Dawn Power Disolver

Well, I saw this written up in the Dec. MA so I thought I'd give it a try. I had a twenty year old FP .40 around that had been rebuilt a couple of times that was pretty kruddy. I don't clean a whole bunch of engines so I haven't been willing to invest in a crock pot set up.

First of all I had a hard time finding the DAWN POWER DISOLVER. It is supposed to be carried in the super markets with other DAWN products. Not in Publix, or Sweetbay (Florida) stores. Finally got some at Albertsons. About 3 dollars and change. Cheap, if it works!

Welllllll...Yes it did get most of the burned gunk off after an hour of squirting and soaking and scrubbing with a stiff tooth brush. It did need a second bath to get it all off. It didn't get the burned oil stains off that gather around the exhaust stack and the muffler. It also darkened the cleaner areas of the engine and left some black splotches behind.

If your need is to get caked gunk off your engines, this will work. But if you want to get your engines pretty again, I can't recommend POWER DISOLVER.

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I haven't used this cleaner so I don't know how it works. But, I have used the crock pot method on dozens of engines. And, as good as that method is, it does very little to clean or unstick internal parts if you don't completely disassemble the engine first. I've tried it with the backplate off, and it it doesn't do much for the internal parts. It doesn't "un-weld" rods that have seemingly been "welded" to the piston pins (old McCoys, Foxes, etc.). And it doesn't clean the piston, rings, liner, bypass or head (combustion chamber). I guess my point is that unless you KNOW the internals are in good shape to begin with, a good xternal cleaning, no matter what method you use, is just "eyewash".

The crockpot method will not loosen up really REALLY stuck engines -
and the more disassembled an engne is the cleaner it will get and the quicker it will come clean.

to loosen up a really stuck engine I put it in the oven at 300 or 400 degrees for a couple of minutes then turn it over as soon as I get it out of the oven

This was a good review of a product that we modelers might be tempted to use. You gave us the what, its purpose, its cost, where you found it, and what your feelings were of its usefulness. If there are other routes that are better, we can avoid the routes that are not as effective.

Thank you.

I agree with Len and I would add the picture speaks a thousand words, for $11.00 you can get a cheap crock pot and with a little prestone anti freeze you get much better looking results.
andy

Hi Guys,

I thought you might be interested in my recent experiences with Dawn Power Cleaner.

I've just finished cleaning the following dirty old engines:
3 Fox .35's
1 Enya .45
1 Max .40 FSR
1 McCoy .35
2 McCoy .40's
and 4 Tongue style mufflers (one was anodized)

With the exception of one Fox which had a small amount of baked on residue remaining on the head and one muffler which did show some small amount of discoloration everything else looked like NEW.

I only left the cleaner on for a few minutes before I began scrubbing with a stiff brush and I did all the cleaning outdoors and washing inside.

Your mileage may vary but I'm sold on the product and wouldn't hesitate to use it on my newest engines.

Dick Maddox

I got a ziplock baggie and put the motor in it and squirted it down and left it for 3-4 hrs it even got the burnt on stuff off really easy. It did leave darker areas that were clean. It was like it discolored the metal. But for a everyday runner it dont have to be pretty in my books.




Steve AKA Outlaw

One thing to watch out for here, and this comes from an engine guy with very good credentials, is that the stuff can rust the iron/steel internals (including bearings if any) if great care is not taken. Several engines that had been cleaned on the outside, but not disassembled, were found to have rusted/corroded internally later on as a result of the "disolver" seeping in.

I would suggest that if you do use it, that you disassemble the engine and then make sure to wash, wipe, and oil all the parts quickly after use. Then reassemble, run the engine, and oil again.

Matt used it on one of his engines and it seemed to do a credible job. He made sure, however, that nothing got into the front bearing, intake, or exhaust (covered these areas). He then rinsed it good, oiled it, ran it, and oiled it again. Time will tell. I, too, have received some engines that were absolute rust buckets inside. We have got to protect our engines from corrosion, and this stuff is corrosive.

