how safe is the engine to give a good wash down?
i was thinking about de greasing as much as i can see and use a brush to agitate it then hose it down
anyone done this?
what all needs covered up?
how safe is the engine to give a good wash down?
i was thinking about de greasing as much as i can see and use a brush to agitate it then hose it down
anyone done this?
what all needs covered up?
All electrics and have engine running when doing it
In my experience, it's the alternator that needs covering - most other electrics seem to be fine.
I can't comment on the engine running as I generally clean with the engine off, but warm, then leave the engine bay open to dry-out for an appreciable length of time
........but if you have an old mini, Austin 1100-1300 etc, don't wash it.........a thimble of water & a toothbrush is the limit
i was thinking about putting a plastic bag over the alternator and the fuses etc on the right hand side maybe wrap some cling film around the loom
warm the engine
soak the engine
de-grease it
agitate it
hose again
repeat if needed
dress plastics/hoses
start the engine and get it up to temp
No worries here done mine cdti and petrol vecs before basically use some degreaser and a brush and wipe all the dirty bits etc then start up the car and I just pressure wash the bay not closely or direct on to electrics after that leave it running to dry and dress
If using a jet wash, keep the nozle at least 18 inches away
As above, leave the engine running
As you own a diesel there are no issues and once you have finished washing, you can switch the engine off
The main issue surrounds petrol engines, especially older ones
It is well known the distributor does not have a water seal, and so with the engine switched off can be difficult to restart
The same issue can also affect newer petrol engines, but not the same degree
You don't need to cover up any engine components, if the engine is running
There is little benefit to covering the alternator, as this will have been designed for water ingress and with the engine running should be hot enough to quickly evaporate any water, and the internal movement will expel any water
I'm not into detailing or anything but like to keep the Vec reasonably clean, I use babywipes round my engine bay and they do a good and quick job.
i have plenty engine dressing stuff just the actual engine itself not the plastics/hoses
Dont soak the engine first, imo all you will do is lessen the effectiveness of the degreaser. And I always wash the engine down with the engine running.
Use a garden sprayer with very hot water to rinse it down with. Or a parrafin gun attached to your compressor.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Bookmarks