Washing your engine

Hey, I was wondering what you guys do to wash your engine out. Is there any good sprays to use? I just noticed some chemical spray we sell where I work that is supposed to clean your engine, but I don't remember what it was. I'll find out later.

Thanks!!

 

[Jason_25]

I go to the do-it-yourself car wash and hit it with the presoak, then with the rinse.

I cover the computer, the battery, and the alternator when I do it though.

 

[ahhjaws]

Does that work good enough?

I found out what it was. It is Sonax Engine Cleaner. Does either way work better?

 

[Jason_25]

It makes it pretty clean. You can also spray some degreaser on it if you want.

But before you wash it, make sure the engine isn't hot. Normally what I do is wash the whole truck, then do the engine bay once it's cool.

 

[ahhjaws]

What about the distributor? I have had trouble with that getting wet. Should I cover that too?

 

[jtucker]

I cover the Alternator, computer, distribitor & battery.

I also make sure my engine is cool when I do this,
and I am very careful not to spray too hard on any
oil seals. Cold water + Hot engine = possibly bad
news.

I wash my engine every morning after I take it out
4x4ing.

I got to a little place we have near by that has a
pressure washer. It gives out a spray that is not too
hard, the equivalent to what you get out of those
little spray things on your sink, but a lot wider, and
a bit harder (it does this when not pressing the
trigger).

Anyways, are you cleaing out grease of just dust
and debree? If grease, then use some sort of
degreaser and be EXTRA careful of the seals If
you are leaking oil at all, pressure washing a seal could
be a bad thing.

 

[Jason_25]

Originally posted by ahhjaws
What about the distributor? I have had trouble with that getting wet. Should I cover that too?

Your explorer doesn't have a distributor. All explorers have a DIS, or Distributorless Ignition System. No need to cover it up.

 

[jtucker]

There is a cluster that your sparkplug wires plug into,
and I cover that just for kicks. But that is on a '94,
I dont know much about what they have in 91-92s.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I dont cover anything and just spray the H377 out of it after soaking it with tire cleaner.

 

[ahhjaws]

There is a cluster that your sparkplug wires plug into

That is what I was talking about, I guess it isn't a distributor. Oh well!

 

[jtucker]

yeah, but its electronic. I pretty sure that it is suppose to be water proof, but ya neve know