cleaning engine

Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

In article ,
(Robert M. Gary) wrote:

Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

Just get some "paint thinner" at your local Home Depot and spray down
your engine, then wipe it down with a shop towel. Be sure not to have
any flame source around when you do this.

I use CRC Lectra Clean. It's great. About $6 a can, but it dries almost
instantly, leaves no residue and according to the label has no flash point,
though I wouldn't use it on a hot engine. Goes a long ways, too. I bought 3
cans when my engine was real greasy and only used 2, but it was spotless.
There's enough pressure and one of those little straw type inserts to reall
get it where you want it.

If you have a compressor, get a cleaner nozzle (the kind with a bottle or
pickup tube) and use paint thinner. Also works great.

My A&P suggested cleaning the engine with one of these and then powdering
the engine around the suspected leak area, fly it for a while adn look for
the leak in the powder. I didn't need to do this to find my leak, but it
sounds good.

mike regish

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
[...] He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

To expand on the existing replies: please make sure you are washing the
engine at a properly designed wash area, where the run-off is contained and
disposed of properly.

If you're worried about water getting into various components, you might
consider using duct tape and possibly some plastic bags/wrap/whatever to
seal things up. Make sure you log where you closed something up, and when
you're done, double-check and triple-check to make sure you removed all of
the coverings you added before washing.

Just be gentle with the water (with engine cleaner, it shouldn't take a lot
of pressure to actually rinse things off), careful where you point the hose,
and you should be fine.

Pete

There are nonflamable solvent availible that evaporate completely and you
can get a air fitting that draws small amounts of the solvent and sprays it
with a lot of air. It gets things clean quickly and doesn't make much mess.
The mechanics where I get my maitenance done use rubbing alchohol in a spray
bottle. It cuts oil well and drys quickly.

Mike
MU-2


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

Thanks! That sounds like the way to go!
-Robert

"mike regish" wrote in message news:GQQwb.226134$mZ5.1711551@attbi_s54...
I use CRC Lectra Clean. It's great. About $6 a can, but it dries almost
instantly, leaves no residue and according to the label has no flash point,
though I wouldn't use it on a hot engine. Goes a long ways, too. I bought 3
cans when my engine was real greasy and only used 2, but it was spotless.
There's enough pressure and one of those little straw type inserts to reall
get it where you want it.

If you have a compressor, get a cleaner nozzle (the kind with a bottle or
pickup tube) and use paint thinner. Also works great.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

I don't think paint thinner is appropriate to use. It is highly flammable
and will damage paint, obviously dependent on the type of thinner used.

Dry cleaning solvent or white spirit is an approved Mil spec cleaner and
won't damage paint, and it's relatively cheap. Put it in an atomiser bottle
on jet setting and have an old paint brush ready for stubborn areas, then
hose off.

Scet.

"Scet" wrote in message
...

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

I don't think paint thinner is appropriate to use. It is highly flammable
and will damage paint, obviously dependent on the type of thinner used.
Scet.


Paint thinner (mineral spirits) will NOT damage paint. It is flamable, but
unless atomized, it is not highly flamable.
--
Jim in NC

Scet wrote:

I don't think paint thinner is appropriate to use. It is highly flammable
and will damage paint, obviously dependent on the type of thinner used.

Paint thinner in the U.S. is also called "mineral spirits". It's no more
flamable than kerosene (which you call "white spirit"), is less oily, and will
definitely NOT harm any paint that's likely to be on an aircraft.

George Patterson
Some people think they hear a call to the priesthood when what they really
hear is a tiny voice whispering "It's indoor work with no heavy lifting".

"Scet" wrote in message
...

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Looks like I've got an oil leak in my 550 hr SFNEW IO-360-A3B6
Lycoming engine. My mechanic says I should clean the engine and see
where its coming from. I feel strange cleaning the engine. He said to
use an automotive engine cleaner and then wash it off right away. I
guess its not different than flying through a level 5 rain shower but
I can't see spraying my mags down with a hose. How do most of you do
it?

I don't think paint thinner is appropriate to use. It is highly flammable
and will damage paint, obviously dependent on the type of thinner used.

Paint thinner is mineral spirits and is nearly if not the same as Stoddard
solvent. It WILL NOT damage paint. Flammability is not an issue unless you
spray it into an open flame. It is a very good low cost solvent available
almost anywhere.


Dry cleaning solvent or white spirit is an approved Mil spec cleaner and
won't damage paint, and it's relatively cheap. Put it in an atomiser
bottle
on jet setting and have an old paint brush ready for stubborn areas, then
hose off.

Scet.