The engine in my '90 Cherokee has never been cleaned, and it shows. I bought a cheap can of foaming engine cleaner, and followed the directions on the can. The water that came off the engnie looked dirty, but after it had dried the engine looked exactly the same as it did before. What products actually work, and how exactly should I use them?
External cleaning of the engine - what works?
- Thread starter SteveD2
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The last time I cleaned an old engine, I used some of that orange blast cleaner in the auto wash and wax section of Wal-Mart. It may take two or three cleanings like it took me, but the results were great. Make sure you go over the back lable instrutions first and good luck.
make sure you cover up the electronics and such, bc cars today can easily short out if you get them real wet with water. Word of caution: never pressure wash an engine, unless you want bad things to happen. If anything, use a spray bottle to rinse parts off instead of a hose so that you won't short anything out. The orange blast is a great cleaner, and so is meguiars all purpose extra strength cleaner.
I had no money to invest in a S$1400 industrial steam cleaner, so I settled for a spray can of Engine Degreaser. I was hesitant using the 'Heavy Duty' Engine Degreaser as warned by some others. Well, it does it's work pretty well on most engine parts, but some of the interior bodywork needs scrubbing. Moral of the story, use a sponge and car shampoo and wash whatever interior parts you can first before using engine degreaser. And yes the engine degreaser did stain one part of the interior body paintwork. I cant imagine what would have happened if I used the heavy duty stuff.
I have used S100 motorcycle cleaner available from Harley dealers. It is a citrus based cleaner that you spray on, let it sit a bit, and rinse off. It works great on my Harley, under the hoods of my cars on on the wheels when they get a lot of brake dust. Nice thing about it is that it is gentle enough that it doesn't wreck things. I think a 1 Liter bottle is about $15. Make sure you cover the electrics with plastic bags or something or be prepared to let the car dry out before you can drive it.
I use Gunk and it works great. Nothing else I've used works as well or works period. I've owned over 130 cars and half of them I've Gunked & No electical problems. But be aware Gunk will take the gloss off of almost everything; but this is nothing Armor-All or a little clear coat wont fix.
Gunk is probably one of those cleaners that you are being told NOT to use on this site.
Use your head and don't blast electical stuff with water.
Gunk is probably one of those cleaners that you are being told NOT to use on this site.
Use your head and don't blast electical stuff with water.
make friends with a pressure washer and simple green.
thats my 1991 honda accord engine with 180k
ignore the writing on that pic...
i use simple green cause it doesnt stink...i take it to the truck station and they have a pressure washer there and i just deposit 1.75 for 6 minutes of use....clean clean clean.
thats my 1991 honda accord engine with 180k
ignore the writing on that pic...
i use simple green cause it doesnt stink...i take it to the truck station and they have a pressure washer there and i just deposit 1.75 for 6 minutes of use....clean clean clean.
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