Cosmooolineee!!!!

[nando]

have you tried the steamer yet? I wouldn't use a scouring pad on that if I were you.. the paint is probably very soft as it's never been polished and it's been covered in a layer of cosmoline it's entire life.

[Sean]

have you tried the steamer yet? I wouldn't use a scouring pad on that if I were you.. the paint is probably very soft as it's never been polished and it's been covered in a layer of cosmoline it's entire life.

I tried a heatgun.

Give the steamer a shot, eh?

I'm gonna try to find one locally in the next couple days. I'll letcha know what I find!

[Schniddy]

On the same note, is using a pressure washer safe to use on an engine bay? What things would I want to cover up?

[Simon S]

I’ve been refurbishing/reconditioning suspension components and general undercarriage on my e30. Have found that acetone takes cosmoline right off.

My use of acetone has thus far only been on subframes, trailing arms, etc. (items to be wire-wheel-blitzed free of corrosion, grime, and oils; items to be (re)painted before re-assembly)

I’ve not used it in engine bay. (not that finicky about engine bay appearance) (if cosmoline is on a non-corroded and healthy section/part of metal, I’ll tend to leave it there doing its protective job)

Acetone evaporates rapidly. It breaks down oils, grease, and adhesives fast. It does also break down paints, but it evaporates off before it really effectively fucks paint up.


Nutshell: acetone takes cosmoline off. Acetone should be used with great caution.

If the motor was outta my car and I wanted to remove cosmoline in a time-effective manner, I’d lightly saturate a rag/towel with acetone and wipe it off with careful, cautious stokes.

.

[bimmer2288]

I tried Simple Green and a yellow/green sponge pad this Saturday and it removed the Cosmoline as well as my paint. Be very careful whatever you do. The paint in the engine is very light. Not much there at all.

[cramer]

has anyone tried this zymol stuff? http://www.zymol.com/strik2.htm

[egk2]

Order some paint from paintscratch and respray the engine bay.

[cactusjacks1]

On the same note, is using a pressure washer safe to use on an engine bay? What things would I want to cover up?

Yes they are safe - many detailers use them to clean the engine/compartment. Spend a little time removing easy things like your air intake, overflow bottle, windshield washer bottle, kidney & grills. panels behind headlights (headlights if you want - only 4 screws ea). Cover your fuse box with a large baggie or trash bag & tape it tight. Cover any loose electrical conections & the air intake with foil or baggies & tape tight. Do not spray these covered areas directly. Use an industrial strength grease remover (Zep is the best if you can find it) follow directions on the can, some degreasers are not safe on raw allumium or plastic (usually warm the engine & let cleaner sit for 5-10 min. scrub with a stiff bristle brush, then remove with water). If you have a compressor, air spray all the water off when you are done pressure washing. Clean & detail the items you remover while they are off - it is much easier. After it is all bright/shiney/dry & cool - spray a whole can of WD 40 all over it & towel off any drips. Your engine will sparkle & your mechanic will love you & probable take extra care & time on your repairs - because you made his job easier & cleaner.

[cactusjacks1]

My use of acetone has thus far only been on subframes, trailing arms, etc. (items to be wire-wheel-blitzed free of corrosion, grime, and oils; items to be (re)painted before re-assembly)

NOTE - this is on parts that are going to be repainted NOT restoring the original finish in the enfine compartment

[nando]

has anyone tried this zymol stuff? http://www.zymol.com/strik2.htm

yes, doesn't work on 15+ year old cosmoline, unfortunately. it softened it a bit, but not any more than simple green.

[bzboardz]

bump ancient thread instead of making new one

Anyone have any new recomendations for cleaning an engine bay (painted parts, not intake manifold/valve cover)

I have seen various products used with mixed results
Castrol Super Clean
Meguiars Body Solvent
De-Solv-It
Prima CosmoNot

[nando]

I would use steam, the engine bay paint is rather soft/thin, I wouldn't want to use anything harsh on it.

[E30Gus]

Nobody has mentioned boiling water yet.

[Simon S]

How, pray tell, do you use boiling water on engine parts?

Bring them into the kitchen?
(when the gf/wife is away?)

[Ryann]

Anyone tried xylene? It's somewhat paint friendly iirc and is good for removing adhesive and tar from painted surfaces.