.
Edwin

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

If the acetone doesn't dissolve your toothbrush, yoou will create a nice fine explosive mist when you turn it on. You may be concerned that any sparking in the tooth brush will set off the explosion. Also, the nice acetone mist may settle on and soften any plastic insight which may include your eyeglass frames. And after all this, the acetone won't acyually remove the deposits from your engine!

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Sorry, Gwillie but I did not say anything about acetone. And yes, it will disolve your tooth brush. I said anti-freeze out of the jug into the pot. Clean up with water. Where did you get acetone from? I do use it clean things but usually with a rag.

One can also use Dawn Pots and Pans cleaner. Works but requires alot of hand labor.

Cheers,

Chip

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

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There is a big difference between tarnish and varnish. You do mean varnish, right? Like the kind deposited from fuel with castor oil?

Don't mind me, but we don't need confusion on this newsgroup. I contribute enough as it is. <G>

Personally, if the engine runs well, I'd leave it together. If you want to clean out the insides, use fuel with all synthetic lubricant and keep your fingers crossed that it also doesn't clean out engine metal too. It works. BTDT.

For external goop on the engine, there is a new product on the market that can be found in the Pots and Pans section of Wal-Mart. The amazing new product is known as, "Dawn Power Dissolver". Fellows, this stuff works. I've cleaned up several really badly caked with castor varnish engines using this stuff and paper towels. It takes a little while if the engine is really cruddy (bought them off eBay), but I promise you that it works, it is inexpensive and it doesn't seem to bother my skin when I get it on me. The spray cleaner 409 always makes my skin itch a bit. This DPD spray does the same thing. It's just very mild irritation (for me) and it doesn't seem to hurt other kitchen objects.

Frankly, using DPD has prevented me from firing up the crockpot loaded with antifreeze so far. It is that good.

If your engine doesn't need new parts, don't disassemble it. Seriously.


Ed Cregger

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Here we go again.

If you don't want your engine to look like its been dipped in "toffee".

Don't use a fuel with any castor oil in it. Use a quality all synthetic and you won't have to clean it at all.

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Good comments and suggestions. Should I worry about a carbon build-up on the cylinder head? The glow-plug also has a good amount of carbon build-up....maybe the previous owner mixed to much castor in his fuels

This is a .46FX I got in trade and it needs a good once over, so I thought I'd start with a good cleaning - have taken engines apart and put them back together successfully, but just wanted some thoughts on what you guy's were doing.

Thanks,
Wiqar

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Ed, I used Dawn Power Dissolver on the muffler of my OS 61 FX and it left dark gray spots all over the muffler that I have not been unable to remove. Of course it doesn't hurt the muffler but it's very unsightly.

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

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Your advice is just fine, as long as the tuner keeps the engine fat and keeps an eye/ear on it at all times.

Personally, now-a-days, I don't mind cleaning off congealed castor oil periodically. When I was doing my best at particpating in pattern in the late Seventies and early Eighties, I always ran good quality engines. Engines that ran fine on pure synthetic oil. Tiring of all the extra cleaning that castor creates, I burned nothing but all synthetic oils back then. I lucked out and didn't get caught with my pants down even once.

These days I buy fuel with a bit of castor oil in it to begin with. If I run engines that I know have an unbushed connecting rod, I'll add a dab or two of extra castor to the mix. I'd rather be safe than sorry.


Ed Cregger

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Some detergents will etch aluminum alloy unless its washed off very quickly, they are great for removing oil to get parts squeaky clean but thats about all. Hot antifreeze is good for loosening oil residue. Cylinder liners will almost always be stuck and can be safely freed by heating the case and pushing it out with fingers or a stick. I just wear a glove and use a small propane torch. With practice you will be able to completely strip and clean an engine without leaving any signs that it was ever touched.

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

I haven't had Dawn Power Dissolver discolor any of my engines.

I'll bet there was some compound on the muffler before you used the DPD that might have reacted with DPD's chemistry. Perhaps a good cleaning in warm antifreeze will clear this up? Please share your thoughts. I'm not saying that my answer is the right answer. Just a possibility.

I'll keep my third eye open and will watch for this kind of thing.

The engines that I have cleaned with DPD so far have been:

HB .61 and .40 engines (several of each)

OS .60 Goldhead

Enya SS .50

Enya 60-4C

Enya 80-4C

Enya .50 CX


Thanks for reporting on your situation. We do need to share info with each other on this topic.


Ed Cregger

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

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I was just thinking about that. I haven't left any of my engines sit with DPD on them for very long. I usually spray them, wait a minute or so and then remove the DPD and the offending mess. It takes me a few applications to do it this way. I'm just not real secure with letting it sit very long. My concern is that parts coated with thicker deposits may come out a different "color" than those with light deposits.

I hadn't thought of doing it your way with heat. I'll have to try that some time.


Ed Cregger

RE: Engine tear down and cleaning
 

Sorry Chip, I wasn't commenting on your post; I could have sworn I saw Acetone in the original post instead of "cleaners". I have these hallucinations in my twilight years! I read about guys using things like gasoline, acetone, and other really dangerous things and am really sensitive to them!

Apologies to all concerned!