Shpoa

I have a bunch of older engines that are pretty dirty from the years and they have some black stains on them. Is there anything that can clean them up pretty well? What do most people use to clean them?

Thanks!

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Crock pot and antifreeze. Disassemble it as best you can. Sometimes they are so gummed up they won't come all the way apart. Do the best you can. Cook it for a few hours or overnight in antifreeze.

There is debate on the following:
Some say you can use the crock pot again in the kitchen.

Some say you can't.

I wouldn't. Buy a cheap $15 crock pot at the big box store and keep it in the shop or in the garage. No point in putting antifreeze in your wifes kitchen crock pot to save yourself $15. Label it as toxic or some other identifying mark to let people know it's had antifreeze in it.

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Cook at the lowest heat setting. Pull out the parts an flush with cold running water. Really bad parts may need a second day. Really helps engines that are starting to have idle problems due to the varnish. It will remove paint from engines, but seems to not bother most engines made the last 30 years.

rwright142

Here's something I did using Dawn Power Dissolver:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5929584

Here's the text from post 1:
I have read about removing the gunk from your engine using a crockpot and antifreeze and then I heard about Dawn Power Dissolver. After flying a few days ago I decided I would try the Dawn method since I don't have a spare crockpot or antifreeze, and I did not want to cook the engine in the antifreeze overnight in my garage where I could not properly ventilate it.

So I told the wife to pick up some Dawn Power Dissolver the next time she went shopping, and to get me some beer too - I was getting low.

Much to my surprise, she told me she already went shopping and that I now have a full fridge of beer and she already had Dawn! I love my wife!

Anyway, here are pictures before and after Dawn. I did not use this on the engine - it did not have the buildup so I just used it on the muffler. Very impressive results. I just sprayed it on, waited a minute, then used an old toothbrush and brushed off the gunk. I finished it by wiping down the muffler with a damp paper towel.
I have heard that the results are the same on an engine, but I cannot confirm that yet. None of the engines I have are at the point where they need to be cleaned, but I wanted to share my results for cleaning the muffler with Dawn Power Dissolver. It's good stuff. The wife loves it too.

Lamoilleriver

I have had good luck using the Dawn Power Disslover. Remove muffler plug exhuast port and carb with paper towel, spray carefully and let engine stand for 15 minutes(no longer) than rinse with hot water and scrubbing lightly with an old toothbrush. May sometimes do a second cleaning on some spots, not very often. Also try to clean the engines before they get too dirty. Think this process is alot easier than the crockpot method.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Dawn is great if all you need is the outside cleaned up, the crock pot is used for cleaning inside and out. It breaks down all that real nasty old Castor that has hardened inside what used to be nice smooth bearings and rods.
Dawn, good stuff, crock pot, good stuff!!

Shpoa

Thanks for the info. I am going to try to Dawn Power Dissolver. All I really need is the outside cleaned up a bit.

poison

Strypeeze works great old tooth brush and a pair of rubber gloves. There was a article in model airplane news about this for cleaning airplane motors thats how I heard about it, you can get some at a hardware store if you want to try it out