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Cleaning the engine compartment

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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 08:38 AM
  #1  
93XLT150's Avatar
93XLT150
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From: Virginia Beach, VA
Cleaning the engine compartment

This may be a stupid question but I'm prepared to ask it...Everybody knows that a clean engine and engine compartment are a blessing to work on. What do you folks use to clean your engines and tubes etc. I'm worried about damaging plastic or electrical components but when someone opens the hood I want them to go "WOW- now that's purty!"
Thanks for all your suggestions and help.
 
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 08:54 AM
  #2  
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Simple Green (NON TOXIC) and smells good and a good brush and alot of elbow grease.



Heard good things about Scrubbing Bubbles....
 
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 08:54 AM
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I've always heard the best bet is to pay to have it steam cleaned. I've never done any serious cleaning on mine, but I'm sure it could use it.
-John R.
 
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 09:09 AM
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I have heard that DOW scrubbing bubbles works well .Any engine cleaner should work. I use Greased Lightning, You can get that from Auto Zone or that Mart place.




I would now try steam cleaning because that stuff is under alot of pressure and might cause electrical problems.
 

Last edited by alabamabuddog; Mar 20, 2004 at 09:12 AM.
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 09:41 AM
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I have a Home Depot 1300psi electric power washer. I put in "simple green" into the soap dispensor, and wash the engine bay after the truck has been driven and nice and hot. Cleans everything right off onto the driveway. And 1300psi is generally not enough to take the paint off anything.

I take off all the plug wires off the dizzy though, and put a ziploc freezer bag over the cap just to be safe.

Then of course I have to power wash the driveway
 
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 10:03 AM
  #6  
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NEVER wash a hot engine with cold water, you will cause stress fractures on the castings which will fail at the worst possible time
 
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Old Mar 20, 2004 | 10:25 AM
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just keep the engine running so it cant cool down and it will be ok
 
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 04:52 PM
  #8  
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i clean the engine when its cold, then run it to burn the water off.
 
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 07:39 PM
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I powerwash my engine all the time, and never wash when the engine is running or hot. Cover the throttle body sensor and distribution cap and blast away. After that start the engine, go arond the block, and then let the hood up so that the stream can go out easy. HTH.

Later,
Linyee
 
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 09:46 PM
  #10  
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From: TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
what about your coil can water kill that? and there are no stupid questions when you can end up ruining parts in the the process..
 
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 09:57 PM
  #11  
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From: Concord, New Hampshire
if you can get to an international dealer and pick up a bottle of "ATCO International" degreaser, or ZEP Big orange, you will never go back to the other stuff again, those two products are amazing, oh and also gunk engine degreaser works really well too. and i just rinse with hot water. works out well,
 
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Old Mar 21, 2004 | 09:59 PM
  #12  
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From: DE
Not really, if water gets in, just use a towel wipe dry, spray some carb cleaner, shake dry and then spray some WD40. You are good to go.

Later,
 
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Old Mar 22, 2004 | 12:21 AM
  #13  
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I vote for the ZEP Big Orange. It's removed accumulation that other cleaners couldn't faze...
 
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Old Mar 22, 2004 | 09:32 AM
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From: Concord, New Hampshire
yeah it is pretty cool stuff, i like all of the stuff i listed, gunk being the cheapest and easyest to get, and the atco stuff, im having a hard time finding.
 
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