Wash 57986 M20J

[Loogie]

I am going to scrub my M20J, will start with engine, wheel wells, then belly followed by waxing and polishing the rest.

How hard is it to pull bottom cowl? Anyone have some gouge I can use ?

What do I use to clean oil and grease from engine cowl flaps and gear well, suggestions?

Appreciate any insight

Loogie

[BorealOne]

If you need some practice, you can start with mine... 

[rainman]

Dave, I use the degreaser/belly wash from AeroCosmetics. It's a spray then wipe product. I just get on a creeper and I can go front to back on the bottom in about 15 min. My tip is to wear safety goggles to not get spray in your eyes. I use a roll of paper towels for the bottom as the wipes. Enjoy! Ray

[The-sky-captain]

The bottom cowl isn't that hard to pull with some practice but the first few times you may need another set of hands. On my J there are disconnects for the landing light and cowl flaps. Once those are disconnected it's just taking out the fastners (don't forget the two lower ones I between the cowl flaps). If doing it solo having a stool to rest the cowling on helps and will act as a second set of hands.

[gsxrpilot]

+1 on the Belly Wash from WashWax.

 

http://washwax.com/waterless-wash-products-aircraft-belly-wash/

 

And while you're there, get the WashWax All Cleaner for everything else. My airplane has never looked so good and it's much easier to keep looking good.

[FBCK]

Three hours under mine last Saturday with Aerocomestics, its been a couple of years, I think I will farm it out next time.

[Piloto]

I have been using Spartan SD-20 for cleaning and degreasing and very happy with it. No need for water and leaves no residue. I even use it home. It will not damage the paint. Strongly recommend it.

 

http://www.spartanchemical.com/products/product/652000

 

José

[BillC]

The Sky Captain is correct.

I had a short stool with a blanket on top that fit exactly under the cowl to remove mine. Then you just roll it out of the way when your disconnected. Be sure to reconnect the landing light wires before reinstalling the top cowl.

A note about disonnecting the cowl flaps. Do not unbolt the cowl flap. There is a connector with a barrel just above the bolt that connects to the cowl flap. With your fingers, raise the barrel and the connector will come right off. Is that clear as mud?? It may be difficult to remove the connector the first time but with some lubricant it will free up and come off easily.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I will not use paper towel on anything I don't want scratches in (plexiglass or paint).  The fibers in paper toweling WILL scratch.  I always use a clean rag, even rinsing it very well during the process to remove dirt particles.  I had a buddy years ago that bought a new snowmobile the same time I did.  He used paper towels on his plexi windshield and painted hood, I used my rag with lots of soap and water.  You could see a major difference in the appearance of our sleds after 3 years.

[Piloto]

Taking the lower cowling off by myself isn't an issue for me. Putting it back on by myself, on the other hand . . .

Try with a three blades prop.

José

[Loogie]

How about the ram air intake, the one that's supposed to give you an extra inch of man pressure but doesn't. Does that have to be disconnected as well?

[M20F]

The single best thing to clean the belly is an air compressor, sprayer attachment, and mineral spirits. Your mileage with the FBO and personal convictions may vary on that but it will strip/clean everything with no issues. I use a heavy sudsing of Dawn dish soap and water afterwards as that works well to strip the remaining grease/oil away.

Certainly other products you can use but for getting rid of exhaust and oil, nothing works better than jet blasted mineral spirits that I have found.

[aviatoreb]

Word to the wise - Put a blanket under the lower cowl so that when it comes off, the paint does not scrape pavement.

[jetdriven]

Mineral spirits on a rag followed by a clean dry rag will take the away the grease from the belly without any risk of corrosion.  M20F is right, the pressure sprayer is the badass solution, we do it to wash engines, but you end up breathing and wearing a lot of the mineral spirits mist doing that. Its hard to get kissed coming home smelling strongly of mineral spirits.  Difficult but not impossible.

 

We tried Dawn and water last time and it corroded the heck out of two quarter size parts of bare aluminum on the left wing. I rinsed it very well after sudsing too. im not convinced its neutral.

 

I am certain that Simple Green Extreme destroys paint. Regular Simple Green eats aluminum as well.

 

Newest product we are trying tomorrow is SC Aircraft Cleaner from Orison Marketing. Its supposed to be neutral Ph.

[AndyFromCB]

I pay a line guy, $80 bucks, plane comes back spotless ;-) Priceless to me...

[Hank]

Byron, the Aerocosmetics products are manufactured specifically for aluminum aircraft. I think the little writing specifically mentions Boeing specs. It's even easy to use.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I used Simple Green for a while, but found it will corrode the aluminum if there is any break in the paint (around screws, edges of panels, etc.).  I am now using mineral spirits like Bryan recommends with a soaked rag, followed with a clean rag to wipe and dry, then a car wash soap (milder than dish soap) wash and rinse to remove any residue of the mineral spirits.

 

Erik has a good point about laying a blanket on the floor to remove the bottom cowl.  I have some old soft carpeting I lay down.  I also use a couple of old sweatshirts on the prop, sliding the sleeve over each blade and then around the inside edge of the spinner to keep from scratching the prop or spinner.  I even have a piece of cardboard, cut the the right length, marked and stored on the hangar wall, to place against the tire up to the bottom of the cowl so I don't scratch the paint on the nose truss (ya, a bit anal I know).

[jetdriven]

I'm pleased to report the SC aircraft cleaner is really good. I mixed about a little less than a gallon 1:4 due to heavy grease and stuff on the belly. It didn't take off the years worth of grime so I did the mineral spirits and two rags thing. Then wow it really cleaned the plane. It meets a whole list of boring snd McDonnell Douglas specs on the label and it is Ph neutral no corrosion you can even pour it down the storm drain or drink it. It said basically nontoxic dilute with water if u drink it.

http://www.orisonmarketing.com/scaircraft.html

Check this.

[Marauder]

I'm pleased to report the SC aircraft cleaner is really good. I mixed about a little less than a gallon 1:4 due to heavy grease and stuff on the belly. It didn't take off the years worth of grime so I did the mineral spirits and two rags thing. Then wow it really cleaned the plane. It meets a whole list of boring snd McDonnell Douglas specs on the label and it is Ph neutral no corrosion you can even pour it down the storm drain or drink it. It said basically nontoxic dilute with water if u drink it.

http://www.orisonmarketing.com/scaircraft.html

Check this.image.jpg

image.jpg

It even looks like it helps you fly upside down!

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[FlyWalt]

If you need some practice, you can start with mine... 

 

 

And if you don't get enough practice with his then mine is next :-)