Engine cleaning tips?

I have always had good luck with a strong solution of Dawn dishwashing detergent and a long bristled nylon-bristle brush. The detergent works pretty well on grease.

I also try to use as little water as possible when rinsing off the motor afterwards.

Don't do this on a hot motor, and try not to slice your hands up on snags and sharp stuff.

Periodic cleanings take off most of the dirt / grease and make the routine maintenance much more pleasant.

Steve

Dave Sibbett wrote:

I usually warm the motor up (not real hot, just enough to get the grease soft) then I use a can of engine cleaner and thouroughly spray it down, focusing on all the extra greasy parts.. Sometimes I'll put it on ramps so I can get underneath as well.

Then I fire up the pressure washer and spray it all off real good. Some folks get all excited about trying to cover things with plastic, etc, but I have been washing my engine bays for 20 years this way, and have NEVER experienced any problems. Well, on older cars I DID sometimes get the points wet, but a quick wipe or snort of WD-40 and they were good to go!

Same here, except I just use the garden hose instead of a pressure washer. I try to stay away from the linkage and stuff like that, but generally shooting everything with degreaser and hosing it off works great.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

"Chief_Wiggum" wrote in news:7Ocrc.944$zE6.487@lakeread06:

at 20 May 2004, Chief_Wiggum [ snipped-for-privacy@Horrmell.com] wrote in news:7Ocrc.944$zE6.487@lakeread06:

I do a similar thing. But I am worried about the effect of cold water on a warm engine so I take mine down to the DIY carwash where they have hot presoak and I use that to clean the engine after I sprayed it liverally with degreaser. Then I turn the engine on and let it run for about 10 minutes to get rid of any condensation. Has been working like a charm.

So what if I'd fire her up, drive her 20 feet back out of the garage onto my driveway and then use my pressure washer with cool/cold water. Will that harm anything? As in cause cracks in the block etc? Anyone in the know care to answer/

Thanks

Buy one large can of Gunk engine degreaser and cleaner Take one dry towel, your can of WD-40 and whatever tools you need to pop the distributor. Drive to your neighborhood car wash that has good pressure washers With engine hot, spray engine with Gunk (check the warning labels first, but that's what I recall) Let sit 5 minutes Spray the hell out of engine using the pressure washers Wash the rest of the car Start engine and ride home If it won't crank, pop the distributor, wipe it out and give it a shot of WD-40 all around Now, start engine and ride home

[remainder deleted]

Do this at our local carwash and they'll invite you to never return as the water is recycled after filtration...and all that grease and oil clogs up the filters.

D.

EasyOff oven cleaner has worked well in the past.... I'm not a Mustang expert but I'll say that if you have a modular engine, avoid filling the plug wells with water... you WILL NOT be happy. Not having a distributor is no reason to splash water around indiscriminately.

Fix fluid leaks as they occur... they will not heal themselves - a "dry" motor is a happy motor. The 383 in the '69 Charger

gets dustedregularly and hasn't required "washing" in over two years. Mind you, itdoesn't get more than 100 hours use per year but in spite of a troubling oilleak that is intermitent for some paranormal reason. Bear in mind, also, that high pressure water can enter connectors and create corrosion. There are some terminals that are gold plated under your hood but most are aluminum. Use the pressure sparingly and the carburettor gods may smile upon you 8^)

....and will remove paint and anything else it touches :-)

//Mike

1993 BMW 525i of all the old cars

Now that's a sweet lookin' motor.

Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC

"Jim Warman" wrote in news:sqBrc.2906$gx1.1537@clgrps12:

Thats not a good thing to say... It gets dusted regularly? :)

Matt

Errrm, with a chamois..... sometimes a swiffer if we remember to get 'em. Mrs mechanic has taken to hiding the ones at home.. seems she unexpectedly ran out of them once too often.

Wow ! you must have a snob carwash :)

All the wash racs around here have an ENGINE DEGREASER setting that squirts out a low pressure degreaser goop..

And, Yes, they also recycle the water.. About the only thing I notice at the local racks is they say no pickup bed spray outs ???? Not sure what that is all about..

About the most DISGUSTING thing I saw was some imbecile in a motor home who was busy with the brush on the outside of the rig. I smelled a disgusting smell, and looked over to see his BLACK WATER dumping into the drain !!

Some people!!

"Chief_Wiggum" wrote> About the most DISGUSTING thing I saw was... ... his BLACK WATER dumping into the drain !!

Not to mention illegal.