Engine wash (2 Viewers)

[LockedNLoaded]

Locally we have a Auto detail company that makes all of their products in house and all of their products are better than what I have seen from any major manufacturer.

This is what I use, diluted of course because its STRONG.

Red Max (Heavy Duty General Purpose Cleaner) : :: Majestic Solutions Inc :: Specialty Appearance Products for the Automotive Industry

When I am home this evening I will see if the bottle actually lists the ingredients to help you find something similar locally to you. I use this stuff on everything and it does wonders with cutting grease and other dirt that has been built up over years. I will report back later.

 

[LockedNLoaded]

Sorry the bottle does not say what the ingredients are. Too bad they won't ship this because this stuff flat out works and it lasts forever because you only use just a bit in a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Best of luck finding the right solution for you.

 

[2001LC]

Red Max:

NAMES OF HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS: See CFR29§1910.1200 (i)-(13) [ exact % withheld as trade secret ]

CHEMICAL / COMMON NAME CAS# PERCENTAGE PEL-OSHA TLV-ACGIH
Sodium Hydroxide 1310-73-2 <1 2mg/mg3 2mg/m3
2 Butoxy Ethanol (Skin) 111-76-2 >1 50PPM 25PPM
THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT CONTAIN CARCINOGENS: (NTP, IARC, OSHA):
DHL 14 MAJESTIC SOLUTIONS DISTRIBUTING CO
http://www.majesticsolutionsinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Red-Max.pdf

 

[2001LC]

Picked up a couple of different bottles of biodegradables. Spent $55 at car wash over two days, plus hours with garden hose. 80% of my time was spend on the undercarriage and suspension where I used the green stuff. Plus a couple of hours with drill bit wire brush, getting some minor surface rust off bolts. I'll go back over undercarriage with grease on bolts and paint on frame when I get a chance, as a rust PM.

I did soaked the alternator with both car wash high pressure & garden hose, after soaking engine with the orange citrus for a few hours. I did this because alternator was soak in AFT fluid, needed clean to find leak. I did avoid hitting wires with high pressure, and from flooding the engine valley too much.

The only issue I had was Drive Belt pulley's making more noise than they were. I replace the tensioner bearing with one I picked up a few days earlier. I didn't think I need both, but after the wash they really got both louder.

 

[chrisratz]

Picked up a couple of different bottles of biodegradables. Spent $55 at car wash over two days, plus hours with garden hose. 80% of my time was spend on the undercarriage and suspension where I used the green stuff. Plus a couple of hours with drill bit wire brush, getting some minor surface rust off bolts. I'll go back over undercarriage with grease on bolts and paint on frame when I get a chance, as a rust PM.

I did soaked the alternator with both car wash high pressure & garden hose, after soaking engine with the orange citrus for a few hours. I did this because alternator was soak in AFT fluid, needed clean to find leak. I did avoid hitting wires with high pressure, and from flooding the engine valley too much.

The only issue I had was Drive Belt pulley's making more noise than they were. I replace the tensioner bearing with one I picked up a few days earlier. I didn't think I need both, but after the wash they really got both louder.



View attachment 1221015

How did your engine bay turn out?

 

[LEX]

Lets see some pics.

 

[2001LC]

Not as good as my LC, but passable for mission at hand. This girl has never been washed behind the ears before, so some staining. This washing was to help find issue like bad leaks, bad boots, missing bolts, bad or missing hose, clamps & fasteners, bushing, rust etc. Clean was also in prep for R&R of issue I find/found intake & exhaust manifolds, wheel & axle bearings & bushings, R&P bushings, ball joint boots etc. So job accomplished.

Sorry most picture are before final cleaning. Steering pump shows suspected lower hose leak. Blue under battery tray (in during wash) is marine grease to protect areas damage by acid until I paint. I'll be coating most all undercarriage bolts, then painting. Camera was set to highlight rust color, it not as bad as it looks, relatively rust free and straight.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Nice work. I think the benefits of washing the engine bay far outweigh the potential negatives, assuming the car is relatively new and has water-tight connections.

I washed the 100 down after a dusty trail a year ago. The DIY carwash had a setting for "engine bay". It seemed to be a light degreaser at low pressure. Then I rinsed it off with the low pressure rinse. avoid spraying with power into most connections, don't soak the battery too bad and I think you're all good.

I'd much rather find some bad wiring after a car wash as opposed to finding it mid-river crossing.

 

[camino70]

Everything came out looking great, especially the engine compartment!

 

[2001LC]

New to me, and with only ~200K miles it's just broken in for 100, right!

 

[johnnyquest]

Just read an article last week about how cars are tastier to rodents thanks to the green revolution. Laws of unintended consequences...

LINK

 

[2001LC]

Ok after pulling my intake manifold, starter, along with coils and plugs. I was very glad I'd cleaned the engine. It made the job less messy. Most of all, reduce the risk of foreign objects getting into sensitive areas.

I also learned during this process one good reason for the engine cover. It helps protect some sensitive areas from high pressure washing.

Areas like; the spark plug tubes, which coils seals aren't that great but will keep out most splashed/poured fluid. One more area are the fuel injector insulators (rubber seal at bottom) area not that great. Insulators' visible tops if aged, will blow off with high pressure water, but seal bottoms will be ok which are the important part. The guy that cleaned and rebuilt my fuel injectors, said that the insulator are a nice feature of Toyota, that very few engine have these. If you grab one injector with your finger, you'll be able to move clock wise & counter clock wise easily, to give idea of how loose they are. BTW, this guy is offering a discount to anyone that states there're from "MUD" he did a great job for me. Fuel Injector Specialists - Home - Wheat Ridge, CO I'm going to take/send him my LC injectors as well.

