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Re: How do I properly degrease/clean under the hood? Posted by REM in Seattle [Email]  (#4)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from REM in Seattle) on Mon, 28 Apr 2003 08:54:54
In Reply to: How do I properly degrease/clean under the hood?, FrozenSaab, Mon, 28 Apr 2003 07:29:33 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Engine Cleaner:
I clean my engine compartment about twice a year using a garden hose and Simple Green. A clean engine makes doing engine work much nicer and it is much easier to spot coolant and oil leaks.
Simple Green works very well as an engine cleaner. I stay away from the “Gunk” type engine cleaners because they contain caustic soda and can cause corrosion problems if not rinsed away completely. Working on a cold or barely warm engine, wet the engine first, then spray on Simple Green straight or in a 50% mix with water depending on how dirty things are. A little agitation with a brush and the garden hose will wash away all that accumulated engine grime. Use a gentle stream or soft spray of water, and be a little careful about spraying the water directly at the distributor or other electrics. Remove the plastic engine covers (if any) for better access. Don’t use a power washer or a high-pressure hose as you could easily drive water into some of the electrical connectors and relay/fuse boxes.
After the engine has been made nice and clean spray the hoses, wires, and plastic housings with a little Stoner ‘More Shine Less Time’ or Griot’s Garage ‘Vinyl and Rubber Dressing’ to add some shine.
Lubrication for door Hinges, door locks, linkages, etc.:
In my opinion, general lubrication is a trickier that it seems. Many people opt for something like WD-40 for all uses. While WD-40 is probably OK for the door hinges in your house, it has some severe deficiencies when uses indiscriminately.
WD-40, according the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is comprised of 60-70% “aliphatic petroleum distillates” (essentially naphtha or mineral spirits as a carrier) + 15-25% light petroleum based oil. Compare this to, say 3-in-1 oil (non-aerosol), which is 97% “severely hydrotreated heavy napthenic oil” (modified petroleum based oil). While most aerosol spray lubricants have 20-30% solvent as a carrier for the oil, WD-40 is more a solvent cleaner with a light residual oil than a lubricant. Used on items like locks, the solvent in WD-40 can actually wash away the existing lubricant in the locks leaving very little lubrication behind.
For the wiper linkage, sunroof glides, door hinges, throttle linkages, etc; try “Super-Lube” (http://www.super-lube.com/). Super-Lube is made by both Synco Chemical Corp. and Loctite (under license from Synco). It is synthetic grease (70-80% hydrogenated polyalphaolefins + 10-20% mineral oil) fortified with Teflon (1-3%). It comes in a tube or in an aerosol can. The aerosol (75% heptane carrier + 25% synthetic grease) is very handy for door hinges and hard to reach areas because it applies as a liquid, then sets up as grease. Super Lube dries clear, stays where it is put, and will resist washout by both fresh and salt water.
For door locks, throttle cables/linkages, etc; I use “Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant with Teflon” in the aerosol can. Tri-Flow contains premium oils, extreme pressure additives and Teflon (45-65% modified petroleum oil + 20-25% naphtha solvent carrier).
Rob Mustard (aka. REM in Seattle)
1984 Saab 900T, 3 door, 5-sp; 242,000 miles RIP
1991 Alfa Romeo Spider, convertible, 5-sp; 91,000 miles
1998 Saab 900SET, 5 door, automatic; 57,000 miles
posted by 208.49.241...
_______________________________________ REM in Seattle Current: 2013 Volvo XC60 R-Design, Rebel Blue, 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, Automatic 2024 MINI Cooper S Convertible, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 6-speed manual Former: 2005 Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible, Steel Gray metallic, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 5-speed 1998 Saab 900SET 5-door, Silver, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider convertible, Alfa Red, 2.0L 4-cyl, 5-speed 1984 Saab 900T 3-door, Red, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 5-speed
, Mon, 28 Apr 2003 08:54:54 <-- Viewing This Message, Mon, 28 Apr 2003 13:55:40
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