clemrick

My Feedback: (3)

I know about cleaning engines in an old crock pot with anti-freeze. My question is how long do I leave them in and what temp. to use and should I disassemble engine completely or leave it in one piece? How do I go about cleaning anti freeze off after engine is cleaned? What after that? After-run oil? Any other methods for cleaning gunk off engines?
Thanks,
Clemrick

fredscz

My Feedback: (47)

clemrick, Use the low setting not the high setting on the crock pot. Make sure you use it out side or in the garage not in the house and keep the lid on it as the water will evaporate off. I use a 50/50 mix of water and anti-freeze anyway and I add some water to it as needed. The anti-freeze will not bother the rubber heater or radiator hoses of a car so I suppose you could just put the whole engine in it if you wanted to. I pull the carb off, the backplate, and the head. I don't clean the the glow plug or carb. Make sure you mark the head and the side of the rod if you remove them as you want to put it back together the same way it came apart. On the engines that I have cleaned the sleeve was pined so it could only go back together one way. I some times take a tooth brush to the real gunky parts after about 4-6 hours and most are clean as new after 24 hours. The real baked on crud on 4-stroke mufflers comes right off. If they are not real dirty they will be clean in 12 hours or so. They come out real hot so I normally just shake the parts and wipe them off, assemble the engine and run it. If you were not going to run it you could just give it an oil bath and be fine.
Fred B

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Fredscz, I've never heard of adding water to the anti freeze... what is the purpose of adding water?

Bob

les40

My Feedback: (1)

I'm new to this stuff but I've been cleaning my engine with automotive carburetor cleaner and it seems to do a good job. I just spray the engine down over some old newspaper or over a drip pan.

clemrick

My Feedback: (3)

What kind of carb. cleaner do you use? The kind mechanics use or an off the shelf variety sold at automotive stores? I tried some spray (carb cleaner) junk on a OS LA .46 (blue) and all it did was wrinkle the blue stuff on the engine and never touched the crud.

Clemrick[]

Blackhawk RCU

My Feedback: (5)

I have been using the crock pot method for over a year now and it works great. I have been using the non toxic type but either works well. The heat range will depend on the crockpot. Mine only did a so so job on low after 12 hours so I tried high and the engine was clean in abour 8 hours. I usually take the carb off but not always. I rinse with very hot water then Pickle the engine with a generous dose of Marvel Mystery Oil's Air tool oil. I store all my engins in the plastic storage boxes you buy at Walmart, the kind that is about the size of a shoe box or what ever fits the engine. I also store all or the acc. for that motor with it. This saves a lot of time not having to find which mount or muffler goes with which motor. The boxes also protect from shop dust and rust.