22 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHBest way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Leading reported evidence
Clean engine (which looked gunked just like the op’s)
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
When I cleaned my engine (which looked gunked just like the OP’s) with the potion the first time, I used full strength with a nylon bristle brush and a spray bottle of distilled water.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Clean engine (which looked gunked just like the op’s)' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean but hopefully can spot leaks' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Use 50/50 split of la's and water
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Use full strength
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
When I cleaned my engine (which looked gunked just like the OP’s) with the potion the first time, I used full strength with a nylon bristle brush and a spray bottle of distilled water.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Use good degrease
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Then I use a good degrease that comes in a spray bottle for those small areas with a stiff bristle brush then use a wypall to clean it.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Clean engine (which looked gunked just like the op’s)
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
When I cleaned my engine (which looked gunked just like the OP’s) with the potion the first time, I used full strength with a nylon bristle brush and a spray bottle of distilled water.
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Clean greasy engines does make a mess....and
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Yep, cleaning greasy engines does make a mess....and cleaning up the mess is a total PITA...That's why the old saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" ..
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Clean shop floor
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Then buy qts/gal of brake cleaner or mineral spirits or acetone ......use in well ventilated area ...and of course clean the shop floor when done with squeegee/soap/water
Best way to clean oil from under engine to find specific leak
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
22 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T122219Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
New to me 1999 Coupe is up on the Quickjacks. According to service records over past decade, car has had a "level 2", whatever that means, oil leak from bank 1 and 2 spark plug tubes and possible valve cover gaskets. It has been listed on the service reports since 2017. Only 10k miles were added since then.
Pics of leaks, but i want to thoroughly clean the area so I can diagnose if the valve cover gaskets are leaking. Tubes I think are almost def leaking but should be something I can do myself. Plugs were changed at 58k (in 2012).
Is there a fav degreasing cleaner? Or just soap/water and a scrubby brush? I can't really hose it down because in my garage...
A dyeing the oil is the best way tondo this. Then you only clean once. Put the dye in and go drive a 100 miles or so. Come back and blacklist the area and the leaks are pretty easily seen.
Then I use a good degrease that comes in a spray bottle for those small areas with a stiff bristle brush then use a wypall to clean it.
The usual go to for cleaning engines in a Shop is a Siphon Blow Gun like so
Amazon
Amazon
Then buy qts/gal of brake cleaner or mineral spirits or acetone ......use in well ventilated area ...and of course clean the shop floor when done with squeegee/soap/water
Looks like the spark plugs tubes are the main/only leak on that engine...
Thanks all, love the dye idea!
I like the blowgun idea too, and I have a large compressor, but I worry I will make SUCH a mess in the garage... (I won't even talk about trying to drain coolant and how much found it's way all over the place...)
And LA IS totally awesome, so will buy that regardless
Yep, cleaning greasy engines does make a mess....and cleaning up the mess is a total PITA...That's why the old saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" ..
And becoming very proficient at it isn't easy , but not so bad once mastered with the right equipment ...
When I was a mechanic working on piston airplane engines we'd use a siphon gun like that.... fed with 100LL direct from the plane's fuel tanks! Outside of course. No smoking please. That gasoline would clean a leaky engine in seconds.
(Small airplanes use air cooled flat 4,6, or 8 cylinder engines.)
Been using Totally Awesome for couple decades now, I purchase it at the Dollar store by the box, it started out as carpet cleaner solution back in the day and they have removed reference to being carpet cleaner on the bottle
.
LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner (lastotallyawesome.com)
This what I have found on Totally Awesome,
LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner � is
non-toxic
. Therefore, the listing of ingredients on the label is not required by law. LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Cleaner � unique formula is protected under the US Trade Secrecy Act and has been extensively tested to verify the product's credentials.
As I mentioned, I've been using it a long time. This might seem weird but I have found that misting some tap water on the surface of what you're trying to clean seems to make it work better. I may be imagining it though.
A different set of wheels than from my previous post...
I didn't use the big green pads because I didn't want to scratch the original finish. I used a kitchen dishwashing sponge that has the sort of Scotch Brite 'lite' on one side.
I've never read the instructions as that would be breaking the Guy Code
�. Seriously though, I assumed that since it came in a spray bottle it was good to go as is. My current stuff was purchased years ago so maybe something has changed.
Well there was a lot of oil. I used 50/50 split of LA's and water. Soaked the areas and first used a nylon brush. But that quickly just became oil logged, so used a lot of paper towels. Sprayed it with a water bottle of just water after. I'll try to hose it off tomorrow.
It's not show room clean but hopefully can spot leaks. It might very well be the seals and not just the point tubes. (hoping not)....
I now realize I may have given an overly glowing review of 'LA is so Awesome'. It's my go to stuff but it's not a magical potion that you spray on, have a beer, and then hose off 20 years of grime. I spent
hours
on those wheels.
Since we’re kinda on the subject of using LA’s…
When I cleaned my engine (which looked gunked just like the OP’s) with the potion the first time, I used full strength with a nylon bristle brush and a spray bottle of distilled water. The engine was warm, I sprayed the stuff and let it dwell for 10 minutes and went after it with the brush and green pad. I had a big pan underneath, thank God. Red shop rags to get down to a condition like OP’s photos show now, and did it again. The stuff doesn’t hurt the aluminum and it works for anything greasy, like the spots on my shirt after I got done.
It’s not like it took an ultrasonic soak or anything. The results made me very happy. This is now a rather enjoyable once-a-year task.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
