Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

I read the thread on using a crock pot and anti-freeze to clean engines.

I just have two questions does doing this release an toxic fumes??
Is it okay to do this in my basement ok?

Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

Your are heating up a chemical that is highly toxic, as in poisonous, you'd better assume there are toxic emanations from this chemical that is going to be heated for hours.
Have it near an open window or outside (safer), do not have this thing going near pets or where humans are going to be for some period of time, a spinning prop is one of the most feared accidents waiting to happen in our modeling world, but in reality, there are many others, that are just as dangerous, if not more.
Almost all the chemicals we use will harm us, if we are not careful, I have friends that have developed a terrible allergy to epoxy resins and Ca glues, that's why I am an advocate to the water based ones like Titebond, etc.

Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

I don't know about regular outo antifreeze which is unquestionably toxic in a closed area, but I always have used rv antifreeze which is supposedly non-toxic.It seems to work just as good.

ANTI-FREEZE
 

ETHYL GLYCOL......

Very familiar with this stuff being in the automotive biz.

I have used it to clean my headers. Especially when they where gunked with caster oil burnoff. I heated the stuff over a burner on my outside grill and it did clean it off perfectly.

TWO WARNINGS......

1. DO NOT inhale these vapor...very bad for your lungs and internal thangs.

2. This stuff becomes flammable after the water boils off.
BTDT

However... my header was the shiniest its ever been.

Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

Crashem,
Here's what I do,, works fantastic every time,,,,,,

Get an old crock-pot at a flea market, garage sale,,etc,,,,
DO NOT EVER USE THIS POT TO COOK FOOD IN!!!!!!

Set you dissmantled engine (remove all O-rings, gaskets, etc) into the pot and cover with regular (read environmentally UNfriendly) Anit Freeze, and set it to simmer overnight,,,, I leave it out in my shed,,, never anywhere in the house,,,,,

Next day, turn it off, strain out your parts,,(can keep the anti-freeze for future cleanings, have been using the same batch for about 8 engines so far) and rinse off the parts under a steasy stream of warm water,,,, and old tooth brush may come in handy to remove any caked up stuff in the nookd and crannys,,,

oil all parts (I use Marvel tool oil),, and re-assemble.

You will not believe how great this works!!!!!

John
aka "Murphy"

Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

Murphy, do you think this would work with frozen barrels in a carb? I've tried soaking them in fuel, acetone, penetrating oil, heating them in an oven and nothing works.

Using Anti-freeze to Clean engines?
 

Tom,
If the reason that the carb is froze can be linked in any way to castor oil,, then I'm sure it would work, it has for me, you may have to simmer the carb as a whole unit first, in order to get it all dismantled, then simmer the parts again to get them clean,,, give it a shot, no harm can be done by trying,, just remember to remove the o-ring if you can,,,,,,

here's a pic of an OS 91 pumper that I recently did, note the muffler, before I simmered it, it had really bad castor burnt on brown stuff all over it,,,,,,

John
aka "Murphy"

Cleaning with antifreeze
 

John, I'll give it a try and let you now how it worked.
Tom