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Hello folks,

I just wanted to share an engine degreaser formula that I have used for many years. I have used this cleaning the engines of old cars.

1 part diesel or kerosene
4 parts water
dish soap

I usually use a 1 gallon jug. I add about 1/4 gallon diesel, 1/4 cup dish soap and fill the rest with water. Then mix. This can be sprayed onto a warm engine. I use a parts brush to get into the nooks and crannies. Then hose down with clean water. This has worked just as good as any commercial degreaser in a spray can, plus it's cheap. I don't know if this poses any environmental issues, but I would like any opinions.

Thanks,

So three parts water, then. Anytime you put petroleum back into the groundwater supply, it's an issue. Let's face it, though. Do we even know what's in real degreaser? Really, oil is washed off the road every time it rains. Most old trucks drip oil in the driveway, and everywhere else. Me, I'd use it if it works . My whole livelyhood is harder and more expensive because of regulations trying to keep a drop of old house paint out of the water supply (exaggeration, but you get the point.) The cost of preparing a landfill for use is now $150-200 thousand/acre because of this, and my costs are rising accordingly. I say use it.

How much dish soap?

Does the diesel and water seperate? Or does the soap help keep it emulsified long enough to use?

I think usual off-the-shelf degreasers have kerosene in them, or some sort of fuel anyway.

the tough part (for me at least) is getting the degreaser that sitting in between t he engine fins out. Coz with heat that slowly starts to evporate and smoke

All non-biodegradeable degreasers have petro-chemicals in them, and none have any water that I've ever seen. Water and petroleum don't mix well.....

Biodegradable degreasers are all well and good, they just don't work very well.

maybe I should read this stuff better. I think the dish soap breaks down the diesel (it is oily anyway) much the same way it does the dirty greasy pans in the sink. Then it must still be the primary solvent. Why not try really hot and soapy H20 and leave out the diesel and see if that works. If I remember correctly out in the oilfield we would clean the rig with straight diesel and scrubbrushes and wipe with rags and rinse out the rags. That would lift the grimey oil right off.

I'll have to try the mix in a spray bottle or a pesticide pressure sprayer.

Come to think of it the detergent would be a surfactant which decreases the surface tension of the oil? So the diesel would be the solvent and the soap helps lift the crud away.

I still wonder how the whether the soap is enough to emulsify the diesel and do its job-- does this stuff have to be used right away or can it be stored too?

the best stuff i have found is Greased Lightning from home depot.price aint too bad if you buy it in the gallon jug.

i like purple power and its pretty cheap...

I would never recommend cleaning an engine or parts with water. If you are really that cheap and must use water, hit it immediatly with acetone or some sort of alcohol to dry the part so rust doesnt form. Diesel or kerosene will work well, then hit it with the acetone to finish cleaning and to dry the part.