Cleaning Under The Hood
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2004
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From: Central Coast of CA
I like the CD-2 engine cleaner/detailer. Works really well.
As for pressure washing, you should never, Never, NEVER ever pressure wash your engine compartment. You'll force water into electrical connections, sensors, and parts that don't play well with water.
That being said, when I pressure wash (innocent look
) I make sure to use the lowest setting, and I only use power then I hit the block or exhaust. All of the other parts of the engine bay get washed down with about the same pressure as a running garden hose. Then I follow up with compressed air to blow water from the various pockets it collects in, and to fast-dry the different parts of the electrical harness and sensor connections that may have been doused a bit too much.
Oh, I always protect my alternator too. I prematurely killed the one on my 5.0 because I never covered it.
Stewart
PS - Simple Green works great on grease stains, but be careful. At full strength, Simple Green is harmful to paint if left in contact too long.
As for pressure washing, you should never, Never, NEVER ever pressure wash your engine compartment. You'll force water into electrical connections, sensors, and parts that don't play well with water.
That being said, when I pressure wash (innocent look
) I make sure to use the lowest setting, and I only use power then I hit the block or exhaust. All of the other parts of the engine bay get washed down with about the same pressure as a running garden hose. Then I follow up with compressed air to blow water from the various pockets it collects in, and to fast-dry the different parts of the electrical harness and sensor connections that may have been doused a bit too much.Oh, I always protect my alternator too. I prematurely killed the one on my 5.0 because I never covered it.
Stewart
PS - Simple Green works great on grease stains, but be careful. At full strength, Simple Green is harmful to paint if left in contact too long.
New User
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Dover
engine wash
I start my truck just for a bit to get it a tad warm....then spray some degreaser then use a long handle brush to scrub....then start the engine and start to hose it off, when the engine is running you can hear when you get water in places it should not go. Of course, stay clear form any CAI ares no matter what. Washing is mainly for head aresa and other hard to reach areas.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Pressure washed my engine compartment today.
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2007
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Originally Posted by Ken Wolkens
Pressure washed my engine compartment today.
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
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Junior User
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Air Filter is dry as a bone.
Just took it for a drive seems to be getting better. Whatever got wet seems to be drying out.
Normally I use the garden hose at the house for this. First and las time I use the pressure washer.
Just took it for a drive seems to be getting better. Whatever got wet seems to be drying out.
Normally I use the garden hose at the house for this. First and las time I use the pressure washer.
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Joined: Jan 1997
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From: Enjoying the real world.
Originally Posted by Ken Wolkens
Pressure washed my engine compartment today.
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
Truck runs like a moped now. Is it possible to get water down in the plug area of the head? Idles fine and drives normal until I hit it. Feels like it's misfiring.
Any Ideas?
Because the coil seals at the top of the plug hole it can be very sneaky... you may drive today and think everything is fine. Meanwhile, water at the bottom of the plug hole steams and eventually condenses in the coil. You can end up with a blown coil days, weeks and sometimes months later, simply from water in the coil or plug hole. I'd wager the majority of blown coils are from water contamination. And, just because its getting better now doesn't mean its not going to get worse as water evaporates in the plug hoil and condenses in the coil when it gets cold.
Wash the valve covers and nearby engine areas with a cloth and some cleaner which won't get into the plug hole or in the coils. Don't take short-cuts.
Last edited by FTE Ken; Nov 5, 2007 at 08:13 PM.
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Seems that whatever was causing it to stumble has cleared up. Ran like a scalded cat today. May just pull the coils this weekend and give a blast of air in the plug pocket to make sure they are dry.
I've washed all of my other cars/trucks (2003 Aviator, 2000 Excursion, 2005 Mustang GT, 2003 LS) engine compartments with a garden hose. Never had a problem like this before.
I've washed all of my other cars/trucks (2003 Aviator, 2000 Excursion, 2005 Mustang GT, 2003 LS) engine compartments with a garden hose. Never had a problem like this before.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Central Coast of CA
Originally Posted by Ken Wolkens
I've washed all of my other cars/trucks (2003 Aviator, 2000 Excursion, 2005 Mustang GT, 2003 LS) engine compartments with a garden hose. Never had a problem like this before.
I can put you in contact with with three other Lightning owners who all wash their engine bay like me, all without ANY negative results, even after having done so for years. Why? Because we're careful. Does that make it ok? Nope, but like I outlined in my post above (after stating you should NEVER pressure wash the engine), I go on to say what precautions I take to help minimize my chance of hurting the electronics and sensors.
I still take a big risk in doing this and usually only do it once a year. All the other times I wipe the engine bay down with a rag whenever I wash my truck.
After reading Ken's post, I hope my previous post was clear and not misleading, and didn't make you feel like it was ok to pressure wash/normal wash the engine.
Stewart
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Joined: Jan 1997
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From: Enjoying the real world.
Originally Posted by Ken Wolkens
I've washed all of my other cars/trucks (2003 Aviator, 2000 Excursion, 2005 Mustang GT, 2003 LS) engine compartments with a garden hose. Never had a problem like this before.
Common sense says this item shouldn't be so fragile when it comes to water... but it is
. I tuned them for many years before I experienced or heard of this problem.Two suggestions:
Use a dielectric grease at the base of the plug boot to seal it to the plug. Clean the area at the top of the plug hole before reseating the coil in order to insure a good seal.
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Just to clarify.....I had already washed the engine prior to reading to this post.
It was running like crap and I did a google search which pulled up this thread. Didn't mean to start something. Just posting my experiences.
Ken
It was running like crap and I did a google search which pulled up this thread. Didn't mean to start something. Just posting my experiences.
Ken
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