Engine cleaner
 

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What's the best stuff to use- without worrying about killing paint or rubber- to clean this bitch up?

I'm looking forward to the answer to this too...

use gunk foamy engine cleaner, or motomaster engine cleaner (canadian only)

don't buy the heavy duty stuff.. it really hard on stuff.

go drive your car around the block to get everything a little warm, not blazing hot.

make sure you do this OFF your drive way... IE have your front end of the car into the road or park it on the curb.

take plastic bag and masking tape... stuff a bag into the air intake of the box or your cone filter.. tape it up..

take another bag and wrap your trailing and leading coils, tape it up.

also wrap the starter in a bag and tape it up.

this is so you don't get water into any of these... that is bad.

Now buy about 4 to 10 cans of foamy engine cleaner... 1 can is hardly enough...

spray all over the place...avoid your exterior paint.
don't worry just wash your car and wax it again after.

let it sit for 10 mins... VERY important!. then take a soft brush and brush the areas that are heavyily soiled. spray more on as you brush the area... let is sit for another 5 mins... (do this in the shade... not in the scroching sun)

then hose off very verry throughly.... very imporant... i mean very through...

then remove all plastic bags and start engine... car may be difficult to start due to water affecting coils and spark delivery.

let it idle for 10 mins or drive around a few blocks... to get engine hot to make water evaporate...

pop open hood and notice the sludge has barly come off... repeat again tommorrow because u'll be tired and don't want to do it again.

I've gone through 8 can of that stuff... and the car isn't even close to clean... i gave up...
i'll do it all again when i have the engine out next spring

I don't think that there is such stuff. The only good cleaners are the really strong ones that kill the environment and will eat a hole through your foot if you spill it. They'll tear right through the grime and crap, but you have to protect your goodies. :)

Ever tried the enviro-friendly, gentle-on-yer-nuts cleaners, like that Engine Brite crap that Gunk sells? I have. You might as well try to clean your engine with cold cat piss for all the good it will do.

You can't have it both ways. :(

I am kinda partial to Castrol super clean, and simple green....man those eat away any grease and grime.

Simple Green also eats aluminum (which there is a lot of on our engines.) There was mention of an Army or Air Force study that found this. It was on a 7 site. I'll see if I can find it...

What ever happened to engine degreaser and a good rag :D

engine degreeser w/ steam cleaning pressure washer, done it on many cars the only thing that comes close to working. Or just have it repainted under your hood and new engine, like me;)

Found it!

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/engine_cleaning.html