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H3 Best way to clean the engine

Paladine71

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Messages
1,483
Location
Tallmansville, WV
I agree with Reloader, this mud from the Cliffs is like spiderman. It sticks to everything. Anyone have know a good way to clean my engine that won't take forever. I know to not spray the TCM/PCM, efan motor, fuse box and top of the batteries, anything else?
 

JoshuaL

NEVERENDING ADDICTION
Messages
254
Location
Mineral Bluff GA
I spray the whole engine bay with degreaser and then hit it with a pressure washer and leave the motor going the whole time. After its clean i spray it with amoral and close the hood and let it bake on. It turns out great. And as you know avoid the electrical components.

JoshuaL
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
1,986
Location
Hiding in a potato patch in Idaho
Everything under the hood is considered water resistant. NO high power spray, but the spray from a car wash, before you pull the handle for pressure is fine. Have to remember, on a rainy day, driving down the road, there is plenty of water splashing up all around the inside of the engine bay. I do it once a year, whether it needs it or not.:)
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,442
Location
Scottsdale
My car wash doesn't have that low pressure, half on setting so I will wash it from a few feet back to not force the water past the water resistant connections.
 

H3nightrod

Well-Known Member
Messages
405
Location
Illinois
My engine looks bad too. I have been holding off on washing it just cause I dont want to deal with any electrical issues.

Good luck james, lets see some before and after pics.
 

Hans3T

Lif"T"ed
Messages
3,035
Location
NC
I plan on doing some work on cleaning up my engine bay tomorrow as well. Hopefully the chilly weather will pass.

My buddy swears by "Mean Green" degreaser, so we'll probably go to town with that and see what happens.
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I use a pump up sprayer. It has just enough pressure to dislodge small chunks and get in nooks and crannys. Wet it all down, mist on some purple clean and rinse. I don't do it very often.
 

05Mudiak

Well-Known Member
Messages
731
Location
Lake Charles, LA
Here is what I do and I use to be in the car show scene and this is how I would clean for a show. with a cool motor, simple green the sh!t out of everything let it sit for a few take a wet rag and wipe down everything you can get to (just wipe scubbing shouldn't be req) rinse it till no evidence of simple green is left. either let it dry or dry it with a rag ( i would hand dry it) the spray everything down with tire foam (the spray and walk away stuff) your engine will look brand new and with the coating of tire shine next time will be even easier. I have been doing it this way for years works for me.

After the tire foam I would wipe everything down 1 more time just so it would look even and not have any heavy spots but that is up to you.

I don't like Purple Stuff it tends o eat the skin of my hands, Simple Green seems to be much safer. I get it from Sams Club and use it full strength
 

Hunner

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,334
Location
Arkansas
I use Castrol Purple Clean, I think Purple Stuff is a knock off of that. I would suggest wetting the windshield and paint and do not let it dry on those surfaces. I like Simple Green too, it smells like licorice.
 

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,398
Location
Central Texas
I use engine degreaser, a hose with no high pressure nozzle and sometimes a bucket of Joy soap and Terry cloth rag. I like my trucks to be clean under the hood and chassis but not to show level by any means. Mainly I don't want crap falling in my eyes while I am under the truck working on it.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,350
Location
Meridian, ID
I use simple green and a garden hose, like you many said I dont want to use to high of pressure of the engine bay. For the chassis I use a pressure washer just for the leaf springs. Mud gets caked in there and squeaks like nobodys business. Dave, I have had so much mud, dirt and other crap in my eyes. I have learned the hard way lol
 

Hans3T

Lif"T"ed
Messages
3,035
Location
NC
The "Mean Green" was $2.00 as Dollar General and it worked great. My engine bay looks a lot better now -- not new, mind you -- but better. :)
 

Steve #1

Well-Known Member
Messages
534
Location
TEXAS
Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. Spray it on and let it sit until the bubbles start to go away the rinse it off with low pressure water. Anything left, hit it again. This will leave the plastic and other surfaces looking new. After it's clean don't put any protectors or anything on it. They collect dust and can make belts squeal.

And yes, I did run the Make Ready department at a car dealership when I was in college.
 

crawler

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Location
Arizona
All your Ideas should work great. Try WD-40, before you go out wheeling. Use it on every part that will get muddy. You will be able to clean off any dirt or mud with just a hose.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
After driving through mud holes for 2 days (first 2 pics) the engine bay was totally mud covered - even the entire hood. Everything covered. $15 in quarters for the "Presoak" and a bit of amorall and it looked like the last 2 pics.
 

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Paladine71

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Messages
1,483
Location
Tallmansville, WV
Wow, that's impressive. I have the exterior clean, and did the inside this weekend, but didn't get to the engine and some of the undercarriage much because of the nasty weather that we've had. I'll get a pic up today.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
... but didn't get to the engine and some of the undercarriage...

Staun has a wand bent specifically to help with undercarriage cleaning. They have both a 600mm and a 900mm. I haven't ordered one yet but plan to. For now I simply use a sprinkler under my truck - but it takes a while and still misses spots and I hate paying sewage taxes on water to run down my driveway.

http://www.expeditionexchange.com/staun/
 
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08SolarFlareH3

Super Swampers
Messages
2,525
Location
Finger Lakes, NY
Staun has a wand bent specifically to help with undercarriage cleaning. They have both a 600mm and a 900mm. I haven't ordered one yet but plan to. For now I simply use a sprinkler under my truck - but it takes a while and still misses spots and I hate paying sewage taxes on water to run down my driveway.

http://www.expeditionexchange.com/staun/
That AW01 Staun Massojet Air And Water Gun is pretty cool.
 

H3DONIST

Well-Known Member
Messages
447
Location
Iowa
After I washed the outside of the truck at a spray wash place, I opened the hood and let the "idle" pressure water get all the mud off of my engine. I got most of it, but it doesn't look new by any means. I did have a "serv 4wheel drv" error message pop up, but I cleared it and it didn't come back. I have some scrubbing bubbles in my bathroom and will give that a try.
 
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