As any engine restorer will tell you, cleaning off many decades worth of built up, hardened grease is a collossal task. Many will recommend a wire brush, some will recommend sand blasting, and others prefer electrolysis. No matter which method you choose, you can count on hours of backbreaking labor.

Our friend Bill Young prefers to use his brain rather than his brawn, and shocked us all when he outlined his new grease removal brainstorm. Bill says it works like a charm.

Now before you go cleaning the engine compartment of your Lexus with this method, keep in mind that babbit bearings, aluminum, and your walnut dash will not fare well at these temperatures. Also, cast iron is a finicky material; if you have unusual shapes and uneven temperatures, the casting can crack. Take care and use good judgement.

Bill says that antique engine collecting is a rapidly growning hobby in Japan. Here are some pictures from one of the shows near his home.

Special thanks to Bill Young for letting me use his pictures, Larry Evans for coming up with the idea for the web page, and Ken Evans for allowing me to borrow the pictures for an unreasonable amount of time.