Safe Engine Degreaser around Oil Pan

J

jonwb

New member
Hi,

Recently found some oil/gunk around the oil pan of a 2001 Mustang (only 54k miles!). No puddling on our driveway.. just oily grease. Yesterday, a tire installer did a quick visual and thought it was coming from the "rear main" seal but wasn`t sure. He encouraged me to clean and watch it over time.

Could someone recommend a lightweight degreaser that`ll be less prone to harming gaskets or seals? Or maybe a method to cleaning this area?

Thanks
 
Kinda depends on how you are going to clean it. Do you have a pressure washer? Then a spray on APC is the way to go. If you`re going to lie down and futz with it, a little diesel fuel and a cheap paint brush on a cold engine will cut most greasy messes in short order. Emphasis on cold engine.
 
jonwb- Welcome to Autopia!

If my Modular had that problem, besides [INSERT admoniton to fix seal here ;) ], I`d clean it up with a safer version of what Ronkh suggested. In other words, some solvent on shop rags. I love solvents for greasy/oily messes...no rinsing is a big part of why.

I`d hazard a guess, and it`s just a guess, that the seepage isn`t caused by a big enough gap that you have to worry about doing damage...as long as you apply some common sense as to how much [whatever you use] and how long you let it dwell.
 
I do all the oil changes on my family fleet and keep a spray bottle of mineral spirits on my bench at all times.
While the drain pan is still underneath, any oil drips or runs get a healthy shot. You could follow it with an APC or Brake Cleaner if you want it surgically clean.
Mineral spirits is the base component for non-water based parts cleaners, so it won`t hurt anything.

Bill
 
Another "safe" engine solvent is Kano Laboratories Floway, but the chemical is expensive and only sold directly from the manufacturer. I`ve used their penetrating oil, AeroKroil, with great success on rusted nuts and bolts/screws when other penetrants will not work (like OTC Liquid Wrench)
Let us know what the prognosis is after the clean-up, whatever you use on it.
 
Carb/throttle body cleaner is what you need. It`s got a powerful stream and dissolves gunk and oil. Most brands have a straw that attaches to the nozzle for getting into tight places.

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Megs D108 degreaser works great and you can dilute it to whatever strength you feel comfortable with.
That said you`d have to left any cleaner sit on there for a long time before it started affecting most seals or gaskets
M
 
WD40 works great for de-greasing & is cheap, BUT it leaves a light film of clear oil.
 
An APC / Degreaser will do the job and use as diluted as possible to get the job done .. BUT be prepared to open a Pandora`s box :o if the seal has a slow leak after 16 years and you remove some of the gunk (couldn`t think of a better word) .. you may completely ruin the seal and you will have struck oil and a whole lot more headaches ... (been there done that) :(
 
When I looked at Ron`s "Pandora`s Box" about the gunk acting as a self-made "BandAid" on a seal, it would make sense in some situations.

Working in mechanical design I know there are SO MANY different seal designs (single lip, double lip, spring-loaded, etc) and material types (Butyl Rubber, Viton, silicone, felt, etc) used for seals.
Most seals fail for a number of reasons:
1) Wear from friction OR environmental elements, like dirt or paper dust or chemical process fumes (most common)
2) Age (especially rubber)
3) Incompatibility with fluid or gas trying to be sealed (like gasoline with neoprene rubber)
4) Wrong seal design or wrong tolerances on housing for seal for application (happens when engineer "just picks one" or "copies" previous (bad)design for new design)
5) Improper installation by mechanic/service tech (hammer and "right sized" socket being a common method instead of correct special tool and arbor press)

Any one who has worked on or serviced cars or machinery for any length of time has experienced one of these situations. In your situation, I suspect it`s age, even with the lower mileage.

