engine bay washing

[PHIL O]

mudders, i love a clean rig. i wash my engine bay with pressure washer almost once a month. what tips could we share to fellow mudders out there who love to wash their engine bays? are there parts to look out for that shouldnt get wet or too much water pressure? i just thought about this because my alternator is having some issues. the dash lights flicker a few seconds but not often. now i was thinking that this might have been caused by moisture in the connectors (now thats one spot i shouldnt get much water on. well, mine is a diesel so the distributor or plug wires wont be a worry). i'll be coating the alternator connectors with silicon dielectric grease soon (as suggested in another post)

 

[spdwaver]

Having done this to all my vehicles, and to my '91 just recently, I can say that Simple Green is very effective at breaking down the grease and leaves all the hoses looking black, rather than whitewashed.

As far as parts to look out for, I would say the main concerns will be the distributor cap and VAF (AFM) sensor plug, since the plug itself is not very water proof. Be careful about applying too much pressure on the vacuum lines, as I was able to with very little pressure knock a few off of the ends. Remember, there are roughly 6,000 tiny little vacuum lines routed around the engine compartment that may be brittle and are not held on by any clamps, so take care not to hit these areas with careless abandon.

 

[snowwolf]

I had my straight 6 supra engine cleaned, and it caused soooooo many problems, never ever will I jet was my engine off again, I would rather it be dirty!

 

[Daisy 53]

Ive washed mine down at least a dozen times with no issues. Simple green works awesome for it as stated before. I never hit any of the vacuum lines or connectors with high pressure, just a gentle rinse. Everything else gets the high pressure!
Daisy

 

[Ebag333]

Cleaning the engine is easy if done carefully. Some thing I've found:

• Never hit sensitive parts of the engine with high pressure. This includes the dizzy, alternator, vacuum hoses, battery (water + battery is a bad idea anyway), fuse box, and the spark plug boots/covers.
• You can minimize a lot of the effects of water on your engine by having good (new) spark plug boots/wires (less likely to let water into the spark plug cylinder), running vent/breather lines from your dizzy, and applying dielectric grease to any electrical connections that might get flooded with water.
• Make sure your cleaner won't negatively effect anything. Some cleaners aren't good on rubber, some will discolor metal (including aluminium).
• Don't spray down a hot engine.

 

[VanGo]

X2 Snowwolf

 

[PHIL O]

yeah, washing off a hot engine will do much harm. makes parts brittle. so i always wash my engine when it is cold. on my sedan, i wash with no worries. because everytime i do the wash, i remove the dizzy cap and high tension wires then snap on a used dizzy cap to cover the dizzy, once done, it starts without hesitation

 

[snowwolf]

On the supra I had, after the garage had washed the engine off, because it was a straight 6 engine, and the spark plugs were like the 4.5 fzj it filled the spark plug tubes up with water, was a nightmare to get out, would never go down that road again!

 

[Atoyot1031]

I've done the simple green/ hot pressure washer thing with both of my 80s regularly and never had a problem. That being said, I don't hold the nozzle right up against anything. I stand a few feet back.

 

[Rock_Wagon]

Another vote for simple green, I wash my engine down about once a month with no issues.

 

[lndcruz]

I clean mine about once a month. Have the engine warm, not hot, grab some simple green, let soak. Take a power washer or hose attachment and blast the engine, then crank it up and allow the water to evaporate. Just be careful of the alternator, distributor, and other sensitive areas.

 

[60wag]

Pressure washers can and will get water inside the watertight electrical connectors that are all over the engine bay. A low pressure wash might have less risk than a high pressure wash. A little water in the connector can corrode the contacts because it doesn't evaporate. It might not cause a problem now or next year, but with repeated washings, eventually it might bite you. If you can't stand a dusty engine compartment, have at it. I think it can have a small but sometimes significant impact on the reliability of your Toyota vehicle.

 

[Tenzig Norgay]

I would never take a hose and soap/chemicals to my engine. No wonder why so many people have blown hoses or brittle vac lines. I don't care what anyone says, water, soap, chemicals, even the beloved simple green, are not good for the engine, gaskets, rubber, hoses, connections, metal, plastic, any of it. I would rather dump a bucket of used motor oil over the engine than hose it off like swine at a dairy expo.

I clean my engine with a rag or paper towel while I'm in there doing maintainence, and thats not to often because I don't spray my engine with chemicals or a hose. I do spray the bottom off after mudding, but to pop the hood and aim the hose at it, what does doctor phil say, "what were you thinking"?

Even Oprah doesn't hose down her engine

 

[jvazquez53]

I wash mine every time I clean the truck, no problems.

 

[Ebag333]

I would never take a hose and soap/chemicals to my engine. No wonder why so many people have blown hoses or brittle vac lines. I don't care what anyone says, water, soap, chemicals, even the beloved simple green, are not good for the engine, gaskets, rubber, hoses, connections, metal, plastic, any of it. I would rather dump a bucket of used motor oil over the engine than hose it off like swine at a dairy expo.

I clean my engine with a rag or paper towel while I'm in there doing maintainence, and thats not to often because I don't spray my engine with chemicals or a hose. I do spray the bottom off after mudding, but to pop the hood and aim the hose at it, what does doctor phil say, "what were you thinking"?

Even Oprah doesn't hose down her engine

Do you not drive it through water either, or in the rain?

 

[jvazquez53]

Do you not drive it through water either, or in the rain?

I live in a place thata rains a lot, and we have floods all the time. To this date, the engine bay on my 80 gets wet constantly, by either flood water or myself cleaning it. I my experience, as long as all the wiring is in good condition, including connections there should be no problems. As for the rubber hoses under the hood, it doesn't matter if you don' use cleaners or not. They will become brittle sooner or later, our newer cruisers are more or less twelve years old. Those hoses WILL have to be replaced eventually. I am in the process of replacing all mine with polyurethane hoses.

 

[Tenzig Norgay]

I dunk it in mud puddles, drive her through creeks, and drive in slushy slop 3 or 4 months a year, and thats bad enough. To ready, aim, fire......he who plays with fire(or water), will get burned(or wet )

 

[LittleRock80]

I dunk it in mud puddles, drive her through creeks, and drive in slushy slop 3 or 4 months a year, and thats bad enough. To ready, aim, fire......he who plays with fire(or water), will get burned(or wet )

People have been washing and detailing engine bays since the Model T. I don't necessarily believe in the "clean engine is a happy engine" , but a clean(er) engine will help you identify problems (leaks, etc) earlier and easier. A clean engine in my opinion is easier to work on as well, not having all the grime buildup you would have on something that's never seen the soap and water.

Wash it. Simple Green is the shiznit.

Jwp