crockpot method
 

Guys,

When you use your crockpot with antifreeze, do you use straight antifreeze or 50/50 mix with water? Also, if I just want to put the whole Magnum .91fs head in there without removing the valves, would it be ok? Are there any valve guides or seals that it would hurt or anything? Thanks.

RE: crockpot method
 

As long as you are not putting the carb in there, you are good to go. I use straight prestone (Do not use water dilluted antifreeze). I remove rubber orings and carb's on other engines and that is all. I let it in there for a day. My crock pot will not boil the antifreeze. Make sure your crockpot does not boil the antifreeze either since that will stain the aluminum. The engine will come out like brand new.:D:D

RE: crockpot method
 

Were you trying to say as long as I'm NOT putting the carb in there I'm good to go or am I misunderstanding something? What do you clean the engine with after you take it out of the crockpot? You do bearings and all?

RE: crockpot method
 

You can wash it with water but that must befollowed with some solvent and then light oil.

I use a potpourri device that works like a crock pot. It keeps the anti freeze at the proper temperature without a thermostat and they are cheap new.

$10 http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/179-1099328-8786160?ASIN=B0002ONJ1G&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B 0002ONJ1G|Aroma_Electric_Ivy_Potpourri_Pot&ci_ src=14110944&ci_sku=B0002ONJ1G&ref=tgt_adv _XSG10001

RE: crockpot method
 

Check this out http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_46...tm.htm#4699477
wattmeter:D

RE: crockpot method
 

Ghostrider, I have used straight anti-freeze and a 50/50 mix that I used in my autos and I could tell no difference in the way it cleaned. I only use the low heat setting on the crockpot as high will sometimes discolor the aluminum. The water will evaporate out and when I pour it back in original container I just add water to bring it back to original level. Make sure you use it in an area with plenty of ventilation. The last recommendation is questionable as I can remember a lot of vehicles in the old days that had leaky heater cores and you smelled the antifreeze all winter until spring when you could roll the windows down.
I also never found it necessary to clean the carb but I do not see what it would hurt as anti-freeze doesn't hurt the hoses and gaskets in you auto engine, but the loosened gunk could get in the small passages in the carb and cause problems if not throughly rinsed out.
I keep old glow fuel to rinse the engine out with while it is still hot from its bath and then after I put it back together I run it several minutes to make sure it is ready to go before soaking it in after run.
The baked on castor on the exhaust valve is very hard to clean and will need complete disassembly to do it right.
Fred

RE: crockpot method
 

Try this product or the equivilent in the U.S.....

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco...ray_375ml.html

I have used it with good results, not toxic and can be flushed off the engine with warm water straight down the sink

RE: crockpot method
 

YES

RE: crockpot method
 

Thanks all.

RE: crockpot method
 

You must keep the parts completely submerged in the antifreeze or there will be a "line" at the surface level

Anything caustic will tend to turn the aluminum dark if exposed long term.

RE: crockpot method
 

There are many references to the "low" or "keep warm" settings on the slow cookers or crock pots. Has anyone actually measured the desired temperature that the antifreeze should be kept at? I plan to use a dimmer control to lower the lowest temperature of the crock pot if it is higher than recommended. Comments please?

TIA,

Richard

RE: crockpot method
 

It does not matter, just keep it from boiling, since that is to hot.

RE: crockpot method
 

My super scientific testing method is, if you stick your finger in it and go "Yeow"![:@] It's too hot...:D

RE: crockpot method
 

I think it is to try to stay around 170 F

But to have it as hot as posssible but never boil is a good idea.

RE: crockpot method
 

Why would you not put the carb in there?  All the pictures I've seen show the carb in the solution with all the rest of the parts.  I understand if it's got a plastic throttle arm I would probably want to take that off but shouldn't the metal carb body be ok?  Otherwise, how would you get that clean to match the rest of the engine?

RE: crockpot method
 

I have never had a carb that needed to be cleaned like the head, case, or muffler. I suppose it would not hurt it to put that in there too.

RE: crockpot method
 

If it is a metal carb, I put it in the soup, BUT, I keep the temp low at around 160 to 170 degrees. That shouldn't hurt a plastic carb, such as a Perry, HB or Irvine. I said "shouldn't". You must experiment on your own to confirm what is true or untrue. O-rings should probably be replaced anyway, so remove and discard them before stewing.


