minnight Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 HEY FOLKS...I live up in northern ontario here and ive been doing a lot of fishing trying to get into these back lakes.The engine compartment is a mess and id like to clean it all up.Lots of mud and crap all over.What should i be concerned about covering up when washing it down and is there a good product available that i can use. Thank You for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 HEY FOLKS...I live up in northern ontario here and ive been doing a lot of fishing trying to get into these back lakes.The engine compartment is a mess and id like to clean it all up.Lots of mud and crap all over.What should i be concerned about covering up when washing it down and is there a good product available that i can use. Thank You for your time. Last time I got my engine bay all dirty I just sprayed it w/ a hose (after it had cooled for a coulple hrs) then I ran ran it for a while to dry it out. I don't know if this is the best method but I haven't noticed any I'll effects from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 last time my engine got dirty was ... 13 years ago. I clean it by hitting the puddles that form on the asphalt rather than those in the dirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91PathSE Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 K9.....hahahaha But use Zep Purple(dirt grease grim remover, all around contractor cleaner availiable at home depot)..mixed in water and power wash it mine is always clean becuase of that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 me 2. the degreaser works fairly well but who cares about a little bit of mud? eh.. if you hose it down, you may want your truck to be running. it seems to do best that way otherwise it may not want to start for a period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91PathSE Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Deffinatly leave her running...You dont wanna screw around with her not starting after washing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriskaw440 Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I suggest NOT soaking the distributor, or the alternator.....but mostly the distributor. (or ignition pack depending on year) if the engine is running when you go to spray it down, the FAN will blow the water everywhere, so you will end up getting sprayed too....most likely in the eyes. let engine cool a while, cover distributor with a rag or plastic bag just to help keep it dry.....and try not to blast water on it or right into the alternator......then immediatly start engine and let it run a while to dry so you dont leave the spark plug areas filled with water. it may sputter for a few moments if you get a little water in places it doesn't belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westslope Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 How safe is Zep Purple for the environment? I might have a leak from the rear engine seal and need to clean the engine. Would like to avoid a C$70 detailing charge. BTW, it seems that an earlier Zep Purple product was recalled in 2006: Hazard: 5-gallon plastic pails containing the cleaning products can unexpectedly crack and leak from the base, posing a risk to consumers due to the corrosive nature of these products. URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06237.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeternaldark Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I suggest NOT soaking the distributor, or the alternator.....but mostly the distributor. (or ignition pack depending on year) if the engine is running when you go to spray it down, the FAN will blow the water everywhere, so you will end up getting sprayed too....most likely in the eyes. let engine cool a while, cover distributor with a rag or plastic bag just to help keep it dry.....and try not to blast water on it or right into the alternator......then immediatly start engine and let it run a while to dry so you dont leave the spark plug areas filled with water. it may sputter for a few moments if you get a little water in places it doesn't belong. i kind of did that today, i hosed my engine... no problem whle the engine was running on minimun.. but i started to notice some hessitation or maybe a misfire, so i decided to go for a spin... and apparently something is missingo.. it sounds like and old vw beetle... i just hope it dries down and that i didnt screw any sensor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Mine always sputters for a long while when it gets wet, whether it's from hosing the engine down or going through a puddle fast enough when wheelin. I just hold the rpms high for a few min and it seems to clear it up. Rarely ever does it still sputter after this. the distributor isn't getting wet, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comnthroo Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I have a 2.7 diesel and I have the engine off, I don't cover anything and I just spray it with high pressure hose at the local car wash. Starts up fine, if anything it seems to go pretty good after a hose down. Maybe cos it's running cool?...coz I also hose the radiators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I have a 2.7 diesel and I have the engine off, I don't cover anything and I just spray it with high pressure hose at the local car wash. Starts up fine, if anything it seems to go pretty good after a hose down. Maybe cos it's running cool?...coz I also hose the radiators. I thought they didn't respond to water because there's no spark plug to foul, only the compression to heat the air to ignite the fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Water can puddle in the spark plug holes around the plug wires. It can cause a misfire. I clean mine once and while and just be careful around the plug holes. If water does get in there and thats what you find, but blow the hole out with some compressed air or a shop vac and suck it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eglaisi_91pathy Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Water can puddle in the spark plug holes around the plug wires. It can cause a misfire. I clean mine once and while and just be careful around the plug holes. If water does get in there and thats what you find, but blow the hole out with some compressed air or a shop vac and suck it out. x2. Had that happen to me on my old Pathfinder. I went wheelin' one day in thick mud and didn't wash anything after. A bunch of mud got caked around one of the spark plugs and engine would not run right. Scared the crap outta me until I figured out what it was. A clean engine is a happy engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I use Simple Green and spray it all over, then let it sit for a few, then wash it off with a light spray and repeat until it is clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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