Easy Off oven cleaner works well for taking off the top layer of everything...
grease, paint, aluminum.

I use it to clean my tractor prior to paint. I try to dodge the few aluminum parts it has.

Whenever I wax my car, I use the grungy wax rags to wipe the inside of the engine compartment, bottom side of the hood, air cleaner, etc.

Just detailed the front of my engine. Used paper towels, mainly, and finished it off with Simple Green - spray then wipe with no hang time. Of course, since I removed all the damaged parts after I rear ended that guy, the front of the engine was easy to get to. Never knew it, but the crank pulley is grey!

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mjk

'84 300SD 119KMi (Liesl der Diesel)
'84 300D 326KMi when the oil left (former parts car)
'82 300SD 253KMi (new parts car)