Engineers and designers get the blame for a lot of seal problems, and rightly so when you look at the list above. However, a really good seal may be deemed too expensive an option during a cost analysis design review. It always pained me when this was done. It`s the "penny wise/pound foolish" approach, BUT If (and I repeat, IF) it lasts as long as warranty of the vehicle or machine, then using the cheaper seal is the "fiscally correct" solution. With the advent of computer design and material simulation analysis programs, engineers can "design" products for just that length of warranty time. It`s called "design obsolescence" and it`s an integral part of every manufacturing business economy and product you buy today. It`s also the reason why the energy-efficient refrigerator you bought for your house 5 years ago is on the fritz while the old Kelvenator fridge your grandfather bought in 1962 that you inherited and is now in the garage storing your carnauba waxes,welding rods, fishing bait (wax worms), and "favorite beverages" is still running strong and cold!
Sorry to rant and rave about this off topic.... just had to vent.
 
Fortunately the Ford Modular is a good design with regard to longevity/weird issues. Change out that old seal and it oughta be fine for a long, long time.
 
X mechanic here.

Nothing works as well as Brake Kleen to clean oil off an engine. It is 100% safe if you use it correctly. I go through half a can every time I do an oil change on one of my vehicles to clean whatever is left dripping around the drain plug or oil filter.

Keep in mind, Brake Kleen is designed and safe to use on brake calipers - including the "rubber" boot that surrounds the caliper piston, any rubber on the slides, and brake hoses. Unfortunately, no water soluble chemical cleaner IME & IMHO will do much to do remove engine oil or grease - simply because oil/grease is not water soluble - unless you are manually able to scrub every leaking / wet / oily nook and cranny on the engine with a brush or a towel using the water soluble cleaner.

BK will not damage any engine parts and works like nothing else out there - simply for that fact that oil / grease IS soluble in the organic solvents in BK. It will not penetrate or damage seals or gaskets from external spraying.

I would do my best not to get it on any cosmetic areas, but believe it or not - it generally will not damage those. If you have some fancy crinkle finished valve covers or something - keep it away from that. Satin finish cosmetic engine plastics - keep it away from that. Oil pan area you are fine.... There are no cosmetic type finishes used on vehicles down there - unless you are driving a Bugatti or something.

Back in the day, when I was wrenching, we would go through sooo much Brake Kleen to clean up whatever - and never had an issue. We used it (along with another product not readily available to the general public) almost exclusively to clean oil leaks on engines, transmissions, etc...

So, I have a vehicle with a rear main seal leak as well - not fixing it for various reasons at this point. The best way to diag it is to completely clean the lower engine 100% with Brake Kleen so it`s surgically clean. If you have never used this product, simply put a drip pan or large cardboard under the engine and start generously spraying all the oiled up parts. No need to scrub or wipe - unless there is major build up. The Brake Kleen will dissolve the oil and just drip it off the engine. Buy 2 cans. Skip the "environmentally safe version" (it doesn`t work as well) if you can get the good/original stuff in your state

Now, here is the trick. First, wait till the Brake Kleen is dry before starting the vehicle. BK is very volatile and flammable. It`s will dry fairly quickly on its own. Second, once it`s 100% clean, start the car and just left it idle - do not drive it. You may have to let it idle for 20mins-30mins before it starts to leak.

If you drive it, your oil leak can blow all over - making it hard to see exactly where it comes from. After idling, turn off car and let it sit a while - car has still not been driven since cleaned.

Now, go under there and see where the oil is coming from. If it`s a tiny tiny leak - you may not see anything. You are probably trying to narrow it down between an oil pan and rear main seal. If it`s a RMS it will be wet where the trans meets the engine at the lowest point. If it`s an oil pan, it will be wet around the pan gasket.

If it`s a tiny tiny leak (doesn`t show up right away). Get yourself some luminescent oil dye and a black light. You can get the dye at Advance Auto & the black light flashlight at Walmart. The dye will make the leaky oil leak "glow" making it easier to see (at night or in a dark garage) with black light flashlight.

Then drive for about 20miles + and recheck with the black light flashlight in the dark.

Quite frankly, this is how most pros diag a tricky oil leak - or how we did it in my day.










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what he said ^^^^^ ( I personally don`t recommend flammable products but with the right precautions as written it will work easiest)

also check the valve covers .. I`m not sure if anyone mentioned it before :thinking
 
This sort of thing is why I`m pretty fanatical about keeping *everything* on every vehicle clean and tidy...the slightest seepage is obvious.
 
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