Engine cleaning..

[xenogear_id]

hey guys. my engine is kinda dirty.. i cleaned it alittle with a brush and cleaning supplys..still kinda dirty. i was thinking that maybe i can goto a car wash and use the presure washer on it, but on low presure. i was wondering if it safe to do so. if not, can someone give me tips on the best way to clean my engine. i heard that there is alot of sensors i do not need to mess up..lol. i use simple green to degrease, work really well. any advice would be helpful..

thanks much........xeno

 

[A2000RICH]

hey guys. my engine is kinda dirty.. i cleaned it alittle with a brush and cleaning supplys..still kinda dirty. i was thinking that maybe i can goto a car wash and use the presure washer on it, but on low presure. i was wondering if it safe to do so. if not, can someone give me tips on the best way to clean my engine. i heard that there is alot of sensors i do not need to mess up..lol. i use simple green to degrease, work really well. any advice would be helpful..

thanks much........xeno

if the engine is stock you can use a car wash wand no problem since the stock motor is well sealed-------if you have non stock air cleaner, valve cover breather (passenger or driver side) you need to cover them------i use freezer bags and rubber bands----------here is a procedure that works really great----------with the engine warm to moderately hot spray it with gunk engine cleaner (not the foaming kind)----------let it sit for 10 minutes and wash it off with the car wash wand on high--------after washing the engine let it sit for about five minutes to drip dry and then start it and keep it running till it is dry----------it works great----------i have done this exact procedure hundreds of times and never had a problem..............RC

 

[chadly]

Right or wrong I spend a little time covering up electrics and filters that I do not want wet with plastic bags and tape. Then hose down with a mild degreaser. While the degreaser sits hook up your power washer directly to your hot water heater. Pressured hot water is amazing. Good luck.

 

[2badgn]

I will NEVER spray water on an engine again, especially an on expensive GN engine. Many years ago, when i first got my GN, I was at a car wash and since they offered engine steam cleaning, I decided to have it cleaned and silicone dressed. I was probably 21 and dumb at the time.

The engine looked nice and shiny, but after that wash, i had nothing but problems and the engine started running like crap- it hesitated alot. It probably took months for all the water to evaporate. I was so upset that I had it steam cleaned. But i thought it was safe.

I would just take a rag and some Simple Green or a harmless cleaner and gently hand clean any areas and dry her down. Then you can spray a natural protectant on the rubber and plastic parts. I forgot to mention that after awhile that silicone dressing started to peel off of all the hoses, rubber and plastic. - what a mess.

i read alot of car detailing books and they always show pics of engine detailing, but they secure delicate engine parts with towels or plastic bags.

Everything in my engine is delicate so my advice to you is to keep water out of your GN engine, especially away from all the sensors- MAF, map. etc, spark plugs, coil pack, etc. Believe me, spraying water on a GN engine is not something smart and safe to do.

Good luck
PS: just take a rag and wipe her down really good and make sure you dry off any moisture.

 

[dan lephart]

clean er up

+1 on the crappy running engine after a power wash... this has the potential to play havoc with the enectronics, sensors, wire harnes, etc.

 

[A2000RICH]

+1 on the crappy running engine after a power wash... this has the potential to play havoc with the enectronics, sensors, wire harnes, etc.

guys----what are we thinking???-----virtually every electrical connection in the engine compartment is done with weatherpac terminals-------if washing your engine was a problem we could never drive in a heavy rain---------driving 60 mph in a heavy driving rain totally floods the entire engine compt------not to mention what happens if we drive through a flooded roadbed-------i steam my car engines on a regular basis and i NEVER have a single problem.....................RC

 

[RUQWKNF27]

not to mention what happens if we drive through a flooded roadbed"

Has anyone ever done this in there TR?

 

[A2000RICH]

not to mention what happens if we drive through a flooded roadbed"

Has anyone ever done this in there TR?

since i have several honest to goodness "GN daily drivers" i can state that it happens quite often and it doesn't cause them to miss a beat-------i do keep my cars in excellent shape-----i keep the plug wires in good condition as well as other underhood accesories---------keep the car in good shape and the engine and electrical system is essentially hermetically sealed except for the air intake,charcoal canister,dipstick tubes and tranny overflow port..........RC

 

[RUQWKNF27]

Richard Clark" Are you not the guy with the TR Parts and car stockpile in NC that Kirban has done a video on?

 

[A2000RICH]

Richard Clark" Are you not the guy with the TR Parts and car stockpile in NC that Kirban has done a video on?

yes

 

[87GNSteve]

How to "dry clean your engine"

Buy a can of foaming tire shine. (Turtle wax F1 for example, armor all makes one too)
Spray liberally over entire enigine compartment. (Its safe for paint, plastics, metal and rubber.)
Wear rubber gloves and start wiping, for crusty built up areas reapply and shoot with a small nozzle air gun w/ a 90-120 psi air compressor. repeat as needed.
Thats what I do, and it conditions leaving your engine nice an shiny too!

PS do this on a cool engine.

 

[meanchicken]

What about at the PCV valve?
I was eyeballing my engine for a clean up job and when I saw the PCV I balked. That bugger goes right from the intake pan and into the lifter valley, right?

I had visions of high pressure water spitting in around the edge of the PCV and into the engine.

I'm a huge target of Murphy's Law...I think it was written for people like me...so I have major aprehension over shooting pressured water/steam at my engine. I think I'm more likely to try some of the non-pressurized water suggestions already posted here.

Tim

 

[1 QWIK 6]

cleaning your engine

Well here is my way of detailing your engine:

step #1 with engine cold spray the entire engine as well as fire wall and inner fenders with WD40 and don;t be cheap with it.

step #2 take a 5 gallon pail of hot water and tide laundry soap and start washing everything down with an old wash mit. Or pull an old work sock over your hands and arms and start to dig in.

step #3 Now rinse off everything.

step #4 spray the entire fire wall and engine again with WD40, using an old tooth brush you can get into the hard to get spots. Wipe everything down witha clean rag or two.

step #4 start engine after removing covering from altenator be it a bag or rag or even an old towel. After engine is warm and dry NOT HOT shut it off.

step#5 spray everything under the hood and I mean everything with armoral let sit for 1 hour and then wipe the entire compartment down with clean rags.


IT WILL LOOK SHOW ROOM NEW AND IS SUPER EASY TO KEEP CLEAN. THE WD40 LUBRICATES AND PREVENTS RUST AND THE ARMORAL PROTECTS ALL THE RUBBERS. I HAVE DONE THIS FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT FROM ANY ONE. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER WHEN IT IS ALL DONE.

 

[wormy-28]

powerwash

secondary electrical leakage and vacuum leaks are located with water...if the car was running bad after getting wet, it probably had issues...

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

While I never condone spraying an engine with pressurized water, I can attest to the above statement. our engines (on paper anyways) are absolutely air tight. they have to be right? so how would any water get in, if it was air and vacuum tight? It's cuz you had leaks thats why. if sprayin water on your engine causes it to miss or sputter, you have more vac leaks than you previously thought.