Wash your engine - How to?

[CPittman]

I need wash my engine compartment - it has about 68K on it now and the engine is looking pretty grimey. How do you wash the engine area?



I'm guessing that you don't want to shoot high-pressure water around any seals, or onto a hot turbo, etc... do you wash it with the engine running, or off?

 

[ASchwartz]

I used to wash my 94 with simple green and a hose at home with no problems. However, wait till the engine is cool. Also, I would drive it to dry it. With my 03, I take it to the car wash and have it steam cleaned. I have not had any issues yet, other than it not being as clean as I would like it. But for $40 I get a wash and steam clean. Be careful around your air filter, if you are running a cold air intake.

 

[rbattelle]

Here's what I did recently:



1. Buy a bottle of Simple Green automotive degreaser in the spray bottle.

2. Wait a few hours for the engine to cool down.

3. Spray down areas on the engine that are greasy. For me, this included: valve cover, air box (stock), turbo, exhaust-side of the block, exhaust manifold, fuel filter canister, fuel rail, power steering pump, and the injector pump.

4. Wait a minute or 2

5. Using a garden hose on a "medium misting spray", hose all those parts down.

6. Repeat as necessary.



Some interesting notes:

1. I did NOT cover any electrical connections, and although I sort of tried to stay away from spraying them directly, I really was not very careful at all and most of them got wet.

2. When I finished, I used a Shop Vac to suck up puddles of water that had accumulated in those big depressions around the outside of the stock air box. I also put some suction on the intake horn boot to be sure there were no puddles of water in it.

3. I did not attempt to restart the truck until the next morning when I left for work.



No problems at all, and I plan to do this more frequently now.



-Ryan

 

[LightmanE300]

I used the citrus orange degreaser, I've found it works better than simple green, but isn't as harsh as the purple power/grease lightning stuff. I did mine for the first time this past weekend, with 47k on the truck. I wasn't careful at all to be honest - I sprayed a decent mist of the degreaser over everything, let it sit for a minute or two, and then hosed it all off. I wasn't careful in fact sprayed all of the plugs and injection pump etc. I then (had to do some errands) took the truck on a 30min highway drive which completely dried the engine and it looks great. I think I will from now on do this at the end of every winter. My engine compartment was WHITE from all of the nasty salt on the roads here in Cleveland.

 

[supersonic]

On the 98 and the 05 I go to the car wash and spray the entire engine compartment with foaming citrus engine brite and let it soak while I pre soak and pressure soap the body and tires/wheels and fenderwells/frame, after I finish with pressure washing the body with soap, I use the high pressure soap to wash the entire engine compartment, then I get out the bucket and clothand wash her down, then rinse theverything down with clean high pressure. besure to rinse the engine compartment first and get the inside of the grille so you dont get engine grime all over your claan paint.

I've been doing this at every wash for years and years with absolutely no problems, makes it real nice when you do service work and bombing too, also easier to spot leaks. Rember, a clean engine is a happy engine.

 

[Frak]

How did you get a Cummins in a Ford?

On the 98 and the 05 I go to the car wash and spray the entire engine compartment with foaming citrus engine brite and let it soak while I pre soak and pressure soap the body and tires/wheels and fenderwells/frame, after I finish with pressure washing the body with soap, I use the high pressure soap to wash the entire engine compartment, then I get out the bucket and clothand wash her down, then rinse theverything down with clean high pressure. besure to rinse the engine compartment first and get the inside of the grille so you dont get engine grime all over your claan paint.

I've been doing this at every wash for years and years with absolutely no problems, makes it real nice when you do service work and bombing too, also easier to spot leaks. Rember, a clean engine is a happy engine.

Just wondering?

 

[Got Smoke?]

Just wondering?

By spending a "Ton 'O Money" :-laf



Just make sure your DV's are right side up in the pump on that 12V :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[supersonic]

Actually, putting the engine in the truck didn't cost me much at all, and was pretty easy to do. But then I called SDS and started shaking my piggy bank :-laf

 

[bombero]

I am glad that pressure washing your engine is working for you guys. It must just be me but I have NEVER hosed my engine . I open my hood about once a week and wipe down everything I can reach with any old cleaner I have. I do the same thing under the engine when I change the oil. Other than that I pressure wash the under carriage about three time a year.

