I have the thread "Do I Have a Leak (Pictures Included)" going where I show pictures of a possibly leaking oil pan gasket. I'd like to clean it up with some sort of degreaser so that I can track if it is leaking or not. But then I got to think, why only degrease that spot, why not degrease the whole engine, as it is getting a bit dirty in there. What are you guys using to do this? Am looking for some recommendations.

David

 

I just take mine to the car wash, put the wand on soap, spray it real good, does a good job.

 

i use simple green, watch your hoses and rubber products tho, it will leave white spoots on it....

 

I use the neighborhood cats and rabbits. They like to sit under the hood, and when I start up they go around and around. This maintains the engine compartment in peak pristine condition.

 

I tried that once Aaron, it made more of a mess than it cleaned out...

 

Simple Green, covering electrical components with alum. foil....lots of water...."rinse, repeat as needed"

 

Simple Green here.

MikeyB

 

Gunk. No white spots, no concern about foil over electrical items. I don't use high pressure spray like car washes. I have my own pressure washer. I just use the hose. IMHO, high pressure sprays can force water into places where it shouldn't be.

 

MY "ex" dealer where I bought my truck told me not to spay any water on it. But use an air compressor to blow of any dirt or sand.

Jamie

 

I use GUNK as well. Only takes about 10 minutes on a slightly warm engine and it totally dissolves all grease and grime. Then I gently rinse with the water hose (pressure not needed with a good dissolver). I have sprayed the whole engine off with high pressure (car wash) when everything was covered with mud and didn't have any problems, but I had my fingers crossed the whole time. All of the electrical connectors have soft rubber seals to keep water out, so technically you shouldn't have a problem, but I wouldn't want to chance it routinely. Fried wiring harnesses are expensive to replace. I generally just try to keep the alternator and air box dry.

For a nice look, get some of the spray-on tire cleaner that requires no wiping. Spray everything under the hood after it has been cleaned and let it sit for 15 minutes. Everything shines and looks better than new.

 

Also, after use of a tire shine (like Armor-All) you can then usually blow off accumulated dirt with a high pressure air hose since dirt doesn't tend to stick to the engine.

 

You may think that I am a thrill seeker, but I have always washed my engine(s) using the high pressure wand and the self serve car wash. I never cover anything and have never had a problem.

 

 

Ya. Ever seen what a cat will do to fan blades? Bent the snot out of it. This was on the skid loader, though.

I use the (HOT) power washer at work. Can adjust the pressure down with the wand, so it is pretty low pressure. Not much more than a garden hose. The heat gets most of it, without much effort.

 

Simple green engine degreaser and hose for spraying off.
I will never use my pressure washer ( 4gpm 3600 psi) on my truck again after removing mud and some paint in the fender wells last weekend.