Gumbys69

I always hand wash the exterior of my car etc but my engine is getting dusty. How do most you clean your engine? Garden hose? Gentle pressure washer?

BAD.TAG

Gentle mist from a hose and wheel brush/tooth brush, being careful not to douse connectors. Then a drive to dry things out.

Sneaky Pete

I have done this with good results. Take a plastic bag and tape it over the air intake. Hose down the engine bay. I have used a diluted degreasing solution. Simple Green or the purple stuff to spray it all over. Let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes and get the power washer out and blast away at a low setting but enough to blow the grime off.

Invius

@Krazy K, where you at? This one is right up your alley!!!

996_North

Watch out for the alternator as well.

Ahsai

+1

alpine003

This opportunity could also potentially uncover any cracked coils as well that need replacing.

Imo000

Washing the engine is just asking for trouble. There isn't much to clean anyways. Blow the dust off with a compressor and wipe down the plastic/rubber parts with some WD40

DBJoe996

First, I would never take a hose or pressure washer to the engine bay! Simply put, there are just too many things that can go wrong. Think of all the sensors and electrical connections on your engine, coils, throttle body, alternator, and so on. Plus the fact that the engine configuration (flat) means there is a large flat area between the cylinder heads. If you've been in there, say replacing the starter, oil cooler o-rings or AOS, you know this to be true and that area collects a lot of crap, so it will collect a large pool of water. Better method is wash car, open engine bay, take your leaf blower and blow it out, then use compressed air to really give it a blast, and finally use a bunch of shop towels to clean it up as far as you can reach. Patience will get you a very clean engine bay.

If you do proceed with hosing down the engine, you better make sure the engine is stone cold. I would even go so far as disconnecting the battery, covering everything electrical, sensors, alternator, starter motor, power steering pump, AC compressor, SAI pump, removing the air filter box and serpentine belt, and probably more than I am thinking of at the moment. I give up, go back and just blow it out with some compressed air...way better and safer.

Sneaky Pete

I really don't see what the big deal is. For us who daily drive and most likely have driven thru the rain and at times a torrential down pour the motor gets plenty wet. The motor is after all exposed from the deck lid (my car is a Aerokit and clear vent holes) and from the underside. I would agree that we should not intentionally soak electrical connection. Once done take the car for a good hour drive to dry it all up.

Macster

While it is true the engine may get wet from sitting in the rain or from washing the car -- at least this is the case with my 996 Turbo (the serpentine belt slips upon engine start as the pulleys/belt dry out) -- washing the engine subjects the engine and engine harness and engine compartment to a lot more water.

The only time I washed my Boxster's engine within a week the spoiler acted up. It has never done this before nor since. Thankfully the spoiler recovered but I have never washed the engine again. And I have never ever washed the engine in my Turbo.

My advice is unless you need to clean the engine prior to working on it don't. Leave it be.

Sneaky Pete

^^^Good point

alpine003

I think KK would disagree with you.

As for electrical connections, most of the electrical connections have the weather proof connectors that are double or triple ribbed grommet around them. There shouldn't be any issues with water getting in those kinds.

I've washed plenty of engines including this one and most just required the alternator and intake areas to be sealed off. YMMV...

Capt. Obvious

I'll save him the effort:

1. Jack up car
2. Remove wheels
3. Drain all fluids from the car
4. Replace fluids
5. Put wheels back on car
6. Take care for a gentle drive to get engine up to operating temperature
7. Immediately return home
8. Jack up car
9. Remove wheels
10. Drain all fluids from the car
11. Remove engine from car
12. Replace anything bolted to engine whether it is worn or not
13. Clean engine with an OCD-level of attention
14. Reinstall engine
15. Replace fluids again
16. Put wheels back on car
17. Start car to make sure it runs
18. Park car in garage
19. Make thread on Rennlist about what an unreliable time bomb your car is

alpine003

^^^^ LOL :hilarious:

I'm sure he helped you selling your car in some ways.(sarcasm)