Are there any places that do this kind of cleaning in New England any more? None of the detailing and cleaning folk I contact will touch it. I get that it's an environmental hazard issue but surely there is someplace that will tackle the job. Any leads? Cheers Bob
Unfortunately, "She who must be obeyed" works for an environmental consultancy company and I have to hide the brake clean as it is! Pretty much the whole underside of the engine, transmission, cross-member and steering has an accumulation of crud from an amalgamation of road dirt and minor leaks. I will have to do some stealthy squirt, scrape, brush and clean up if I can't find a place to handle it.
This has worked well for me. The only thing better is if you can rent a steam clearer. Heat is your friend! 1) take oven cleaner or engine degreaser, propane torch, plastic baggies, paper towels, screwdriver 2) get engine hot, spray engine with cleaner 3) drive to DIY car wash. The queen will be none the wiser.... 4) cover anything electrical with baggies. Put towels over fenders and cowl. Spray cleaner again. 5) use the hot soap setting and spray the heck out of the engine, but try to avoid anything electrical. Be sure to get underneath. Rinse. 6) remove all baggies and towels. 7) car may start, if so drive away. If not, remove distributor cap and carefully blow it out with the torch. Do not burn anything!!!! Gently direct heat into distributor for a few seconds. look for any signs of moisture. If any, repeat. Car should start after drying out distributor.
Turpentine works well too. Maybe you could try some environment friendly laundry detergent and a scrub brush?
Is your undercarriage covered in a substance of what could have been a mixture of oil and concrete if they were to have a crazy offspring? If so.. I would do all of what has been mentioned Oven cleaner, scrapers, brushes, pressure washer, with rinse and repeat work pretty well. As a positive side affect you can tell the wife you have stocked up on kitchen cleaning supplies! Worked for me anyway, experiences may differ and I did not stay at a holiday inn last night.
7) car may start, if so drive away. If not, remove distributor cap and carefully blow it out with the torch. Do not burn anything!!!! Gently direct heat into distributor for a few seconds. look for any signs of moisture. If any, repeat. Car should start after drying out distributor. Old timers Buick Trick: What soaks up water on contact? Toilet paper. Spray the outside of the cap first with WD40 to ward off any water saturation. Cover the windshield with an old sheet. Try a truck repair shop for steam cleaning. They may even have a rack to do it on. If you use a pressure washer, take the "wand" apart and install a 6-12" long stub for more accurate control. Weilding a 4 foot long unit limits you access to tight spots! ws
Leave it there. I think that's all called patina these days and increases the value of your car three fold, like a barn find that no one wants to wash the bird sh!t off of
Bob, Car wash systems are equipped with a tank to settle out the solids and skimmer tanks to contain the oils. These tanks are then serviced by an environmental company. The waste generated from a car wash is not hazardous. This is more friendly than cleaning in the back yard. Heat and high pressure are your friends.
Thanks for all the feedback. Lot's of good suggestions. I really hadn't considered a car wash but Dave has a good point in that they are almost certainly required to properly handle such contamination. There is a shiny new wash place in my town that has a manual wash bay. Given that the temperature has barely risen above freezing for weeks and looks set for the winter this is going to be a spring clean project. Cheers! Bob
Diesel fuel seems to dry the oils and leave a powdery crud. The main ingredient of oven cleaner is lye, which can be purchased at the home store plumbing section in pellet form. Get the 100% lye, not the purple diluted whatever...and mix up a hot batch for a spray bottle. Follow safety procedures or prepare for a lifetime of problems... It melted the flesh off of Dahmer's victims, leaving just bones. It will loosen oily, greasy deposits from metal if soaked a few days. Cleaning is often the most profitable area of the automotive machine shop, and lye is used as the main ingredient in many solvents. It works as well as any water based anything I've purchased for much more. It's much easier to immerse castings than frames, but I've had good luck spraying ones down not headed for a bath yet.
I have used " floway" from kano laboratories, same people who make kroil, good stuff ! They also have a free trail offer, can't loose.
Some very good suggestions. I go with the car wash option after soaking with oven cleaner, Simple Green, mineral spirits or a combination. Whatever you do, be careful of the paint. Oven cleaner can discolor paint if left in contact for even a short time. WEAR EYE PROTECTION. No matter how careful you are, it'll spray back in your face at some points.
Forget mixtures! You may create an REAL hazardous mixture. (Acid plus Lye equals severe exothermic reaction= lots of local heat potential burns and or explosion. Seriously! But the REAL oven cleaner with lye will cut through 45 years of crud. Been there done that (on a Pontiac engine) Above all else wear protective equipment!
