Curious if anyone has suggestions for minimizing the black residue I get from the black plastic rubberized air induction tubes that connect to the throttle body? Seems mine on my 1995 F-150 W/5.0L become heavily black residued anytime I wipe them when I clean the engine bay. Thanks

 

Well there is your first mistake.

On a more serious note.. is the residue on the inside or outside of the intake tubes? Inside you probably have a mix of engine oil and exhaust soot from the PCV and EGR, outside you really shouldn't have anything unless there is a leak somewhere.

 

Paul,
It's on the exterior of the air induction plastic rubberized tubes. I'm thinking it might be the climate I live in, normally low humidity, but not like a Desert climate. Anyway, when I even touch the tubes, my fingers get really dirty, though that doesn't bother me. But I'm searching for a cure to prevent / minimize them from generating the heavy black residue and thought someone else may have a remedy or suggestion.
On a slightly different note, I sometimes get poked (teased) at work about keeping my vehicles clean. I'm not a fanatic about cleaning them, I firmly believe in using them, but taking care of them for reliability, return on investment, I shake out the driver's side floor mat probably more often than others (usually at least once a day).

 

Don,

I also encounter this black residue on mine. I don't have any input on how to keep it clean so I'm following this thread closely. The only time I put on nitrile gloves is when I have to remove this tube for whatever reason when working under the hood. Does anybody have any idea as to why this piece gets so dirty? I also live in a very dry climate (Colorado) maybe that has something to do with, although I'm not sure why.

 

All these trucks as well as many other vehicles do this. I am almost positive it is the rubber degrading. It is not dirt.

 

TexasGuy001,
Roger, all the trucks do it. Have you heard of any way to retard the heavy residue? Not a big deal, just thought I would ask the forum?

 

May I ask how you clean your engine bay? I have a friend that uses a pressure washer on a low setting, but I've always been scared of getting all the wiring wet... or that the pressure would break an old, brittle vacuum hose.

 

Mikulh,
Agree W/you not using a pressure washer. In the 1995 F-150 Eddie Bauer when i changed the engine, while it was out, I took advantage of being able to get inside the engine bay and during that evolution I used Dupont NO 7 cleaner polish on the firewall and dawn dish soap on the inter fender liners. Now that it relatively clean, I blow out the engine bay and engine with compressed air, sometimes I rinse the engine off with a garden hose (dependent upon the amount of dust accumulated) and then blow the water out using compressed air. Final step, I wipe accessible areas with a terry cloth towel. I do avoid getting water in / around the alternator and distributor.
Note my wife works Sundays, so then is usually when I have time to work on the trucks, though she is retiring this December. Not too long ago, she asked me as she was leaving for work, "what are going to do today, work on your truck?", I responded quickly and said I had to cut grass. That particular time, I did have to cut the grass, but I hurried getting it done, just so i could start working on the truck. The Dupont NO & cleaner Polish is hard to come by, the last time I bought it off AMAZON. It's got a petroleum base, not synthetic. My Grandfather used to use it. If you have a heavy grease build up, depending on where within the engine, you can use simple green. Hope this or some of it helped.

 

Definitely... thank you