Pressure washing your engine bay?
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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Pressure washing your engine bay?
Do any of you guys ever use a pressure washer and some good soap/degreaser to clean your engine bay. Mine is getting really dirty, greasy, ect... and I don't want to hand scrub it because it would take about two years and wouldn't work as good as the pressure washer I have. Is there any harm to using a pressure washer? What important components should I cover up with ziplock bags or saran wrap? Any thoughts on how I should go about doing this? I don't want to do any damage, but I really like the look of a nice clean engine bay and I would like to do this myself with my pressure washer.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Massachusetts
It is ok...I have done mine before.....just be careful of air intakes and the ignition coils.....the coils are sensative to moisture...if they get too wet inside they can cause a skip in the engine. But I have had no problems...
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: philly pa
i cleaned my engine bay by hand. i was afraid of damaging something w/a pressure washer. i focused on one section at a time. doing it in one shot would have been an all day project. now, every time i wash the truck, i take the towel i used to dry the door jams and also wipe the underside of the hood and the rest of the engine bay. just like the door jams, you really ony have to clean it once and then wipe it every week so dirt doesn't build up. good luck. take some before and after pics.
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What areas do I have to cover if I'm going to use my pressure washer? Do I have to worry about water actually getting inside the engine like through the oil fill cap, coolant overflow tank, ect...?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: South Texas
I was looking throught my owners manual an it had a picture of what to cover up/stay away from when power washing the eingine: battery, power distrubution center (fuse box), intake, and COP's (if equiped). Also make sure the engine has completely cooled down and then take it on a drive long enough to dry the engine compartment out. Hope that helps.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Fort Smith
I wash mine with Grease Lightning and the hose. I spary everything down with G.L., then take the hose and spray it off. I don't cover anyhting but my K&N open filter (most of the time I take it off and clean it also).
Just make sure to do it when the engine is cold! I don't recommend doing it at the car washes. Your engine heats up, and spraying cold water on intakes, manifolds, and heads is not a wise thing to do...
Just make sure to do it when the engine is cold! I don't recommend doing it at the car washes. Your engine heats up, and spraying cold water on intakes, manifolds, and heads is not a wise thing to do...
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I gently hose down my COLD engine, and spray the crap out of it with un-cut Simple Green. Let it set for about 20 minutes, then hose it off [I'll use a sponge on heavy areas]. I then use my gas blower to speed up drying, after its dry, I'll use about a half can of spray on tire foam to give it a good shine. I do it 4-5 times a year, and it takes less than an hour.
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