Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Washing engine

[BFC]

I was working on the truck today and notice that after 2 years of living on a dirt road, the engine compartement could really use a wash. I'm not talking show and shine here, I have a super duper hot pressure washer that I can use. Any advice? Products to use, do's and don't's. Any and all advice apreciated.



Glenn

 

[TxDieselKid]

What my buddy with a 71 chevy truck with a 350 use to do was... . get a bottle of Simple Green(the concentrated kind) and spary about 1/3 of the bottle ALL OVER THE ENGINE compartment. Then he let ti sit for about 5-10 minutes, and take a hose, and spray it down. Then he would repeat untill this bottle was empty. Us to make it look a LOT beter. Might be worth a shot.



Andrew

 

[Lazy-Boy]

What's washing do to the driveway?

I'm also fixing to do this for the first time. What's the grease and oil run-off do to the concrete driveway? Does it clean up off the driveway and wash down the street, or does is stay there forever?



I'd rather use a hose then go to the do-it-yourself carwash with the high pressure sprayers. I don't want to get some of the components wet.

 

[The patriot]

Depending on how hot your washer is, and how much pressure you can blow off the paint so be careful.

Eric

 

[IdaH.O.Train]

I just cleaned my engine last week and I used the Castrol degreaser/cleaner I bought at NAPA. I put it in a 1 gal. garden sprayer and sprayed it on full strength. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and then sprayed it off using a nozzle on the hose at low pressure. Worked great and the driveway doesn't even know I did it.

 

[Good Ole Bob]

Washing Engine Simple Green is what I use to wash mine every time I wash the truck. It is very good, however; be sure to rinse it off real good. It will attack the aluminum(?) if left on. There is really nothing to worry about, just rinse it off, and you will have a clean motor. I mix the Simple Green and hot water in a 2 gal. sprayer, and do the motor, and the everything under neath the truck. Always stays clean that way. Try it, you'll like it. BobOo.

 

[A. Brown]

the castrol works really well, as does the simple green, after the cleaning is done I spray everything with s100 corrosion protectant

 

[TxDieselKid]

Originally posted by A. Brown

the castrol works really well, as does the simple green, after the cleaning is done I spray everything with s100 corrosion protectant

What is s100 corrosion protectant? I might want to wash pre-Munice.



Andrew

 

[10-G]

I used a kit I bought at Auto Zone for about $8. It has a bottle of cleaner/degreaser. My guess is that this is mostly kerosene by the smell of it. It also has a bottle of detailer that you spray on and leave on to gussy it up. It sure looked pretty . The detailer conditioned all the hoses and lines-kinda like armor all or silicone would . It was an easy job.

 

[Good Ole Bob]

ENGINE CLEAN UP

ENGINE CLEAN UP after washing and rinsing the engine, I start it and let it run with the hood closed, for a while, to let the heat dry out the moisture some, and then if you want to make everything look pretty and shinney, spray some spray on tire cleaner, and let it set for a while. Then take a cloth and wipe off the excess. Everything that you sprayed or wipped the cloth on, will look nice a shiney However a word of caution here, do not try this if you live in a dusty area, or drive on dirt roads, etc. You will have a much bigger mess than when you started. :--) The simple green mix will wash it off easy enough. Once I did this to the engine on my Jeep, and I thought that I had it wipped down enough. A few days latter, I went on a Jeep Jamboree, and when I raised the hood, I really had a mess. The red dust of the Palo Dura Canyon, was really thick on the once clean engine:{

 

[CCCRAM]

My suggestion is to apply the degreaser, whichever brand you choose, and apply it on the engine at a do-it-yourself carwash. Most carwashes are required to control the contaminants from wash water, like grease and oil, from entering the storm sewer system. Just practicing a little good stewardship over our water treatment system...

 

[A. Brown]

s100 products are sold at a lot of motorcycle shops, the corrosion protectant goes on like wd40 then dries to a slightly tacky film that is impervious to just about anything. will come off easily with any engine cleaner product. Pricy though, about 8 to 10 bucks for the spray can, but I treat my engine to it every couple of months. Now about that rubbing battery cable... .

 

[azcummins]

Cummins steamed cleaned my engine compartment today for free... . WOW baby it is clean!!!

 

[TxDieselKid]

Originally posted by azcummins

Cummins steamed cleaned my engine compartment today for free... . WOW baby it is clean!!!

How in the world did you get them to do this?!?!?!



Andrew

 

[azcummins]

First you show up with your truck which is freshly waxed and has all these neat gauges on it. (They didn't know what they were for... ). Then you answer all their questions about gauges and boxes and trucks... Then you spend $300 getting your coolant changed... (I said the same thing... don't worry. . )



After that, when you bring up a free steam clean... they go... "OK!" Plus they threw in a gallon of coolant and flush. What a value!! YEAH RIGHT...

 

[TxDieselKid]

the redneck steam clean.....

1. get 3 gallons of boiling water. It must be steaming during the boil.

2. tell the wife to go open the door, so the water can stay as hot as possible

3. make a mad dash for the truck, where the hood is already open. you must be sure not to spill the water on you

4. holding on to the pot, throw the boiling, steaming water on to the engine.



presto-bamo you got a steam clean engine.



Andrew

 

[azcummins]

Hahahahahaa... prob. cost you $300 in utilities to heat up a gallon of water!

 

[Jim S]

I'm a simple kind a guy so I use the old simple green method. I pour simple green concentrate from my gallon container into an old spray bottle I have around. I then spray it all over the engine compartment giving extra attention to nooks crannies and batteries. Drink a beer while you watch it work. Put hose on gentle shower and squirt ever 5 min or so. I have a nylon brush with a handle I use to dislodge sluge type stuff. I usually keep it wet till I finish my beer the I turn the hose up full and rinse everything off real good. I also hose the driveway to keep any oil or residue from staining it. I have never had any stains on my concrete driveway and my cummins looks like new avter 2. 5 years.

 

[rspinks]

Jim I like your procedure the best so far. What kind of beer do you find to be most effective?

 

[srawleigh]

Jim,



Surely you have consumed more than one beer in that time frame. I used to clean my engine with the left over soap and rag after every wash. The engine looked brand new after 120K.



Never tried the beer, though. I'll have to try this the next time I have the opportunity. I bet the results are much better.