Best engine bay spray cleaner

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
My 4runner has a leak that is causing some kind of spray mess all over the place, and the whole lower engine, undercarriage and trans etc are just nasty from year of buildup.
Lets pretend a fellow might pull into a location (back yard) where they don't care about runoff... is there a magical spray that is good for this? Have an electric power washer w/ bottle if that matters.
 
Dish soap use a foam cannon, let it soak, might take a few applications using hot water would help

As for the oil mist, my first suggestion is oil pump, front crank seal, get a timing cover gasket set with sleeve for balancer, balancer is likely grooved/scored from a hard seal, seal is hard and brittle from age, oil pump is front front of timing cover, remove balancer, remove oil pump, driven from front of crank, mind the woodrufff keys and slots
 
Dawn Platinum and a soft bristle wheel brush to agitate the surface.
 
ponykilr said:
Purple Power is king
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Purple power stains aluminum if you care about that, I ruined a really nice motorcycle using that years ago, really made me mad.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
Did you check to see if the dip stick is in:lol:
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lol I did indeed. And as crazy as it sounds, I'm suspicious of what is going on there. Even with the dispstick in it, there is oil spatter all over the underside of the hood and the areas all around the front driver side of the block, down the side, and such. The tick dosn't click tightly into place... but it never has.

It doesn't help that there was already many years of buildup fron what I'm sure it a main seal leak, and the valve cover used to leak, and I had just let it go. But I gotta get it cleaned up enough that I can then see where the mess is coming from.

Its bas enough there is oil covering the whole back end, the underbelly of the tranmission, the whole top of my trans skid and half the underside of the skid. So it drips all overt he place on the driveway. I'm sure whatever teh source is gets smeared all over when driving.
 
Front main seal for sure. Also check the side of the block for the fuel pump block off plate. TBH if you’re gonna pull the timing cover just lift the head and do a head gasket while you’re at it. They hardly ever seal up if you just slide the T cover out between the head and pan. Ensure you loctite the ba-Jesus out of the crank bolt when you put it back together or it will leave the chat causing another from main leak (ask me how I know).


To the original question. Soak with power purple, hot wash, soak and repeat. Be prepared to use a STIFF bristled brush with PP for the stubborn areas.

Also, be prepared to ask @R Q how to fix the grass that will be gone after this operation.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Front main seal for sure. Also check the side of the block for the fuel pump block off plate. TBH if you’re gonna pull the timing cover just lift the head and do a head gasket while you’re at it. They hardly ever seal up if you just slide the T cover out between the head and pan. Ensure you loctite the ba-Jesus out of the crank bolt when you put it back together or it will leave the chat causing another from main leak (ask me how I know).


To the original question. Soak with power purple, hot wash, soak and repeat. Be prepared to use a STIFF bristled brush with PP for the stubborn areas.

Also, be prepared to ask @R Q how to fix the grass that will be gone after this operation.
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22R/RE, no need to pull head or timing cover, oil pump bolts to front around the crank snout, 2hr job tops after cleaning the mess, toughest part is breaking the balancer bolt loose, 1/2” breaker against frame with 19mm socket, tap the key
 
Blkvoodoo said:
22R/RE, no need to pull head or timing cover, oil pump bolts to front around the crank snout, 2hr job tops after cleaning the mess, toughest part is breaking the balancer bolt loose, 1/2” breaker against frame with 19mm socket, tap the key
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re: front main or rear platesm these sources are all possible, although weird it would just randomly be blowing so much all of the sudden. I wanted to get it all cleaned up so I can see where its coming from.
While trying to address a sticky valve I added some seafoam cleaner to the oil in the valvetrain... which I'm sure thinned out out a good bit so I wouldn't be shocked if its weeping out old seals now too. I know the rear main has had a leak for a while but that ones enough of a PITA I just let it go.
skyhighZJ said:
Also, be prepared to ask @R Q how to fix the grass that will be gone after this operation.
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Well... I may or may not have a next door neighbor who recently moved to another home and is never around his, and has a back yard just as bad as mine that is easy to drive into...
 
RatLabGuy said:
re: trying to address a sticky valve I added some seafoam cleaner….
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The very same goo sticking your valve would be responsible for keeping old seals from leaking, until something dissolves said goo….. oil pump seal on body to timing cover also is an O-ring type seal, hard brittle, varnished…. And under pressure…. Balancer seal also under pressure and spinning hub of balancer with a groove worn in it from a hard seal…. Now has been cleaned and could be slinging oil……. The seal kit is cheap, the seal saver sleeve for the balancer about the same cost. You’ll need both. Rear main, it’s one piece probably time to do front seal on trans input as well….seals are cheap, pulling trans ain’t hard….. though being 20years older since the last time I did it, probably not as easy as it once was…..
 
Brake parts cleaner.

Or a pressure washer with hot water.
 
DirkaDirka875 said:
Ive used this with pretty good results

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this reminds me of Purple Power - which I use frequently for cleaning parts, cleaning the floor, etc. But it tends to need some soaking and scrubbing.

Also - $50 a gal? yeesh. I hope thats the Amazon "We don't really want to ship this so you'll pay extra" price.
 
I spilled 2 gallons of oil in the bed of my truck over the weekend. I sprayed it with purple power let it soak for 15 mins and used power washer and it worked great.
 
RatLabGuy said:
this reminds me of Purple Power - which I use frequently for cleaning parts, cleaning the floor, etc. But it tends to need some soaking and scrubbing.

Also - $50 a gal? yeesh. I hope thats the Amazon "We don't really want to ship this so you'll pay extra" price.
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Yea i usually buy when it goes on sale but you mix it about 16oz per gallon and i used it on the engine bay of my truck when i had to pull the motor and it made it look about brand new. I've tried the Zep degreaser but it recommends it to be used undiluted for the "high strength" and at $20 a gallon. It seemed to me that the chemical guys still seemed to work better than that. Project Farm did a good review on degreasers a couple months back.
 
rent a steam jenny for 1/2 day. you will never look back.
 
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