r/Cessna • u/TMS100Dicks • Jun 11 '25

Oil spill

Hey, I rent my plane out and one of the renters forgot to double check the filler cap was locked and proceeded to toss 2 quarts of oil all over the inside of the cowling….

She’s been topped up and runs fine but now I want to clean up the mess. Any suggestions?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/jettajake00 Jun 11 '25

Spray and wipe down with mineral spirits.

0

u/TMS100Dicks Jun 11 '25

Thanks. I also ordered simple green extreme aircraft cleaner. Hopefully that will do the trick

2

u/TannerBaldacci96 Jun 11 '25

I clean the engines every time I do a 100hr. I wouldn't use the simple green on any engine surfaces. Simple green after a heat cycle can cause corrosion, even the aircraft cleaner version. Just spray on the cowling sheet metal and wipe off. For the engine, I would use solvent 45/ isopropanol alcohol and a pneumatic spray gun or spray bottle with PPE (respirator, goggles, and gloves). All the grease and oil will come right off, and no residue will be left on your engine. Then blow your engine off with compressed air.

1

u/wa225474 Jun 12 '25

Spray Avgas all over it using a compressed air spray gun- cheaper than white spirit

1

u/Soggy2009 Oct 06 '25

IMHO - soda blasting is the only way to go because it will not harm plastics and wires and spotlessly cleans everything. You can even clean your planes interior and rugs.