A clean engine is a happy engine!

My old Cummins leaks and when you run the Denali highway to add a lot of dust, resulting a heavy layer of grime.
I mix in a 5 gal bucket, 1 gallon of kerosene, 1 gallon of ZIP concrete cleaner, 1 gallon of water.
This makes a slurry of slime that really cleans. place some in a pressure sprayer and spray the engine top to bottom front to back. I let it soak, about an hour, then pressure wash.

Maybe now that I have the two drive line seals replaced, it will stay clean.

:) Hi, for decades I have sprayed my engines and everything under the hood with Simple Green; Wait a few minutes and it wash off with a garden hose. Looks like new each time.

fj12ryder wrote:
Never have, never will. There always seems to be something else I'd rather do. Taking a beating for example.

Yep, if it makes you feel good, go for it but we typically get 200-250k miles before selling and sell with an engine that runs fine...all without washing the engine.

I use Simple Green Pro HD. It's non-corrosive and can be used on aluminum items like the radiator , CAC,etc. I clean the engine/tranny once a year, a week or 2 prior to doing the annual chassis service. That way I have a clean work area and if there are any leaks, I'll see them.

My new to me 01 Sport with 125k was a greasy mess from the stupid "Oil Capture Bottle" that allowed oil fumes to get sucked around to the front of the radiator and nearly plug it off and make a mess of the engine.

I had used de greaser on the front of radiator only to get some of the plugged area off prior to doing the removal so the truck would not get too hot towing the boat. So the look of the lower area of the radiator was all across it before de greasing.

First engine pic upper pressure wash was complete second all was done.

I did the PEAK relocation kit and now the engine/radiator will stay clean.

I removed the radiator, fan and pressure washed the engine and surrounding areas with hot water from my HW tank. I took the radiator to have it cleaned and pressure tested.

Replaced serpentine belt and all hoses plus a Cummins T-stat.

NO chemicals were used in the engine bay so I expect no issues from using hot water.

JoeH wrote:
I use Simple Green Pro HD. It's non-corrosive and can be used on aluminum items like the radiator , CAC,etc. I clean the engine/tranny once a year, a week or 2 prior to doing the annual chassis service. That way I have a clean work area and if there are any leaks, I'll see them.

Same here except I use the degreaser at the car wash.

Wow Cummins 12v98 that thing was really plugged off, did you have any issues with overheating.

fj12ryder wrote:
I will say I've never had an engine fail to start due to water getting sprayed in places it shouldn't be. I have seen people at the car wash trying to start their cars after cleaning that engine bay very nicely. Looked great, if you like stationary cars. :)

The old GM HEI distributors and point/condenser ignitions systems were very susceptible to water intrusion under a pressure washer. The newer coil pack ignition systems have eliminated much of that problem.

I pop the hood once in a blue moon to look things over like the batt terminals and trash blocking the radiator, Oh and change the air filter every 30K, but that is all. I see no reason to hose wetness under the hood. I also do or have done the factory recommended services.

I cannot even remember when i worked on something under the hood of a modern day engine compartment, but i don't run them very far past 100K.

My leak detector is the floor of the garage.

So anyhow, that was along winded reply to say I never routinely wash/clean an engine.

Simple Green is good stuff. Another, not sure if it is available in the US, is TEPOL. TEPOL is a cleaner used in restaurants for cleaning hoods & other greasy places in the kitchen.

I am not so concerned about the appearance of the engine as I am for it getting clean air & staying cool. Back in 2008 while preparing for our first trip to Alaska, & being concerned with bugs travelling through the grill & into the radiator fins, I made a home brew screen zip tied to the front of the grill. Simple household screen it is still there. It sure does the job at stopping bugs & is dead simple to clean with a snow brush.

The screen made no difference to cooling even on a 100 plus day headed to Vegas.