What's the best ie simultaneously most effective and least harmful way to clean oil and other underhood crud from an engine bay wiring harness? Pros and cons of dish soap vs simple green vs purple power vs acetone, etc?
What's the best ie simultaneously most effective and least harmful way to clean oil and other underhood crud from an engine bay wiring harness? Pros and cons of dish soap vs simple green vs purple power vs acetone, etc?
I ise superclean and a hose. Toothbrush for really stuck on E36 M3.
Simple Green and Purple Power can both attack copper, I believe. In such a way that they will cause corrosion if left untreated. Not a great thing for the wires.
Acetone might be good, most underhood plastics are not ABS due to the temps, so I'd think it wouldn't damage any of them. Price and volatility don't help though, maybe for a final wipe down?
I think I'd start with dish soap and a scotchbrite pad? Strip the outer protective casing away so you can separate the wires, scrub as a group or individually, wash and then rebind it?
If it's out of the car, an ultrasonic cleaner is basically magic.
Are the cheap eBayable large cleaners any good? I wanted to get one large enough to take cylinder head or transmission housing sized items but was too tentative to actually do it.
Pricey but a good hosing down with electrical contact cleaner works well.
We would put the harness in the shop sink, spray with engine shampoo and let soak for about 15 minutes.
Then fill the sink with hot water and dish soap, swish and scrub everything, place in the furnace room to dry.
Underhood detail is my kink.
Trust me on this. Goop hand cleaner. It will clean the harness and leaves it nice and supple without damage.
Dawn and hot water in a spray bottle. Let soak. Spray again and wipe with a rag. As mentioned, most chems are going to hurt copper wires inside and can penetrate the insulator, as well as dry out the insulator's ability to bend.
GOJO
In the car, dry ice blast. This is my 280z engine. The wiring harness and hoses are original.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Yes--I have one and it works great.
I do this a lot and there is no "easy way" that I have found but now I want to get an ultrasonic!
I usually fill a tub with hot water and simple green and throw the harness in once it's been stripped of coverings and agitate/scrub as best I can. I clean things off with towels as best I can and try and remove excess water before I hang to dry. Been doing it this way for a long time and is a pita but works well.
WD-40 works well for removing tape residue, and it's not harmful to copper..
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