Chris, did your Boeing friend recommend an alternative?
Simple....Steam Cleaning Engine Compartment?
- Thread starter DeltaSteve
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There are different versions of Simple Green.
The standard Simple Green is moderately alkaline and is indeed supposed to etch or corrode some metals, inc. bare aluminum to some extent. Though I also know some people who use it full strength on their NSX all the time and still swear by it, so it can't be all that bad!
There is (or at least WAS) also another Simple Green formulation that said it was low-alkaline (pH neutral, or very close) and was supposed to be safe to use on surfaces that might be affected by regular Simple Green. I picked some of this up a few years ago and still have half a bottle left so I haven't looked to see if they still make it recently.
You might be able to neutralize the regular stuff with a splash of vinegar but I don't know if that would also diminish it's cleaning ability. If you added too much vinegar you would also turn it acidic which wouldn't help either!
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 06 September 2002).]
The standard Simple Green is moderately alkaline and is indeed supposed to etch or corrode some metals, inc. bare aluminum to some extent. Though I also know some people who use it full strength on their NSX all the time and still swear by it, so it can't be all that bad!
There is (or at least WAS) also another Simple Green formulation that said it was low-alkaline (pH neutral, or very close) and was supposed to be safe to use on surfaces that might be affected by regular Simple Green. I picked some of this up a few years ago and still have half a bottle left so I haven't looked to see if they still make it recently.
You might be able to neutralize the regular stuff with a splash of vinegar but I don't know if that would also diminish it's cleaning ability. If you added too much vinegar you would also turn it acidic which wouldn't help either!
[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 06 September 2002).]
From the Simple Green FAQ:
Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?
"Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation. "
Lud - what's the product name and product ID/UPC on the bottle of low-alkaline Simple Green you have?
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Russ
'91 black/black
Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?
"Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation. "
Lud - what's the product name and product ID/UPC on the bottle of low-alkaline Simple Green you have?
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Russ
'91 black/black
So if I have a bunch of shiny parts from DaliRacing and a BBSC then I want to pay careful attention them when/if I use Simple Green?
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ALL NSX
92 RED/BLACK 5-SPEED
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ALL NSX
92 RED/BLACK 5-SPEED
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