Ed Cregger

RE: crockpot method
 

CYMAZ has the right idea. In a recent mag article "DAWN POWER DISSOLVER" was mentioned to use. It got my 55AX VERY clean without a lot of muss & mess. Use it in an open area, preferably OUTSIDE because it smells like a low power OVEN CLEANER. I gave it one coat, let it sit for 20 minutes, brushed it with a toothbrush, rinsed with water. I did another coat like that and a lot came off. On the 3rd treatment, I used med-hot water to rinse it and gave it one last scrub with a toothbrush and WOW, almost everything came off of the engine, including in the fins! I think the warmer water activated the cleaning ability of the cleaner more. GREAT STUFF.

Anyone who has had a coolant leak or a heater go bad in their car knows how bad, and caustic, using anti-freeze can be.

In Harry Higley's book "All About Engines", he cleans out the carb with a toothbrush, packs paper towel into the carb intake and the exhaust. He then recommends BRUSHING on carb cleaner, give it a short time to act, then use an acid brush to clean off the goop. Rinse the engine with water inbetween applications and give it a final rinse when you are done.

RE: crockpot method
 

The problem is, Harry's book was written some time ago, long before the introduction of the Dawn/Fairy pot and pan cleaners. I'm not saying that his advice will cause harm. Not at all. I'm saying that there are better methods available today.

I use Dawn Power Dissolver (?) (dang memory) for light jobs. But if you have a really crusty coated engine, I can't see spending an hour or two of knuckle busting scraping and brushing when an over night soak in a warm crockpot of Prestone 100% antifreeze will do an even better job.


Ed Cregger

RE: crockpot method
 

Yes, Harry's book is a 1992 book with NO revision. I can see the carb cleaner causing a problem with the carb O-Ring. I can see using the crockpot method if your engine is really bad off with a few years' worth of crud and castor. If you are doing some reasonable periodic cleaning, Dawn is a great way to go. My 55AX was 1-1/2 years old upon cleaning. It wasn't as bad as a 5yo engine that's been flown a lot. I have one of those to clean still. [sm=tongue_smile.gif]

RE: crockpot method
 

I have a phobia when it comes to carb cleaners. A friend of mine borrowed a can of my carb cleaner in order to clean an old dirty glow two-stroke. I am not positive of the brand and it was a couple of decades ago, but it really messed up the appearance of his engine.

Now, I do realize that others have found commercial carb cleaners that do not negatively affect their glow engines if they are exposed to the cleaner only long enough to clean the engine and then are quickly and thoroughly removed. It might make a good article for RCU if folks that have experience with carb cleaners that do not damage engine appearance would list them in an article for all to see. I have stayed away from carb cleaners since I stopped racing/maintaining my own automobiles.


Ed Cregger

RE: crockpot method
 

Yesterday, I saw an ad for an RC Car Engine cleaner in a spray can called "MOO-tor Cleaner" to clean off dirt, grime, and cooked on gunk from RC car engines. I also saw a video that someone made and it was used on the inside/out of an electric car motor. He then reinstalled the engine and ran it. No damaging side-effects. Pretty good, but the website showed that you needed to order 6 cans at a time. I'm sure some LHS will carry it, or order it.

RE: crockpot method
 

In this month's Engine Shop in Model Aviation magazine he talks about using Dawn Power Dissolver to clean engines and also Evapo-Rust if your engine is actually rusted.  Good article.  I'm with Ed though, I can't see scrubbing on an engine when I can put it in a crock-pot and be done with it.  A light, periodic cleaning ok, but I'm thinking if you find an engine at a swap meet for 5 bucks or something and you're going to completely disassemble it anyway.  I think both methods have their merits and like they say..... to each his own.  :D<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>I figure I'm going to go buy a bottle of DPD *and* a jug of Evapo-Rust because one can never have too much stuff sitting around in their shop they might want to give a shot when the time is right!  LOL  You know in your "spare" time....

RE: crockpot method
 

Isn't is the truth that we can't enough stuff in our shops to get the job(s) done! BE PREPARED...

RE: crockpot method
 

Wow- very helpful thread as I happen to be cleaning up a collection of engines. Right now working on 30-40 yrs old engines that are really stuck tight with castor. 15 min in a 220deg toaster oven will usually let the crank rotate a little, then I take the head and back plate off and put the whole mess in the crockpot. If the bearings feel smooth after the soak, can I then just rinse out the crankcase, oil it, re-install the head, backplate, and carb, and then test run it? (IE: an antifreeze soake doesn't always mean a bearing and sleeve removal, right?)

Also- if I can see the ring-split located within the exhaust port area, do I need to disassemble the engine and relocate the split?