Dawn Power Dissolver

[Mike Griffin]

For those of you who remember using Dawn Power Dissolver, I found this on Amazon and it sounds like the old stuff we used to use on our engines.  Has anyone tried this to see if it cleans as well as the old Dawn Power Dissolver?

https://www.amazon.com/Procter-Gamble-Dawn-Dissolver-Bottle/dp/B00PRACR7W/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1534873827&sr=8-1&keywords=dawn+power+dissolver+spray+32+oz

[Brett Buck]

For those of you who remember using Dawn Power Dissolver, I found this on Amazon and it sounds like the old stuff we used to use on our engines.  Has anyone tried this to see if it cleans as well as the old Dawn Power Dissolver?

  I don't know, but Dawn Power Dissolver is *very dangerous stuff* to use around a model engine, and can easily damage it. Crock-pot/antifreeze is a lot safer.

  I got the regular Dawn Power Dissolver recently - to clean the oven, as intended.

   Brett

[Mike Griffin]

Well that is good to know Brett.  I have used it sparingly in the past but am curious as to how it harms the engine.  I have also used the crockpot/antifreeze method with really good results. 
Thank you

Mike

[Dan McEntee]

   Well, you DON"T want to use Easy Off or some other over cleaners because they say they are caustic to aluminum on the can. Check the ingredients of the Power Dissolver and compare to similar products. Lots of every day kitchen cleaners and such react with aluminum.
   Is it REALLY 18 bucks a bottle??
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Dan Berry]

I will know in a few days if it is the same stuff. It is on the way.

[Mike Griffin]

   Well, you DON"T want to use Easy Off or some other over cleaners because they say they are caustic to aluminum on the can. Check the ingredients of the Power Dissolver and compare to similar products. Lots of every day kitchen cleaners and such react with aluminum.
   Is it REALLY 18 bucks a bottle??
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

Dan that is the cheapest price I saw.  The pricing was ridiculous on that stuff.   

Mike

[bob whitney]

Brett is right ,I use Dawn to clean the carbon off of F2C diesel pistons and sleeves .it dose a good job of cleaning ,but I left a piston in full strength dawn over night and in the morning the piston was ruined

[Mike Griffin]

The only way I ever used it was to spray the engine (one the outside only), let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then wipe off the oil and grease residue.  I never soaked an engine in it.  I would certainly never want to use anything on an engine that would damage it. 

Mike

[RandySmith]

Well that is good to know Brett.  I have used it sparingly in the past but am curious as to how it harms the engine.  I have also used the crockpot/antifreeze method with really good results. 
Thank you

Mike

I have posted  many times  how it harms motors, I have had several sent to me that had   JUST been cleaned  and rinsed well with  Power Dissolved, they were completely  RUSTED on all steel parts, the  aluminum case  was ranging from corroded, to very badly corroded,  so much so, the  bearing seats were now unable to hold bearings
So  if you use it   AGAIN  be  extremely careful, wash it  very well  after, and make sure you completely take the engine apart, so you can  wash rinse wash rinse  after the  PD  and then  oil everything up with afterrun oil

And you do not  have to soak it over night  for it  to ruin engines, it can do that from a small amount that gets inside the engine

Randy

[Brett Buck]

I have posted  many times  how it harms motors, I have had several sent to me that had   JUST been cleaned  and rinsed well with  Power Dissolved, they were completely  RUSTED on all steel parts, the  aluminum case  was ranging from corroded, to very badly corroded,  so much so, the  bearing seats were now unable to hold bearings

   Dawn Crankcase Dissolver.

    Brett

[Ara Dedekian]

  I got the regular Dawn Power Dissolver recently....

   Brett

    Where?? I'll buy a case (at the old price!) I thought it was taken off the market. There's a letter from Proctor and Gamble on here somewhere stating they pulled it due to lack of sales.

    I use it regularly just as Mike Griffin described. A couple of minutes soak max on the outside and brush and rinse the residue off.

    Davis Diesel sold a relabeled spray foam cleaner that worked well. Not sure, but it may have been Hoppe's #9 gun bore cleaner.

   Ara

[Tony Drago]

 "Davis Diesel sold a relabeled spray foam cleaner that worked well. Not sure, but it may have been Hoppe's #9 gun bore cleaner."

Just a thought. Firearm solvents have to be metal and polymer friendly. Do to the many different metal and composite components of a firearm.
  Some of the firearm cleaners will literally dissolve the grime off in no time. 

[Brett Buck]

    Where?? I'll buy a case (at the old price!) I thought it was taken off the market. There's a letter from Proctor and Gamble on here somewhere stating they pulled it due to lack of sales.

    I use it regularly just as Mike Griffin described. A couple of minutes soak max on the outside and brush and rinse the residue off.

https://pgpro.com/brands/dawn-professional/dawn-power-dissolver/

  But, I can't overemphasize this, it is *dangerous* as Randy and others noted, particularly when there are better alternatives.

    Brett

[Dan Berry]

https://pgpro.com/brands/dawn-professional/dawn-power-dissolver/

  But, I can't overemphasize this, it is *dangerous* as Randy and others noted, particularly when there are better alternatives.

    Brett

That's what I have on order. I intend to use it on some ….. pots and pans.

[Mike Griffin]

My wife loves the stuff to take grease off of pots and pans.  I guess the take away on this solvent, it use at your own risk.   Thanks for all the input on the post. 

