best solvent for cleaning engine?

[Wis Bang]

Scrape away as much as possible w/ a putty knife, gasket scraper +/or screwdriver. Then use Dawn dish detergent, it really cuts oil, they use it to clean spilled oil off birds & other wild life...I'd get a can of electric contact cleaner for the alternator.

Varsol is a refined naphtha, Mineral Spirits would be almost the same solvent as it is also naphtha, both are combustable instead of flammable like gas or kero.

Toluene and Xylene are flammable and both are considered unhealthy, we had to stop using toulene to clean chemical tanker valves after discovering claners w/ a third glove full of toluene for 'huffing'...kept wondering why they were falling and getting hurt and then rushing to come back to work 'cause they missed their 'fix'

Old style dry cleaning fluid & ozone unfriendly brakecleen use Pechloroethylene [PCE] or Trichloroethylene [TCE] and are more harmful to you and the ozone than the toluene.

 

[Ken]

While in the service early 50's working in S/B Gen repair usually 60 to 300 k.w. the generators would be sent in full of oil trash what ever could stick to the metal. We were given a air hose with suction adapter hose to put in a 55 gal. drum of Carbon tet. Same stuff that was in fire ext. that now not allowed. So with 120 lbs of air and a 1/2 " hose would clean the generators. usually 1/2 drum would be used. When to dizzy to continue would be sent out side and sit until could work again. Now know better. but a new man on the roster was picked to do what no one else wanted to do.
Later used Varsol because will not flash ignite in elec. circuits with arc.
If it effects the breathing. causes dizzyness. be careful of using.
soaps take longer. lets you live longer as well.
Test on varnish but it is tough material to disolve.
ken

 

[Gator6x4]

My engine is completely covered with oil and grease and debris. See the picture below. I need to clean the alternator coils and areas that have non-metal components. All the engine degreasers I've seen say they can only be used on metal and not on wires, plastic, or paint. So what should I use to clean everything?

Go to Home Depot or some other equipment rental and rent a small pressure washer. Soak the engine with "Simple Green" let the simple green soak for a few minutes and then clean with the pressure washer. Be careful with the round device circling the crankshaft, that is your stator. This is what generates your charging voltage. I am surprised the motor ran. That leak has been going on for some time.