A third unprotected area; is the fuse box. Although it does have a seal, most older one's are brittle and aren't sealing that well. Still there's not much concern with water from washing. But the letter on top of fuse box will get blown off.

A fourth; is the drive belt area. The belt itself can be stripped of outer layer. These belts ride on inner & outer side as it loops through pulleys. So damage to either side will at minimum become a noise issue. Additionally it is worth mentioning; that the two bearings (tensioner & idler) are sealed, when seals fail, bearing will also. If seals are marginal, hitting them with high pressure water will cause contaminations to get into bearings. They will get loud, or even louder if on the way out.

As always, I sprinkled baking soda on damp battery & area around it, before washing, to neutralize acid.

To whom said my starter may flood with remains of Mickey & Minnie's house plugging drain ports, was right. Although I was going/did clean & rebuild anyway.

Oh and as always, I wash undercarriage after ever storm.
It's so nice that spring has arrived....LOL

 

[jemsec]

Rather take a small chance and spray simple green on, let sit and wash with a hose. Might take several times to get it acceptable. You might have some electrical issues for a day or two but will dry just fine. Have washed mine numerous times with no issues.

A little water is less of a threat than rats eating hoses and wiring.

Others might have a different opinion but don't believe a Land Cruise is as susceptible to water like most other vehicles.

Only an opinion.

 

[PabloCruise]

One more area are the fuel injector insulators (rubber seal at bottom) area not that great. Insulators' visible tops if aged, will blow off with high pressure water, but seal bottoms will be ok which are the important part. The guy that cleaned and rebuilt my fuel injectors, said that the insulator are a nice feature of Toyota, that very few engine have these. If you grab one injector with your finger, you'll be able to move clock wise & counter clock wise easily, to give idea of how loose they are. BTW, this guy is offering a discount to anyone that states there're from "MUD" he did a great job for me. Fuel Injector Specialists - Home - Wheat Ridge, CO I'm going to take/send him my LC injectors as well.

Looks like they do all makes and models! I will need to get a set of Honda injectors serviced soon.

 

[2001LC]

Funny you said that, @jemsec. I was just thinking I'd let the orange stuff soak to long. But then again, I suppose white film I was left with could have been from age/neglect.

@PabloCruise, It will be interesting to see what report I get from Fuel Injector Specialist on my LC's Fuel Injector, one day. I have 13 years of MPG and emission test history/results on the LC. If he finds a bad injector (pattern) I can do a very interest test.

 

[wjj]

I had to replace my starter on my 1999 100. There was a large nest for rodents underneath the manifold cover (?). Apparently rodents like to live in a warm car engine compartment at nights during the winter. They take off in the morning before the driver starts up the vehicle, and move back in when the vehicle returns at night.

 

[wjj]

question: I need to locate the OEM alarm so I can bag it to "water proof" it. My horn goes off in the rain, so I had to pull out the horn relay. I have already replaced the horn unit and also some horn wires which were corroded, so now it works (ack!). Does anyone know where the OEM alarm module is located/what it looks like?

 

[2001LC]

I had to replace my starter on my 1999 100. There was a large nest for rodents underneath the manifold cover (?). Apparently rodents like to live in a warm car engine compartment at nights during the winter. They take off in the morning before the driver starts up the vehicle, and move back in when the vehicle returns at night.

Did you get any pictures of this area (Manifold cover,AKA engine cover) and rodent nest? They my have run to the safety of their nest. Fried rodents for breakfast, yuk.

Did you look carefully under the intake manifold and in the air box for additional nest?

question: I need to locate the OEM alarm so I can bag it to "water proof" it. My horn goes off in the rain, so I had to pull out the horn relay. I have already replaced the horn unit and also some horn wires which were corroded, so now it works (ack!). Does anyone know where the OEM alarm module is located/what it looks like?

Are your asking about the buzzer alarm that goes off when key left in or seat belt not on?
I'd don't know, but I'd bet it's inside the cabin under dash.

Sounds like you may have rodent damage, they do love wires.

 

[wjj]

Did you get any pictures of this area (Manifold cover,AKA engine cover) and rodent nest? They my have run to the safety of their nest. Fried rodents for breakfast, yuk.

Did you look carefully under the intake manifold and in the air box for additional nest?

Are your asking about the buzzer alarm that goes off when key left in or seat belt not on?
I'd don't know, but I'd bet it's inside the cabin under dash.

Sounds like you may have rodent damage, they do love wires.

I am referring to the security alarm that sets off the horn if the car is broken into. Also, do you know if there is an ECU in the passenger side near the feet? I am trying to figure out if the horn is caused by water shorting out an ECU. But maybe it is because of mice eating wires. I'll have to check again. Also, I want to take a look at the air box-- I heard that nesting there can be an issue. Could they all be related? *queue X Files sound track*

 

[2001LC]

Behind glove box:

I've no idea of what these wires are for. Just some of the many wires to inspect when Mickey & Minnie have made a home in the engine bay.
Wire blocks under hood, back of engine, on top of transmission: