Engine Bay Cleaning/Cosmoline Removal

[GThomas]

Hey guys, I want to get my engine bay as clean as possible without shaving or paint work before the new engine goes in. I've been researching some products that can remove the yellowish cosmoline thats baked onto the bay and have found some good reviews on Zymol Strik. Has anyone used this on an e30 bay or on paint? The bay has already been power washed, so now i'm just trying to get rid of the yellow. Any recommendations?




Thanks!

[browntown]

Luke made a youtube video of "The cosmoline eraser", using a heat hun.

I plan on dragging out my little steam cleaner and seeing if that helps. I'd take the engine out first though to get everything at once.

[browntown]

took some searching, this should work
Luke's infomercial

[GThomas]

took some searching, this should work
Luke's infomercial

Thanks. The engine is out now :) Do you know what he's using as the scraper?

[willworkfore30s]

He says in the video he is using a small piece of MDF. Medium Density Fiberboard. He uses it to build speaker boxes. Lowes and Home Depot sell it.

[dogsbark26]

OMG that looks like a terrible lot of work! Is that really what I'm gonna have to do? No wonder it is still there after 22 years.

[TStroop]

If your planning on painting it a torch,heat gun work great with a putty knife..

[GThomas]

I don't plan to repaint, just want to get it clean and see if I can uncover the original paint under there to compliment all the new goodies. Zymol Strik seems to be the only product to specifically remove cosmoline but i want to make sure it worth the 36 bucks.

http://www.zymol.com/zymolstrik85oz.aspx

[Holland]

Brake clean makes quick work of Cosmoline as well.

[GThomas]

Brake clean makes quick work of Cosmoline as well.

True, but I Feel like anything harsh like that will cut through to the paint. The zymol stuff is natural from what I read.

[Holland]

True, but I Feel like anything harsh like that will cut through to the paint. The zymol stuff is natural from what I read.

It is harsh, but it is an option.

[GThomas]

Well I just ordered some of that Zymol stuff, so I'll take some pics and do a review after I give it a try.

[moto650]

" A useful method of cleaning a tool of crusted cosmoline is to allow a penetrating oil (such as WD-40, CRC 5-56, or equivalent) to soak into it for several minutes or hours, which typically restores it to a viscous-fluid state, allowing it to be wiped off " source
Wonder if that works? I've always used zip strip, but of course that also removes any paint.

[modir93]

Did the Zymol ever work?

[browntown]

On the perpetual to do list now that the engine is out of the bay, is to fire up my little wagner steam cleaner and see what it does to the cosmoline/grunge from hell.