Belly Grime bested!

[Showboatsix]

This is what we use on our Falcon 50, cleans APU exhaust stains, oils, etc very well.
Zep Aircraft Cleaner II Aircraft Cleaning Detergent
http://www.vendorsequipment.com/foundat ... VE2760*223

[voorheesh]

I agree with hilltop. The belly wash product is amazing. Their degreaser and wash product is great for bug removal and general surface cleaner. No need to dilute, just spray on and wipe off.

[CAVU Mark]

I used Belly Wash today and it worked fine, granted the area I cleaned was moist and not that dried on grime towards the rear of the plane. The fan club watching me was suitable impressed with Wash All and the Belly Wash. No detrimental affects noticed, no long term report at this time. The black bottom is now red and reflecting my smiling face.

A grime free plane is a happy plane, with a happy owner.

[hilltop170]

OK guys, here is a real-time video of Belly Wash removing 10 hours of exhaust stains from the cowling in under two minutes. No fair making any comments on my acting abilities either!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPtxzTzMjes

I wish I knew how to keep exhaust stains off the cowl but I guess I'll have to just live with them. The exhaust stacks are a couple of inches longer than stock, the tips are cut off parallel with the cowl, but you can see in the video that the exhaust residue still crawls up the back side of the stack and onto the cowling. I guess the Bartone/Benham style stacks are the only way to positively prevent it.

[jrenwick]

Nice video, Richard! Aero Cosmetics should hire you! I'm wondering if it's safe for Poly-Tone finishes. I'll probably have to buy a bottle and try it for myself!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I've got to point out that Richard probably would have flown 20 hours before cleaning his cowl BEFORE he painted it.

[W.J.Langholz]

Richard

I think you should redo your vedio to include the intire treatment.....I caught it in you comments right at the end, but I think and important part of the clean is the wax job also.

W.

[hilltop170]

Nice video, Richard! Aero Cosmetics should hire you! I'm wondering if it's safe for Poly-Tone finishes. I'll probably have to buy a bottle and try it for myself!

John-
I don't know what "Poly-Tone" finishes are but having used this stuff on just about every finish I have I can't see it harming anything except of course grease and exhaust stains. You could call Brian, the guy who developed WashWaxAll products. He's in San Antonio and is a great guy.

And again, no, I do not sell this stuff. I just like to promote good products and services so they will stay in business and I can keep using them.

[hilltop170]

I've got to point out that Richard probably would have flown 20 hours before cleaning his cowl BEFORE he painted it.

Bruce, you're not often wrong but before the plane was painted, I can't remember ever washing the exhaust stains off. They just sort of reached an equilibrium state where they didn't get any better or any worse. Why would someone deliberitely remove the hard-earned patina from a genuine Rat Plane? How things change.

Belly Wash? We don't need no stinking Belly Wash!

[hilltop170]

Richard

I think you should redo your vedio to include the intire treatment.....I caught it in you comments right at the end, but I think and important part of the clean is the wax job also.

W.

Good point, W., Belly Wash is just a cleaner, it does not have any protectant in it so once the area is clean, some kind of protectant should be used to seal up the paint and help prevent future accumulation.

WashWaxAll red bottle de-greaser or blue bottle cleaner will do the job but my favorite exhaust stain protectant is Rejex, a Corrosion-X product. Rejex is specifically made to protect areas exposed to exhaust stains and it does work very well. Nope, I don't sell Rejex either!

http://www.rejex.com/rejex.html

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Dam that WAS a good looking plane. I wonder if I'd even pick it out of a crowded ramp now like I did at Galveston.

[marathonrunner]

For exhaust stains I have used X-it available through Aviall and I am sure other aircraft parts places. Have not had a problem with Aviation Simple Green but have not tried it on polished aluminum will give that a try.

[jrenwick]

Nice video, Richard! Aero Cosmetics should hire you! I'm wondering if it's safe for Poly-Tone finishes. I'll probably have to buy a bottle and try it for myself!

John-
I don't know what "Poly-Tone" finishes are but having used this stuff on just about every finish I have I can't see it harming anything except of course grease and exhaust stains....

Richard,
Poly-Tone is one of the color finish options when you're covering fabric airplanes with the Poly-Fiber (formerly Stits) process. It's what's on my J3, which is getting a lot cleaner now than it has been in a long time, thanks to the Belly Wash. It cleans better than anything else I've used on it, much better than the Poly-Fiber paint cleaner product, and it leaves very little yellow residue on the rag. I've now used up most of the small bottle I bought, so I need to go back to them for bigger quantities of the stuff. Oh, and it also works really great on the 170. Easier overall than mineral spirits on a rag, which what I have been using. Thanks for the valuable tip, Richard!

[CAVU Mark]

I am a believer in Belly Wash. Spent an hour this weekend getting off quite a bit of soft oily grime. Make sure you have a creeper handy. Belly Wash did not work on the exhaust area on a Grumman test subject. The baked on stuff is just too much for it.

[marathonrunner]

try X it you can get it through Aviall and I am sure other suppliers. I got caked on exhaust off an old Aero Commander 500 with it