Steam Cleaning engine/undercarriage

[COChef]

I have read in previous posts about people steam cleaning the under carriage/engine. I am in "leak hunting mode" and really would love to get the 22+ years of crap cleaned off of the underside of the truck. Any suggestions? Would a normal detail shop be able to do this? Im looking for a bit more of a cleaning that at the local spray and wash. where might i look to to have this done?

 

[smkymntn]

Some have said you can rent a machine - but I had the honor of scrubbing 20 years of crap off by hand- gratifying when done, miserable during.

hint:I hope you are bald if you decide to do it yourself- if not wear a chower cap.

 

[effjay60]

I bought an el-cheapo pressurized weed sprayer and filled it up with "purple power" degreaser and soaked the underside. Then I went to town with a rented steam cleaner. I used ramps to tilt the grimmy beast to one side or the other/ front to back. now my underbelly is real respectable-like

 

[sl33py]

I keep meaning to do this as well. I was looking at one of the pressurized sprayers like a sure shot, with some of the purple super degreaser. I wonder where I could have someone steam clean it as well...

I'm going to at least do the wheel wells before I put some spectrum (sound deadener / undercoat) in to knock down road / tire noise.

rob

 

[sl33py]

Here's what I want to get to use as a sprayer. convenient and easy to refill/reuse. Buddy of mine has 3-4 of them and they are prolly 20yrs old still going strong.

rob

 

[Cabrito]

Some carwash / Detail places offer the under steam cleaning pressure wash.

Be careful. I had this done while trying to find the leak source. The Dealer that I used to take my LC to for maintenance suggested I do this and then they put a dye in the oil and hit it with a black light to find the leak.
After the cleaning it had blown off a lot of the original black paint on the undercarriage and since I live near the ocean everything started to rust. Not good.

Another thing is that they found the leak to be the rear main seal. Expensive fix to say the least. On the advice of Gary at Mudraks I did not mess with the rear main.

Turns out the whole leak was just the oil pan. I had the pan serviced with new Toyota gasket and for the past five thousand miles I have no leak at all. Nothing, nada, ziltch, zip. I leave a white piece of poster paper under the truck and its clean like the day I put it there.

I think one of the most common leaks for the LC is the oil pan.
Here is the link to my thread that shows the new oil pan sort of - https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/269429-whine-transfer-case-time-yes.html

 

[2mbb]

The local coin-op wash it yourself places around here have an under the car cleaning device. It's hot water and soap suds, not real steam, but it works OK. In the past I've also had good luck using one of hte aerosol products at the autoparts store--foamy engine brite. However, it's not really environmentally friendly as it washes away in the street. Actually the instructions now say to catch the dripping and rinse water in a big pan and let the water evaporate... ....right.

 

[vincentboyle]

also called organic cleaning – interior steam cleaning is a very effective way of ridding dirt in hard to reach areas. it's environmentally friendly too.

 

[Elbert]

if you get access to a real steam cleaner with pressure and potentially powered with kerosene....be careful around painted surfaces...that you care about because a real steam cleaner that gets hot will do a number on a painted surface (ok for the frame and rear ends and engine and other sthings as long as you don't get too close for too long. BY the way they will burn the living #$%^ of you if you are not careful.

Great for getting the nasty crap removed but have to be really careful with reall steam cleaner / pressure washer setup.

 

[fliphkd778]

look for mel lowes' 3b fj62 build. His undercarriage came out incredible in the pics after he used a rented pressure washer on it. Some sort of heated washer called a "landa."

 

[Sully73FJ40]

Oven cleaner?? I've heard this works wonderfully. I think I'm gonna try it.

 

[disassociative]

After cleaning the back half with Purple Power, elbow grease and a wire brush I decided to switch gears. Turns out that putting it up on ramps, soaking the area with Purple Power and running hot water from a faucet through a pressure washer works better, faster and doesn't leave you sore and underwhelmed.

Do be careful about old wires and brake/fuel lines. A good solid hit with a pressure washer at close range will go right through 3/16" of rusting steel tube...ask me how I know.