OK,

So my oldest step-son added some needed oil to the '92 Corolla. He didn't get the cap on properly. Cap came off, engine bay soaked with oil.

Any suggestions on how to clean the oil from the alternator? A couple of cans of electric motor cleaner spray in and around the alt?

Thanks,

OOPS, sorry for the blank post.

Thanks for all of the input.

The alt. is an issue. I don't know for sure if it will get replaced when the engine does. When the oil cap came off, my step-son drove the car until the oil light "kind of flickered" and then it died, it died. Well, no wonder. I've never come across an engine that could run AFTER it threw a rod through the side of the block.

So it's off to a junkyard to get a heart transplant. Atleast I'm not paying for this one.

Thanks again.

p.s. I don't let either one of my step-sons drive my '84 240 with 200K miles, nre wiring harness, radiator, new belts, hoses, seals, rebuilt transmission, suspension bushing replaced, blower motor fixed, speedometer head rebuilt, bilstein touring shocks/struts, plugs & cap & rotor, new Starla exhaust including down pipe, JVC El Chameleon CD player in the top dask slot, 12 disk changer in the trunk. . .what can I say, I have the Volvo-itis. Repairs and upgrades are Oh, so much cheaper than car payments!

It had to be the step son!!

the local $1 car wash is the way to go. I would spray some degreaser on the block and heavy cruded areas, but not in the alternator..that degreaser is nasty and leaves a residue..wash everything off with LOW pressure soap setting and finally rinse off at low pressure with clear water..with the low pressure detergent setting you can put the tip of the wand into the small vent holes in the alternator and wash the oil out without doing any damage to the windings, bushings, bearings, brushes or volt reg.

I haven't had this problem but I would probably just Gunk the engine down, and Run the engine right away to dry everything up. If you get brave, you can take the 1 side of the alternator housing off and run a pencil eraser on the contact points of the brushes. Not sure about those alternators but the Delco alternators have little holes in the casing so you can put atoothpick through to hold the brushes out of the way during reassembly.
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwr and two motorcycles: it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me

Before the Corolla, had looked at a Mitsubishi Eclipse with lots of oil leaks. Owner had replaced the alternator already. Had the car checked out and they said walk away because of the leaks. They said since the alternator was pretty oil soaked and it wouldn't last long.

Also ran into a situation where a friend had an oil soaked alt in a Mazda 626 due to a power steering pump leak. The alt was dead.

Sorry for non-Swede question, but I'm just trying to keep paid for cars on the road.

I wouldn't worry about it. It is more of a cosmetic issue than a mechanical problem. Alternators are pretty resistant to the water and road gunk that splashes over them year after year. Brick alternators are often soaked with oil that gets out the front cam seal. A Corolla alternator should be just as robust. The cleaner spray will likely work, but I wouldn't spend the $.

I'd just go by a coin-operated car wash, spray engine degreaser on the housing, and rinse it off, being careful to try to avoid forcing detergent in through the holes in the housing or into the electrical connectors. Detergent can be pretty corrosive.

Carburetor cleaner will remove the oil or blast it with a can of Gunk cleaner....

Jay
84 245 GLTi 220k

I would not use carburetor cleaner on electrical gear because
it dissolves plastics and rubber. Brake cleaner might be OK
but I think the Quik Kar Wash might be a better deal.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

I drove my 90 760 with the oil cap off, like a moron, from CT - through NY including rush hour traffic in NY city and into NJ (almost 400 miles) before I noticed. I lost a 2 quarts of oil and the motor looked like the exxon valdeze! The only problem I encountered afterwards was needing to add dielectric grease to the electrical connectors. Engine cleaner is pretty cheap so it wouldn't hurt (.78 at Walmart). The coin op car wash is the place to preform the duty since you'll have access to a high pressure washer and you won't leave an oil slick in your drive-way.