Mike

[Ara Dedekian]

For those of you who remember using Dawn Power Dissolver, I found this on Amazon and it sounds like the old stuff we used to use on our engines.  Has anyone tried this to see if it cleans as well as the old Dawn Power Dissolver?

https://www.amazon.com/Procter-Gamble-Dawn-Dissolver-Bottle/dp/B00PRACR7W/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1534873827&sr=8-1&keywords=dawn+power+dissolver+spray+32+oz

     I still have some of the "old" Dawn power dissolver and have been using it for years. The advice given by Randy and Brett as to the nastiness of the stuff got me wondering if the "old" and "new" were two different formulations. The old, blue bottle product was taken off the market in 2004 and don't know when the white 32oz bottle began selling.  I called Proctor and Gamble naively thinking I'd get a tech or gearhead with the info but could only get a, 'sell, sell, sell' person. No help; he could only guess that they were the same product relabeled for professional use. A product spec sheet to compare the formulations wasn't available.

    The new bottle is labeled Dawn "Professional" which suggests a stronger formulation and priced accordingly but the difference in price is likely due to the larger 32oz bottle. The blue bottle was 12.8oz.

    So, I'll have to try the "new" stuff and see how it compares to the old. If it is the same, that's good news because if used carefully, without soaking, I've found it works quite well.

    Ara

[Mike Griffin]

OK,  I just received a bottle of the new stuff.  Keeping mind what Brett said, I had an old motor that I never intended to use again and will probably discard.  So I sprayed it with the new stuff and it works just like the old stuff did.  My guess it is the same formula renamed.

Keeping in mind what others have said about the problems it can cause when used to clean motors, be very careful.  My wife will probably steal mine anyway for pots and pans. 

Mike

[Reptoid]

     I'm surprised at all the concerns about using this stuff to clean engines. It is not any more "dangerous" than many industrial cleaners and is far safer for use than things like pool chemicals, drano, etc. that are used by folks around the house regularly. If you read the directions and follow them it is an excellent cleaner for baked on carbon on engines and mufflers. If used as directed, it does not harm any metals used in modern model engines. It is made, after all, to clean aluminum, copper, and steel cooking utensils. Like all strong cleaners it should rinsed off and then cleaned with a mild solvent or hot soapy water and rinsed. Obviously it will remove all oil and grease so if the parts are steel, they need to be oiled immediately after cleaning.
     When I first worked in the Motorcycle industry we had REAL parts dip for cleaning carb parts and small engine parts. One of the mechanics did not read the directions and put a partially disassembled carb in the basket and left it in the parts dip overnight. In the morning when he pulled up the basket, the only thing left were the brass jets, brass floats, and the steal float pivot. All of the aluminum and pot metal parts were completely dissolved. When the directions were followed we cleaned hundreds of carbs and restored them to brand new in appearance and function.
     When using any caustic or poisonous chemicals one should use gloves and eye protection. That includes boiling anti freeze which is poison and will scald you, and the post cleaning procedure of washing with soap and water, drying, and oiling should be followed

[Dave Hull]

Some info on Dawn Power Dissolver and Hoppe's #9. They appear to be very different cleaners. Power Dissolver is a veritable cocktail of chemicals and modifiers. Looking up this stuff reminded me why I disliked chemistry in college. At least the ingredients in the Hoppe's make sense for a gun barrel cleaner....

Hoppe's #9 Bore Cleaner         
                               % by Wt   
1   Ethyl Alcohol             15-40%   Solvent
2   Kerosene                     15-40%   Petroleum distillate
3   Oleic Acid                      Unk   Naturally occuring fatty acid. Used as a soldering flux on lead (leaded windows application)
4   Amyl Acetate              5-10%   A solvent for nitrocelluslose lacquers; cleaning fluids, etc.  Smells of bananas
5   Ammonium Hydroxide      1-5%   Strong alkaline (high pH) cleaner/disinfectant made of ammonia diluted with water. Very corrosive to aluminum
         
Dawn Power Dissolver   
      
1   Monoethanolamine (MEA)   3-7%    An organic compound combining the properties of amines and alcohols.                                                   Very corrosive. See notes below on MEA
2   Phenoxyethanol                           Unk   Organic glycol ether solvent. Does not react with copper or lead
3   Dipropylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether    Unk   High boiling point solvent.
4   Sodium Cumene Sulfate           Unk   Cleaning additive, coupling agent, solubilizer
5   Acrylic polymer                           Unk   Viscosity adjustment
6   Potassium Carbonate                   Unk   Buffering agent
7   Alkyl Dimethyl Amine Oxide           Unk   Surfactant
8   Sodium Silicate                           Unk   Corrosion protection
9   Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate   Unk   Viscosity adjustment
10   Sodium Hydroxide                   Unk   pH adjustment


Notes:
Can react exothermically with aluminum, copper, brass, bronze and zinc metals and alloys.
Forms an "unstable crystalline complex when in contact with iron or steel"
Has an ammonia-like smell (molecule has an ammonia molecule bound to it)
Ironically(?) one of its uses is to neutralize acids in lubricants that might otherwise cause corrosion

Sources:
MSDS
Dow Chemical Co.
Wikipedia (various)
NandaDeep Chemical Co.
Exxon Mobile Co.

[Brett Buck]

     I'm surprised at all the concerns about using this stuff to clean engines. It is not any more "dangerous" than many industrial cleaners and is far safer for use than things like pool chemicals, drano, etc. that are used by folks around the house regularly.

   It's not dangerous to people - it's dangerous to model engines, particularly when there is a known safe method that also cleans better. It works very nicely as a oven/baked on crud cleaner in the kitchen, just use it like that.

    Brett