How do I degrease my Dauntless?

I want to clean up my new Dauntless before it goes into the Jeep... paint it up, etc. Aside from spraying it down with degreaser, how do I clean the degreaser from the engine? There are a lot of holes!!

 

I put a gasket under the lift plate on the intake and hung it from the cherry picker. I put old spark plugs in the heads, an old oil filter on, and a junk distributor base. (Not picured, just about any GM dist base will do.) I installed the oil cap, put a breather and pcv on the valve covers, and capped off the fuel pump with rubber vacuum port block-off plugs. I didn't block off the exhaust ports, but I was careful not to shoot water into them, just rinsed from the top down. You also don't need to worry about the water pump, thermostat inlet, and water jackets since they obviously get wet anyway.

I wire brushed the whole thing first, then degreased with Gunk and hosed it down. I put a mild soapy solution into a bucket and lightly sponged the whole thing from top to bottom, then rinsed again being careful not to shoot upward into the exhaust ports. The part I screwed up is that I missed a couple water drops and ruined my first coat of primer, even after using the blow gun vigorously. If I do it again, I'll use a hair dryer next time to make sure I don't get any surprises.

 

That's what I'll be doing soon. The only thing I can add is maybe using a can or two of brake clean after the above mention cleaning prep. Let dry then prime or paint. Anyone know where to get the factory engine color in spray cans???

 

Simple green works really well too, especially if you take the time to rub the grease with your fingers and rinse it several times. Much cheaper too. Then do a final rinse with Electro clan or Brake cleaner.

 

Oven cleaner, really works great

 

My plans on a future project. I have a pressure washer. I though I would use simple green and a small wire brush, then engine cleaner and a small wire brush, then pressure wash with a degreasing agent, then brake cleaner. Let it dry for a day or so, prime, then paint.

 

Simple Green, Castrol Super Clean, Greased Lightning (available at Lowe's or Home Depot) all work good with a stiff brush and running water. Warm water works best but not always possible. I also use stuff from the Dollar Tree called "Awesome". About the golden color of Mountain Dew, is a buck a bottle, and comes in a spray bottle. Works pretty good. The Orange bottle doesn't work as good.

 

I've used the various janitorial degreaser concentrates sold at Costco, etc. At full strength, they will remove paint ... even old Mil paint.

 

Thanks for all of the comments, Guys.

Oven cleaner, huh??

Does brake cleaner leave any kind of residue, or can you paint after it dries?

 

Think about whats inside your oven, baked on grease, same thing that's on your motor. I use Easy Off . Spray it on on leave it sit for a day. Next day hit it with brushes & warm water. Even better use a pressure washer. Followed up with brake clean to remove any residues

 

Which engine? The Dauntless discussion is ongoing, but Hampstead Green seems to work pretty well:
http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41216

F-head color you can get pretty close just about anywhere.

 

And make sure you wear a full veiw face sheild. Brake Kleen really hurts the eye's

 

Thanks for the link, I should have said my 225 dauntless. The Hamstead Green looks good.

 

:iagree:

The only thing that works better is a steam cleaner. Oven cleaner is better on that thick grease/oil/dirt combo than any degrease I've found.