 

[RTillery]

I do a quick rinse nearly everytime I wash the truck at the car wash. I just don't get the wand too close so the pressure dissapates some before it hits the parts. Mostly avoid the alternator and air cleaner with a direct blast. Been doing it on my vehicles for years without a problem. When I open the hood it looks like new. Done regularly, it doesn't take more than just a few seconds on top, then I lean under the front and hit the pan, oil filter area and try to knock off any dirt or mud that is starting to accumulate. Sure makes it more fun to work on a clean engine compartment.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I do a quick rinse nearly everytime I wash the truck at the car wash. I just don't get the wand too close so the pressure dissapates some before it hits the parts. Mostly avoid the alternator and air cleaner with a direct blast. Been doing it on my vehicles for years without a problem. When I open the hood it looks like new. Done regularly, it doesn't take more than just a few seconds on top, then I lean under the front and hit the pan, oil filter area and try to knock off any dirt or mud that is starting to accumulate. Sure makes it more fun to work on a clean engine compartment.

Yep, its what I do also except I have a pressure washer and use it on a cold engine. I dry off the engine with compressed air; however, the next time, at the suggestion of another TDR member, I'm going to try drying the engine off with my leaf blower which should be faster.



Bill

 

[robert4570]

I am glad that pressure washing your engine is working for you guys. It must just be me but I have NEVER hosed my engine . I open my hood about once a week and wipe down everything I can reach with any old cleaner I have. I do the same thing under the engine when I change the oil. Other than that I pressure wash the under carriage about three time a year.

I'm with you on this, i do exactly the same . If you look under the hood of most new vehicles today all you see is sensors,plugs, and other connections.

The last thing i want is some slight bit of corosion at some connector creating a problem.

 

[DPKetchum]

I would NEVER use a pressure washer on ANY engine period. (other then cleaning a BARE block)It pushes water iin areas it would NEVER get into with just a garden hose. Had MANY a big repair bill on gassers towed in with blown electronics. Some never drove out of the jet spray wash bays, some drove a few miles. I use foamy Gunk and a hose once a year and even then I don't use the hose on HARD small stream. I leave hood up afterwards and start engine and let it run until operating temp.

 

[ERogers]

I use windex outdoor window cleaner hooked up to my garden hose on a slightly warm motor. then rinse with a spray nozzle.

 

[dhill]

This is the way the guys on the MX-5 forum do it. Haven't tried it yet but maybe this weekend on the little car.



“E-Z engine detailing method:

Engine cold, spray everything with Simple Green. Let sit for 10-15 mins.

Rinse with low-pressure hose.

Spray with Armor-All Foaming Tire Cleaner, wait 10-15 mins, then go for a drive.









Dave

 

[jwduke]

I don't understand, drying the motor???? Do you dry it after driving in the rain???



Just curious.....

 

[2Gen3Gen]

I don't understand, drying the motor???? Do you dry it after driving in the rain???



Just curious.....

Do you drive YOUR truck in the rain?? That is what the wife's car is for :-laf ... Just kidding . . I have yet to ever drive my Corvette in the rain. When fall comes, it goes in the garage with a cover over it until spring. . As for your motor, I know that my John Deere's never get washed HOT. One hit on the injector pump and it is time for a new one. Just never spray anything hot with cold water under the hood. As for my truck, all my dirt roads are at the ranch in Northern calif or Edmond Oklahoma. For that, we have "ranch trucks" to 4 wheel. My CTD only sees pavement and a rare snow drift on I-5. Thats it. I also wipe everything down I can reach with Windex as the other fellow does. Works great if you make it a habit every wash day.

 

[FJfonda]

I use this on all the cars (20+) that we own or have owned... ... the only time I ever had a problem was with on a VW with a cobbed up wiring harness. If the factory connectors are in good shape they have extremely good water sealing capabilities. Most of our stuff gets this 2X per year and a gentle hose/wipedown 2 or 3 times more. All of our vehicles get driven 90-150,000 miles before we get rid of them ---- some started as new, some used. Seems to work for us.



performed cold:

- Use low pressure pressure washer set on min (under 1000 psi)

- Stand as far away as possible

- Stay away from radiator, condensor and intercooler fins

- Follow up with an engine start to dry it some

- Then use armor all tire foam on everything but the exhaust and fins mentioned above

- Dry with nicest towel you can find in the bathroom

- I stay away from chemical cleaners during the wash as the rinsing gets it all over the paint.

 

[JOdell]

to get a real clean engine we should ask Gary_K7GLD. Have you ever seen the pictures of his engine. It is VERY clean. Hey Gary help us out! -Jason

 

[Tony T.]

to get a real clean engine we should ask Gary_K7GLD. Have you ever seen the pictures of his engine. It is VERY clean. Hey Gary help us out! -Jason

Gary is retired, he has plenty time for experiments and detail work. I can hardly wait for myself. :-laf Oo.



Tony