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My motor has a lot of grease, dirt etc on it mostly underneath the car, is there a safe way at home to clean the engine? I don't want to get water on something and have an issue... thanks in advance
if you can get under there with a rag and elbow grease I have used something called PAINT PREP that dissolves gunk quick, (also rubber gloves) it is a combo of naptha, xyelene isoproyl and something else,,,,,
need good ventilation but man does it make it clean !!!
I quit using engine bright stuff because it is kerosene or diesel based and leaves an oily residue behind....attracting more dust .
then top off everything with DETAIL KINGS engine and tire detail ( non silicon so wont attract dust)
Rent a Dupray Carmen (or similar) steam cleaner. The Carmen has detergent injection in the steam and cleans like a champ. And you can use mild detergents as the steam does most of the work.
-do not use a standard pressure washer or coin wash
-do not use any caustic engine cleaners
-do not use simple green, it will damage the aluminum
Last time I rented a unit it was about $50 per day. Going to rent one again soon to clean the underside of my 87.
I'm pretty sure one of the detail guys used a pressure washer on my son's newly acquired Audi Q5. They seem to have got water into one of the headlights, and it's too cold here for it to evaporate. Headlights have breather ports and are vulnerable to water intrusion as of course are all kinds of electrical and other items.
Low pressure mist is much safer, but takes longer.
Good luck,
Dave
The alternator and the intake temp switch are my biggest worries on the 928. There are some solenoid valves for the intake flappy and such that can do without chemical cleaner contact. Also -- the original paint on my intake and the cam covers didn't like chem cleaners. With powder-coating on them no I don't worry. So plastic bags and rubber bands on the small sensitive bits, and a full wrap on the front of the alternator, you should be OK.
If the grime is serious I like the Foamy Engine Brite product after some initial scraping for the thick sections. As others mention though, it does leave some film on its own, one that has a petro fragrance to it if it isn't rinsed off with detergent and water before running the engine. I keep the engine really clean normally, so the most it usually needs for maintenance cleaning is something really mild with water. A non-ammonia window cleaner concentrate gets seriously diluted in a spray bottle, gets rinsed with plain water then wiped with terry towels. As others share, you must avoid anything caustic (high pH) on the aluminum if you want to avoid darkening. "Purple" degreasers fall into this class, as do other common cleaners like normal Windex and the street version of Simple Green. I still use Simple Green for some cleaning, but it gets a very thorough rinse before it dries.
I'm looking at a steam cleaner for upholstery (seat) cleaning in K's 4Runner with cloth seats. The small Mculloch that Bob V recommends will be a good starting point. Most 120V steam cleaners deliver about the same mass of steam thanks to 1500-1800 Watt limit on the heaters. More steam takes more power or a different heat source, so it will come down to how fast you need to work with one. Less steam mass means working more slowly, but the few times I need one may make the smaller home unit OK. If you are looking to do the whole undercarriage/greasy engine, plan on having a pro do it with a bigger machine, or maybe rent one that uses propane or diesel/kerosene to heat the water and make the steam. Know that a commercial steam cleaner is dangerous and messy, as all the crud you remove from the car ends up on the floor below. That makes a pro service a lot more attractive. Their workspace gets the mess while I drive home.
The alternator and the intake temp switch are my biggest worries on the 928. There are some solenoid valves for the intake flappy and such that can do without chemical cleaner contact. Also -- the original paint on my intake and the cam covers didn't like chem cleaners. With powder-coating on them no I don't worry. So plastic bags and rubber bands on the small sensitive bits, and a full wrap on the front of the alternator, you should be OK.
If the grime is serious I like the Foamy Engine Brite product after some initial scraping for the thick sections. As others mention though, it does leave some film on its own, one that has a petro fragrance to it if it isn't rinsed off with detergent and water before running the engine. I keep the engine really clean normally, so the most it usually needs for maintenance cleaning is something really mild with water. A non-ammonia window cleaner concentrate gets seriously diluted in a spray bottle, gets rinsed with plain water then wiped with terry towels. As others share, you must avoid anything caustic (high pH) on the aluminum if you want to avoid darkening. "Purple" degreasers fall into this class, as do other common cleaners like normal Windex and the street version of Simple Green. I still use Simple Green for some cleaning, but it gets a very thorough rinse before it dries.
I'm looking at a steam cleaner for upholstery (seat) cleaning in K's 4Runner with cloth seats. The small Mculloch that Bob V recommends will be a good starting point. Most 120V steam cleaners deliver about the same mass of steam thanks to 1500-1800 Watt limit on the heaters. More steam takes more power or a different heat source, so it will come down to how fast you need to work with one. Less steam mass means working more slowly, but the few times I need one may make the smaller home unit OK. If you are looking to do the whole undercarriage/greasy engine, plan on having a pro do it with a bigger machine, or maybe rent one that uses propane or diesel/kerosene to heat the water and make the steam. Know that a commercial steam cleaner is dangerous and messy, as all the crud you remove from the car ends up on the floor below. That makes a pro service a lot more attractive. Their workspace gets the mess while I drive home.
The dupray carmen that I rent is 220v. It comes with a splitter box so you can run it from two separate 110/15a breakers. Or plug it into a stove outlet (mine is close to the garage).
I have tried small 110v units and found them useless compared to the Carmen. The detergent injection is the key, with that there is no need to pre-soak anything. And the 220v version.
anybody ever tried the dry ice method my local porsche dealer offers.....for clean beyond clean ??
It works better than steam from what I have heard, but for DIY the cost is too high. The major issue is you need a large compressor to supply the air and then you need dry ice pellets, plus the blasting equipment. There is a shop near me that offers the service but they want 1k just to do the undercarriage. When they first started offering it I enquired and was told by the shop owner that it “cleans right down to the factory primer”. That kinda scared me, along with the price.
Boca, you have to be a little careful here. Bob has a low miles 91 GT with only slightly more miles than my 90 GT. Dave looks to have had quite a bit of work done on his car with some new plating.
I see side with Bob in this discussion. The alternator and some other things worry me quite a bit on a 928, if you want to wash it down. From my view point, it depends on how much free time and know-how you have plus the past history of your car.
If I wanted everything clean, I would pull the motor and do the head gaskets and all other things that need to be done on these after 30 years. But that's me. I don't think I would be satisified just cleaning what ever is easily cleaned.
03-17-2019, 10:22 AM
engine cleaning?
