Biologically "friendly" parts washer?
 

Anybody use anything like the bioremediation unit?

BioCircle Website

Interesting. I've never seen something like that before.

I personally use Simple Green Pro HD (avaliable at home depot) in my parts cleaner. It is a water based cleaner and works pretty well.

The place I worked at back in 1997 rented one like that for a month. It was almost worthless. Maybe they are better now, however if you use it a lot, it starts to stink real bad. I would leave it on all night soaking parts and they wouldn't come clean. I couldn't even get the oilly residue off of my parts. I just quit using it and went back to the solvent tank or the caustic soap.

this brings me back to the early 1990s as well. I was a grub in the pit stall at a quick lube, cleaned tranny pans if need be. It ended up being simply kerosene type cleaner, the rest was as crazy as mobil 1 at the time (mobil1 was not an instant winner for you oil fans..Shhhh) The biofriendly excuses walked away with dollars and no real result.

anyway, years later, I help clean an independent drivers rig, and there is still no excuses. gonna put ingredients together that create something nasty, like oil and antifreeze and even freon...there needs to be an equal enemy.
I hope they do come out with something, for now, there is the "barely legal" caustic stuff that folks can use at home... and once even a true external clean happens, the benfit of such a cleaner stops crazy things mixing in the first place, as cleaning is a preventative. It is only bad in wrong places, like everything else

How effective is steam cleaning for removing built-up oil and gunk? I want to steam-clean my engine compartment so I can start tracking down leaks. Anybody found a reasonably cheap (sub $150) steamer that works?

I would ask around at local shops in your area. Depending on your living situation it may be best to have it done somewhere besides your home. The places that will steam clean an engine compartment and underside are becoming few and far between because its not easy dealing with all that gunk with new regulations and stuff. But if you do find one, they'll probably help you out for less than $100.

Good luck.

Steam-cleaning is extremely effective, just like pressure washing is... if you get a steam genny, you'll have almost effortless cleaning. If you can't get access to one, simple green and a hose-attached soap dispenser (or fertilizer dispenser) will work too. Don't let it sit on rubber/neoprene hoses too long, they'll soften.

I've used one; works very well. Excellent if you have an A/C shop.