Does Dawn Power Dissolver contain ammonia? When I used the recommended solution containing ammonia in an ultrasonic cleaner,it darkened the aluminum cases. Now I use Dawn kitchen dish soap and it does not affect the parts. However, it also does not remove baked on crud. For that, I use paint remover or the Prestone crockpot method.

Jim

This thread is headed in the same direction another thread on Demon Clean was going. I'll show some of the same pictures here I showed on that one. I have tried the Crock Pot method, the Carb/Brake Cleaner method and the simple leave-it-caked-on and go fly method. One can will cost close to a President Jackson... but works quite well and will do 10 or 12 engines.

The pictures below are before and after on a 30+ year old Fox .35. In the before picture (attached to the trunkated nose of a Ringmaster) the engine is darker than a blue OS-LA paint job.

After two 20 minute soakings covered with Demon Clean, accompanied by agressive but not exhaustive brushing, the results speak for themselves in the pictures. Plus- since I did not take anything apart or get the gunk on the inside, the precious castor varnish seal of the fox .35 is still there. No tricks or presto-chango here. The clean one sitting on the box is the same exact engine as the cruddy one that just created a divot in the ground.

By the way- the Ringmaster is again flying with a much cleaner engine mounted to the front. Since it has the same pilot, however, the precision of flight has improved little. But that has nothing to do with a cruddy looking engine.




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From my experience the antifreeze in a crock pot method is great. I've done numerous engines with excellent results using a small $7 crock pot. Attached are before and after pictures of a club members modified OS FP .40 that had two years of heavy usage (about 10 gallons worth) running on a high castor content fuel. This was an extreme example of carbon buildup that required 2 days of soaking in the crock pot and then some action with a stiff toothbrush on a few stubborn spots.
DennisV

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I vote for the crock pot! I got mine at a used shot for $5. It only has one speed but thats just right for engine cleaning. I've cleaned several engines (disassembled of course) with it and I think it is about the BEST method around. While the engine is still hot from the CP I emerse it in acetone and use a stiff (bristle) brush to remove the burnt residue on the engine. Then I oil it up and reassemble it. Sometimes I'll run them and sometimes I don't.

These cleaners that discolor the aluminum are not worth a dime as far as I'm concerned. I won't be using any of them any time soon.............................or ever!

But beware, anti freeze WILL take the paint off of an engine.

Good luck guys (and gals) Jerry

I also vote for the crock pot method.

What also is true is that antifreeze is made to work in an automobile engine, where you find aluminum, iron, and brass, so those metals are not going to be corroded---in other words, the antifreeze is pretty safe. Only castor crud need worry!

That's really impressive. I was only trying to clean the outside with Demon Clean.

The Fox engines are suposed to develop some kind of castor oil build-up on the piston and liner wall that helps them seal better. Have you ever done this internal clean to a Fox .35 and noticed a difference in the run? Or is the "magic castor crud seal" just one more myth about the Fox .35?

Thanks,
Steve Pierce

>That's really impressive. I was only trying to clean the
>outside with Demon Clean.
>
>The Fox engines are suposed to develop some kind of castor oil
>build-up on the piston and liner wall that helps them seal
>better. Have you ever done this internal clean to a Fox .35
>and noticed a difference in the run? Or is the "magic
>castor crud seal" just one more myth about the Fox .35?
>
>Thanks,
>Steve Pierce

Actually the castor oil build up is true of any engine that uses all castor oil in the fuel, but especially the iron piston varieties. And, yes, the plating will become a part of the seal, although in many (most) cases it continues to build up. I used to take our 35 FP engine apart every couple of years and clean it because the piston pin would freeze. After doing this, the engine would lose its cold compression for a few runs (didn't seem to affect the actual running of it, however) while the castor residue would build up again and bring the seal back.

Very very impressive, I love it. I got my own Dawn online through this site: http://www.thehardwarecity.com/?sku=4115465