Don't know if this is a stupid question with an obvious answer, but I couldn't find a good thread on it when I searched for it.

What do you guys use, if anything, for soaking internal engine parts when you take your engines apart for cleaning? Denatured alcohol perhaps? I'm looking for something to use that will ensure all the gunk and dirt gets removed without risking any damage to any parts, obviously.

For general discussion, do you soak your engine parts at all or do you use some other method when cleaning, like wiping or spraying with something etc.

Thanks in advance!

Denatured alcohol works well

For caked on stuff (block, heads, ect) I generally drop them into a bucket of gasoline...It's a fantastic solvent.
After soaking you can usually blow everything off with compressed air.
As always with gasoline, use common sense so you don't burn down the neighborhood.

Alcohols work okay, I just prefer gasoline.

spray 9

someone posted here before to use pinesol

Pinesol is excellent at removing dirt and grime. I use it religiously on old motorcycle carbs and engine parts. Smells good too! But it's one hilarious decreaser so if you don't want to remove the lube in your bearings be careful.

I just use some green on the external and use nitro fuel to clean the inside

I'm thinking with the bearings removed maybe it's a good idea to first soak in pine-sol and then denatured alcohol afterwards. Or maybe that's overkill.

nah that's overkill

Will denatured alcohol damage the plastics on the engine bearings?