the grime and oil sludge is out of hand and i wanna quickly remove it... this method had worked well for me in the past with gassers... just had to keep the water out of the intake and distributor... is there anything i need to be worried about before i start blasting away in my engine compartment with a car wash sprayer?

i am going to change her oil today also... hoping the fresh stuff will help with the leaks...

i have greasey oiley stuff all over my steering (rod?) and brake master cylinder.. mostly on the bottom area under the reservoir... and i have a bunch of grime built up on the back of the drivers side valve cover at a fitting there...
the only other major leakage i see is on the front of the engine at what looks to be the left side base of my hpop? its the thing that sits right in front of the fuel bowl thing? but it doesnt look like the pictures i keep seeing... its kind of square. there is what looks to be some kind of sensor in that same area and i Think? it is fitted in an oil line?

also... my a/c no workie... discovered the interesting plug that looks like it goes to the a/c clutch... i cant see where it needs to plug in at...











where does this thing plug in at? i dont see where it goes but im sure it goes to the compressor clutch right?





any help would be greatly appreciated... and since im in dire need(temps are getting rediculous) i have two brand new still oil sealed with the teflon cap thing... seltek TM-16HS a/c compressors i ended up with on a fluke, but i cant use them... dont fit on any of my vehicles(and i will never have a vehicle they might fit on if you get my drift) but if someone were in the a/c business and happened to could use them... and happened to have a new replacement for my factory one for my 2000... i think an even swap my two for your one would be cool by me.

going to see if i can get a shop here in the area to swap me too... keepin fingers crossed.

xtof

 

don't blast the alternator directly and be mindful of the wires running around the top of the motor and all should be good... i want to say ive seen a section in past ford ranger owners manual that i had that talked about engine cleaning, maybe the super duty one has it too?

it might take a few washes but that motor should clean up good... don't forget to wash down in the valley of the motor as best as you can. its usually a wasteland of oil, dirt, grime, and pure nastiness if you have to work down in there.


as far as the plug goes it looks like the one for the a/c compressor. the pump may be locked up and that being the reason its unplugged. ( i would know my a/c pump is locked up, i unplugged so i still could use vent and heat)

 

i figured that... but i dont see any place for it to have been plugged in to begin with... most of them i have seen were behind the spinning parts with the connector sticking out . the compressor isnt locked up... i can spin the insidey parts of the clutch with my hand fairly easily in one direction at least... but i was told the bearings were going out in it or something... so im really hoping i can find one for the swap.

xtof

 

The 7.3 engine does not respond well to pressure washing. Just an FYI...
Many threads over the years from folks with tales of woe after they pressure wash a previously running engine. I usually just use a good quality degreaser in a spray bottle, some rags and a low pressure water hose and that does the trick. Takes some extra time but seems a bit safer.

The loose plug is for your A/C compressor...I will try and find a photo showing where it goes...

The rectangular item just forward of your fuel filter housing is the HPOP reservoir. It appears you have a leak at the reservoir gasket or possibly the access plate to the HPOP drive gear. What year is your truck? The 1999 models came with two different types of reservoir gaskets and using the wrong one will be very damaging to your front cover. (just an FYI...)

The sensor at the top of of the water pump is engine coolant temp and the wires run directly to your dash gauge. The PCM does not monitor that reading.

The CCV doghouse on the driver's side valve cover has been turned around backwards, most likely during a previous CCV modification. Looks like someone had a change of heart and tried to put it back but lost the original rubber elbow hose. the doghouse has 4 internal o-rings that swell and leak.
You can find replacements here:
DieselOrings

Your cooling system has been flushed before so you may have ELC coolant now. What color is your coolant?

 

I've gotten away for pressure washing engines completely. The high pressure simply blows water into connectors, past seals, and into orifices that don't like water. I simply Gunk the greasy spots, spray it thoroughly with Simple Green and rinse it with a hose. Do it when the engine is cold to prevent the water from steaming into places like the fuse box, alternator, etc.

Pressure washing with a steam cleaner like some shops do is different as everything gets hot and will dry out quickly before damage is done.

 

Try some Purple Power or other purple cleaner at home with low pressure rinse. Spray it on and let it soak for a few minutes. That stuff works wonders, way better than Simple Green.

 

awesome you guys,
thank yall fer piping in.. and shake- you the man. my brain grew while reading your post.
i hit the heart thing for the first time so i hope it worked. really ...thank you so much that made so many things make sense.
the color of the coolant that is in it is sort of greenish... and the small in line fill cap says prestone on it...

xtof

 

Leave it dirty!

A dirty engine means you use the truck. It is a badge of honor.

 

I blast my 7.3 with water just like I do/did all other engines. I work on my vehicles and don't like when my fingers slip around dirty screws instead of turning them.
I have 150 psi city water pressure, industrial hose and one of those nozzles that imitate firefighters nozzles. I avoid direct spray on electronics, but they do get wet in the process.
The only problem I ever had was on gasoline Fiat engines, where a plug would get wet. Especially annoying on 2-cylinder Fiat 126, where I had to drive 1/2 mile on one cylinder before other plug would dry out.

 

thats awesome.. my first car was a '77 124 spider. had the 1756 4 banger. my intake cam pulley left the motor one fine rev and all hell broke loose with the valves in the guides with the pistons an the banging... it was a useless little thing anyway lol.
i just couldnt see my self saying chao'... ever. gave it to a guy that makes race?cars out of them. where do i find these people?

thanx for the infro gentlemen. i think im going to douse her vibro-nugget with some simple green, then with some purple power... and just let those two sort it out for a few minutes, then ill break up the fight with a nice medium pressure stream of good ol' fassion well water... and a good hand scrubbing for whatever is left...then once i have all the wells on this valdez capped... ill let nature decorate to her hearts content.

u guyz r the best!
xtof

 

i just used purple power degrease on my engine, and the garden hose.... it helps. got rid of the fresh oil and each time i use the hose i focus on the dirt/oil globs and caked up crap and each time the motor gets cleaner. i don't mind some dirt and dust but the oil gets annoying when wrenching on the truck ant you cant find that tiny bolt cause it feels like a dirt/oil clod.

 

I pressure washed mine. Make sure to cover the power steering pump cap! No problems but I did pull it all apart after the cleaning. I didn't want to get dirty while working on the 7.3, thats why i cleaned it first.

 

Pressure washer might help with heavy and dried gunk at the bottom, but is danger to rubber hoses and electrical wires. Doing engine washing regularly (like twice a year) I never need anything more than plain water and good hose. I do it coming back from the trip and let the engine cool for 5-10 minutes to avoid spraying water on still hot exhaust and just spray the crucial areas. On engines that were neglected in the past, sometimes I have to use scraper or screwdriver to scrape off the mud, but after washing the oil residue is removed from that so it is much easier.

Than there is environmental issue. You don't want the polluted water to wash directly into the storm system and go to river. I do have long dirt ditch in front of my property where the water goes. Occasionally I scoop the dirt from it that shows contamination and dispose it into garbage can.