So I've got injectors in the mail, and why the Mound is sitting I want to clean the drivers side of the engine. It's a mess, with oil, grime, dirt and power steering fluid caked onto just about everything. I've removed some of the little electrical doohickeys and coils, wires, but I don't feel like removing the power steering box, pump, or brake lines. I started scrubbing like I did with the right side of the engine and realized this is gonna be a bitch.

So I spy in the corner of a garage a pressure washer, 2400 psi. I've heard good results can be had with using some engine cleaner (like Gunk, Castrol Super Clean, etc) and then hosing down the engine. I'm a little worried breaking things with the extreme pressure, but all of the more fragile stuff (ie OMP lines, vac hoses) are on the other side of the engine. I'd mostly be aiming at the steering box, power steering pump, engine block and the engine compartment.

I would bag the distrib and alternator, fusibles, and possibly some of the other electricals. I'm just worried that the pressure would be too much and would tear things apart, even the paint (which already comes off easily in some parts of the engine bay). I would turn the washer as low as it goes, but I'm not sure if even that is safe...

Any thoughts or experiences?

Right on.

 

I've used a pressure washer on the engine bay before.
As you said, wrap the dizzy and plugs, cover the aircleaner and anything else that you don't want to get soaked. I waited for a good sunny day and made sure that the engine bay was warmed up, then I used Simple Green in a spray bottle on tough spots then used the pressure washers injection hose and low pressure for the rest of the bay. Let the solution sit on the crud for a while, then use a 25 or 40deg nozzle (no less than 25 IMO). It should do a good job. I know of guys using a steam jenny before, but that could really do some damage if the temps are too hot. It will peel paint and primer clean off..It's great for stripping old tractors of paint and rust though...
BTW- I had a bad experience with Castrol cleaner (purple bottle). It totally discolored the paint on one of my projects..splotches of discolored paint everywhere the spray hit. I've also heard oven-off or some other oven cleaner works well too.

 

Oven cleaner contains lye which will corrode aluminum.
I use GUNK (the non-foaming variety) and hose it off at the local DIY car wash. All I cover is the air inlet and the distributor and I haven't had a problem yet, but then I'm careful where I'm spraying.

 

I pressure wash my truck's engine off every time I go mudding. All I do is leave the truck running and hit everything. It misses a bit when I'm done, but all I have to do is take it for a good 10-15 minute highway jaunt to dry it all off and it's all good again

I did the same thing to my '79 RX-7 when its engine was looking gunky...

 

Washing hot/warm/running engines... I cringe at the idea...

~T.J.

 

I've heard washing a running or hot engine is a very bad idea. It's like running cold water on hot Corningware - you run the risk of things breaking, or warping. Is that not true? I've always used parts clearner, water from a hose and spray liberally with Armor All, which I just allow to dry...

 

I wash the engine bay at the car wash with the pressure washer set on "tire wash" and then "rinse wash" afterwards. I don't go full blast directly on the wires/hoses, etc. I avoid the turbo completely because I am scared of sudden drop in temp could cause cracking. Small droples on the turbo vaporize quickly, but a lot of water cause drastic temp drop, not a good idea.

I did manage to have a "mis" when really hard on the throttle after doing this till the water dried up completely from the igition wires/coil wires and distrubuter cap areas.

 

I've found I like Pyroil engine degreaser better than Gunk brand. It seems to work better and doesn't smell too horrible. I got a couple cans of it tonight.

 

I don't think cold water would have any drastic effect on a hot engine... otherwise what happens when I drive my car through a big mud puddle and cold rain water splashes up in the engine bay? Like in my truck, for instance, careening through huge mud holes?

 

Letting the hood sit open and having the bay exposed to sunlight worked great for me..It does help loosen the crud...I've never run any of my engines while cleaning, but have warmed them up a bit beforehand.

 

Well the car won't run right now, so the engine will be "room temperature." It'll probably be about 96 degrees tomorrow and sunny so I can use the sun to warm up the engine and dry things out.

Thanks, I'm going to stop by the auto parts store tonight and get a couple of cans of some sort of degreaser. I'll update the website when I'm done.

Right on.

 

Cold water on a hot engine isnt a good idea as far as I know. Youre truck wasnt designed to go through large water puddles like that, and the amount of rain water splattered is minimal. If I remember my welding classes properly, hardening sttel (or temering) is done by heating and rapid cooling. Although, if done incorectly, it can cause cracking in the steel (like an engine block?). Also, if youve ever blown glass, you should know that rapid cooling causes cracking to happen as well (ever seen the vases that look shatered and glued together?). I just know that anything that causes a sudden change in temperature causes a sudden shift of molecules, which can lead to cracking. Also, in science class sometime, hold a galss slide over a bunson burner without "heating" it first. It will shatter because the one side expands more than the other. Not really related, but a cool thing I remembered doing in class to show molecular expansion fora project .

~T.J.

 

Procede with caution. Rememba"if it ain't brokr-don't fix it".

 

I suppose, but there's so much metal in the engine bay, I don't think a bit of water would cool it down enough to damage anything .... just my opinion though. I've never had any bad come of Muddin' or pressure washing my engines off.

Best way to clean it would be to take the engine somewhere that they have steam-cleaning.

 

i used a pressure washer without bagging anything with no problems, just lube your carb after if youre not running efi

 

My experience spraying out the underhood area with degreasers like Simple Green and Greased Lightning-both of which dislike aluminum-is mixed. Both degreasers work very well and I guess the Greased works a little better but the Simple is much easier to get off one's hands and therefore off the underhood area as it leaves a film I cannot remove without soap. I used a car wash hose and also a garden hose. I do not believe that all theat pressure makes much difference- it does dislodge some stuck grease but seems to be overkill. Neither are flammible like Gunk and the like. I just do not want the flammible fumes around all that heat. On my 1st SE it did not start one out of 5 times after being sprayed out at the local carwash and started soon after, but my current '85 SE has not started 2 of 4 times after spraying it out at a wash and at home. Something got wet and it would not start and it got flooded so bad I had to take the "engine" (fuel pump) fuse out and remove the plugs and crank it till it released the 'hides the neighborhood ozone bomb from hell'. I try to not get the distributor and alternator wet but something is getting wet causing it to not start. Anyone know what is getting wet? Fusible link?