Engine Washing

[1996GMCJimmy]

I am sure lots of you like to keep your engine looking as clean as the outside (if possible), I am one of those, yet, I have never done it myself and would like to just hose it off and damage or short circuit anything.

Can anyone advice on how to clean and detail my 1996 Jimmy's Engine?

Thanks!!

[DaleGribble]

With my old Chevy, we'd just spray Simple Green all over the engine and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, we'd just use a pressure washer and spray the engine off. We never shorted anything, just had trouble starting it while wet, just let it dry off.

[rlith]

If you've never done it then...

Wrap plastic baggie over distributor and coil

Start truck to operating tempreture then turn off.

Liberally spray a heavy duty engine degreaser on every square inch of the engine and engine compartment.

Let sit about 15 mins (or what ever the degreaser reccomends)

Spray out on full pressure. (Reccomend doing this at a DIY car wash with one of their pressure washers)

Do it again in about a week because you won't get EVERYTHING.

[swalt]

Originally Posted by rlith

If you've never done it then...

Wrap plastic baggie over distributor and coil

Start truck to operating tempreture then turn off.

Liberally spray a heavy duty engine degreaser on every square inch of the engine and engine compartment.

Let sit about 15 mins (or what ever the degreaser reccomends)

Spray out on full pressure. (Reccomend doing this at a DIY car wash with one of their pressure washers)

Do it again in about a week because you won't get EVERYTHING.

I agree with everything except warming to operating temperature. Just run it to warm the block, not get it hot. I ended up cracking an intake manifold on my grand am because the engine was too hot. You will also find after you spray the degreaser, you can agitate it with an old paint brush to remove a lot of the dirt. Once you are finished rinsing it, start it up and take it for a good drive to dry the engine up. It will ensure any water that got into any sensors will burn off so you don't have problems the next time you go to start it. Once the engine is cool, I also like to give all the rubber and plastic hoses a spray with armour all and rub it in with a paint brush. Your engine will look like new again.

[BlazerLT]

1.) Wrap the cap & rotor, alternator, computer with plastic grocery bags.

2.) Spary with engine degreaser. Simple Green is very good.

3.) USE HOSE PRESSURE TO RINSE IT OFF. DO NOT USE A HIGH PRESSURE WASHER OR YOU RUN THE RISK OF DRIVING WATER INTO THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT YOUR COMPUTER CONTROLLED ENGINE.

Then start the truck and allow it to warm up completely and evaporate all the moisture.

I will state again, DO NOT USE A HIGH PRESSURE WASHER. I just witnessed a guy using high pressure with his truck and ignored my advice and now he has a truck that will not start. Completely dead as a door nail and he can't find the problem.

[1996GMCJimmy]

Thanks a lot for your tips! I will take on the task this weekend and let you know wheather or not I did it right, ha ha. I I'll definitely cover up those vital parts you all mentioned, I wouldn't want to end up with a clean engne that doesn't start!

[BlazerLT]

As rlith said, it will take a couple times.

Spray the degreaser on a warm (not hot) engine, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes and use a scrub brush on the dirtier sections and then spray it off with a hose.

Remember to start it right up after the rinse after you have removed the plastic bags covering the vitals.