How to clean an engine bay.
- Thread starter Frisman
- Start date
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
Nothing increases the fuel economy on an 80-series other than a Diesel engine swap
You're stuck with 10/14 city/highway, just like the rest of us.
haha no doubt! I am the same (11-14mpg) even with a v8 swap, at least I got lot's more power!
I bought a pressure washer years ago when I started having more off-road trucks. For me it was a very good purchase. Steam clean will get an engine bay and a chassis the cleanest for sure. But once you have it that clean just keeping up on it will be fine. Cheapo de-greaser and a quick spray down with the light nozzle on the p/w does the trick for me. I only use the car wash when it is winter time and I need to wash off the road sand/salt.
Another benefit of keeping a clean engine bay (and chassis) is leaks are quick and easy to find plus you don't get so dirty working on the truck.
Cheers
bossman429
Adventurer
Steam cleaning is best, but if you want to DIY i've had good success with a can of store bought engine degreaser (i think the brand name is "Gunk" or something like that. Might also be called engine-brite
Spray liberally on everything, but i always avoid obvious electrical items (battery terminals, ECU if applicable, alternator)
Let it sit and scrub real tough spots
rinse off with a very light mist on the hose.
For all you guys that use a pressure washer... you realize there is no advantage to it. It just shoots water where it shouldn't go. The less water you can use the better (and better for th environment). The cleaning agent is what loosens the dirt, not the water.... especially grease. Grease is unaffected by water (thus why people use WD-40 and waxoyl for rust proofing) spraying it at 5000PSI isn't going to do a darn thing.
I've used simple green before but the results were lacking compared to the degreaser you can buy in any auto parts store
Spray liberally on everything, but i always avoid obvious electrical items (battery terminals, ECU if applicable, alternator)
Let it sit and scrub real tough spots
rinse off with a very light mist on the hose.
For all you guys that use a pressure washer... you realize there is no advantage to it. It just shoots water where it shouldn't go. The less water you can use the better (and better for th environment). The cleaning agent is what loosens the dirt, not the water.... especially grease. Grease is unaffected by water (thus why people use WD-40 and waxoyl for rust proofing) spraying it at 5000PSI isn't going to do a darn thing.
I've used simple green before but the results were lacking compared to the degreaser you can buy in any auto parts store
RMP&O
Expedition Leader
I agree with the p/w not removing the oils. I do not use the high pressure nozzle on my trucks though. I use the low pressure nozzle and I am not washing the engine bay or chassis to remove oils/grease. I do it to keep road sand/salt off as well as dirt/mud. As previously mentioned, once you have the oils/grease gone it is easy to keep it away, unless you have leaks. And if you have leaks, a clean engine or chassis shows where the leaks are so it becomes easy to fix.
A bit off topic but another cleaning method I use on my trucks is for inside the frame rails. I adapted my garden hose down to a 1/2 or 3/8s size and use a nice flexible hose on the end of that. Myself, I use irrigation drip pipe or what is called "funny" pipe. The funny pipe is best since it is stiff yet flexible, to flexible doesn't work. I make the smaller hose 3-4ft long. I then park the truck with one end higher than the other, ie ramps or blocks. I then feed the hose into the frame rails at different locations, work the hose back and forth, ect. Let it run until only clean water is coming out of the frame. Do it for both sides and also switch the truck around so it washes/drains both ways. The 80s have excellent paint/rust prevention on the frames, even inside the frames but if you want it to stay that way for many years cleaning it out a few times a year is well worth the effort. Especially if you live where they salt/sand the roads or play in mud. Even if you just use the truck in dusty conditions. I have bought trucks that had the frame rails half full of silt, dust and mud. Even found some grass growing in there before!!
Cheers
gotmud
Observer
I prefer the old school method of mixing 1 gal diesel with a cup of ATF in a fertilizer sprayer. Liberally coat everything you want cleaned with the mixture and let it sit. Check the grungiest areas to see if they have soaked up the mixture (they'll look dry) and re-coat if necessary. Next, take your pressure washer and blast away, avoiding areas like other's have mentioned. Finally, spray a mild degreaser like Purple Power or even dish soap solution to get rid of any left over diesel/ATF and hit with pressure washer once more. Enjoy your clean engine!
doug720
Expedition Leader
Along the same lines, WD-40 is a great degreaser also. Kind of expensive, but in gallons with a hand sprayer it not bad.
It's also good for post cleaning as it is displaces water and has a light oily film to protect metal parts. Most will evaporate, but it helps.
Doug