Could someone please tell me the correct procedure to clean engines using anti freeze and the crock pot? Mixture? Do you take the engine apart? Remove rubber parts, etc? Many thanks! Oh, also, how long in the pot and hi or low setting?
I have had better results by soaking in lacquer thinner.
I have had excellent results using undiluted antifreeze, overnight on low setting- I have had less desirable results with high setting. I generaly only do mufflers and cylinder heads although others have done the whole engine. I can't comment authoritatively on rubber or plastic pats, but I personally would not expose them to the heat and chemicals.
Ed
(top posting fixed)
I haven't done the antifreeze thing, but any cleaning operation works best if you take the thing apart as far as you can possibly get it -- I could often restore an 049 engine to good running order just by taking it all the way down, wiping each piece off, and putting it back together (this was in between good soaks in isopropyl alcohol and a thorough scrubbing of everything except the reed valve).
I have a cheap crock-pot with no heat setting - just plug it in. I take off the carburator and the backplate. If it needs to be taken apart anyway, I disassemble it. Then, fill with engine pieces and the cheapest ethylene glycol antifreeze. Cover, and leave it on as long as needed. I have let it soak for 2-3 days - it doesn't seem to hurt anything and is a lot easier than brushing or scrubbing. Rinse well and dry. I usually dry in a kitchen oven at 225 to drive out any water before reassembly.
It does an amazing job.
-- Mike Norton
I recently did the crock pot cleaning on several frozen engines. Use cheap, undiluted antifreeze. I disassembled as much as I could and removed all rubber o-rings and fiber gaskets. I also built a small dip bag from aluminum window screen to hold small parts. After cooking on low for one to two days and all engines came out well and free turning. I cleaned all the antifreeze off with a paint thinner wash. I finished up lubricating the engines with cheap automatic transmission fluid and reassembled. All four engines (HB-40, HB-60, Fox-40, and Enya-29) ran well after this procedure. The Enya was bought by me back in 1960 and used for CL team racing. Many years later my son tried to convert it to an RC engine by adding a Perry carb. It was totally frozen up and now runs well. The outside casting surface is badly oxidized. I guess I could polish it up.
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