Keeping the engine clean.
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 53
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Keeping the engine clean.
Hi everyone. My engine area is getting dusty/dirty and want to keep it looking clean/new as much as possible. What do the dealers use to shine it up a bit. Probably a stupid thing to ask but I want to take care of my truck.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,506
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From: Sioux Falls Area
I've seen dealers clean them with hot water and a pressure washer.
Which is what I did on my work truck. Just hold it back a ways so you hit it with the fan part of the spray.
Our wash bay has enough pressure to remove paint and no harm was done.
You do have to be smart about it, though.
Which is what I did on my work truck. Just hold it back a ways so you hit it with the fan part of the spray.
Our wash bay has enough pressure to remove paint and no harm was done.
You do have to be smart about it, though.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 2
Sealing and corrosion is a real struggle with electrical connectors, electronics, and harnesses, especially in the engine bay where there is a lot of petroleum products and temperature cycling. I know it looks good after dealer cleans but you really shouldn't pressure wash or use harsh cleaning chemicals.
Cross-Country
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
I pressure wash all my engines and have my entire life... don't intentionally aim at connectors or into the alternator. All connections are weatherpack sealed. People always tried telling me I would ruin my truck doing this and I always just laughed. Take my old 05 Sierra... after 10 years and 150000 miles I finally got a rear knock sensor code most guys get in half that time and mileage. When I swapped them the rear was a bit rusty but the front was still as new... they sit in a well on the valley cover between the heads and always collect moisture. Funny how any friends i had that never washed their engines all got them in less years and miles.... the point is me washing made no difference. I have always washed that trucks engine plus the dozens i have owned otherwise and it's fine but just don't be stupid about it. Trust me... the dealers make them look new by adding that shine.. after they pressure wash off the years of slime and neglect.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 14,541
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From: Dallas-Ft. Worth
Yep -- I wash my warm (but not hot!) engines periodically, and have done so for years. Never had an electrical problem that I know of that was a result of this. As has been said, be smart about it. I wet it with the hose without any nozzle to rinse off all the loose stuff, spray it down with Simple Green (after removing the cover), let soak for a bit, then use the hose again to rinse. I then drive it until it reaches normal operating temp to make sure any water is blown/evaporated off.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,202
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From: Illinois
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,483
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From: Central Texas
There are a couple of products available at your local parts store where you spray it on and rinse it off with a garden hose. It looks good.
I disconnect my negative battery terminal just to be safe.
I disconnect my negative battery terminal just to be safe.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 305
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From: Louisville, KY
Hum... I've been spraying mine down every 3 months or so at the carwash. It sounds like that may be a poor idea tho (after reading some posts in this thread). I try not to spray at the electrical components. Not sure if I should continue that now...
Laughing Gas
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 45
From: Timbuk3, MI
- garden hose on low flow.
- mixture of water and DAWN dish soap in a spray bottle.
- mineral spirits in a spray bottle for subborn, build-ups.
- an assortment of various sized paint brushes.
- rinse with a garden hose on low flow.
- blow-dry with compressed air.
Excerpted from the Simple Green web site FAQ ...
Aluminum — Is it safe to use Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser, and Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product
residues.
Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser, and Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product
residues.
Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,202
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
There is a few formulas of the Simple Green that are Aluminum safe. This is what I use for engines:
Extreme Simple Green Motorsports Cleaner & Deg
Extreme Simple Green Motorsports Cleaner & Deg
Senior User
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
S100 Total Cycle cleaner and a hose. Spray cool dry engine with cleaner, let stand a few minutes and hose off till the bubbles stop forming. Stubborn stains get wiped with a rag or a soft brush. Compressed air and towel dry.
And Ford should be ashamed of themselves for not installing proper splash guards in the 5.0 engine bay....
And Ford should be ashamed of themselves for not installing proper splash guards in the 5.0 engine bay....
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