Do you guys wash the engine and if so with it running or not? Just curious. I have noticed that mine gets alot of dust and grime on it and I like it to look clean. So I was just wondering?

I probly will havent done it yet though because ive only had the truck for a month. Ill wash it with the engine off. Some will probly say there is no point in washing the engine but i think its nice to have a clean place to work under there just my opinion though.

I wash mine. Usually use one of the canned engine cleaners from the parts store. Just be careful not to use too much water pressure while rinsing, espeacially around the computer box on the passenger side valve cover.

I rinse it off every time I wash my truck, either by garden hose or car wash pressure. Just don't point it too close in the critical areas. Also, I leave it running, most of the time. As mentioned above I like a clean work environment . After, 20+ years, 7 trucks, 4 cars I haven't had any problems. Knock, knock, knock.

Yes... rinsing is fine but be careful. I don't know about the LLY but the LB7 has a little breather on the passenger side of the engine. It's on the FCM (fuel control module) attached to the top of the valve over. That breather is to allow heat and pressure to escape the electronics inside. It's about 1/2" in dia. and yellow with a sticker that says no high pressure water.

I cleaned mine every few months. Garden hose pressure only and kept the stream away from that port.

Also do not spray the engine when it's hot. Especially around the turbo or exhaust. The temperature change can crack parts.Edited by: hoot

Also, I use only liquid dish soap or car wash soap. I once used an "engine cleaner". It smelled like diesel fuel and was designed for REALLY DIRTY engines. My truck smelled for a month! Warm sudsy dish soap works fine, rinse well, let dry with hood open for an hour or so, start it and let the engine heat do the drying.


I once started the engine IMMEDIATELY after washing and my alternator was arcing/crackling from water. SPICER

I've also pressure washed all my previous gasser engines about every 5K miles while it is cold. Just don't squirt the obvious electronis stuff. Almost ready to do my Dmax for the first time. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

I wash mine every time I do an oil change. I let it get stone cold. I use mineral spirits and spray it off with the garden hose nozzle. Then I soak it down with something like sudsy ammonia and let it sit for a while then spray it with the hose again. Been doing it for a lot of years with a lot of vehicles with no problems.Edited by: ag4gt

I use 303 products. BlueOx turned me on to it. Just dilute the cleaner, spray on engine(I covered critical areas with plastic bags), rinse off with low spray from garden hose, then apply protectant and wipe with paper towels. Comes out looking shiny but not greasy. Now every month I'll just spray with hose to rinse off dust. I repeat the whole process every 6-7 months to keep it up. Hope it helps.


LA DMAX

Definitley wash a cool engine. Metal will fracture or crack when cold water is applied to hot metal.

I wash mine every time I do an oil change. I let it get stone cold. I use mineral spirits and spray it off with the garden hose nozzle.



What do the mineral spirits do for you?

It cuts the grease and oil. You will find that mineral spirits is one of the "petroleum distillates" in most cleaners. The soap and ammonia cleans up whatever film is left behind.

Another cleaner that works really well for this application is Simple Green. It will clean just about anything and does include a degreaser in it's formula to help cut the engine grime. Edited by: bluenote

Well.. I'm not sure about washing out mineral spirits like that.. theyre not very eco friendly.. and can cause cancer. Many of them have clear instructions that say "do not dispose into the drain".. I dont think they break down easily.. and they kill all life in the body of water they get into. Not trying to step on anyone's toes.. just pointing something out :)


I use engine degreaser all the time.. and as long as you wash it off, it doesnt seem to smell at all..


Maybe you get some stuck in areas your not able to wash off??


I remember I spillt some tranny fluid on my engine and the damn thing stunk/smoked for weeks!!


ram

I just take the rag and ring it out, then wipe down the engine. I try to do that everytime, it seems to work good. I also use a 50/50 mix of simple green in spray bottle for the hard to get out spots.


Happy cleaninghttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

Definitley wash a cool engine. Metal will fracture or crack when cold water is applied to hot metal.





Oh, I'm sure if it gets hot enough and you water is cold enough that might happen.


I could do it at home but dirt, oils, fuel, etc. would get on the driveway or yard.


The closest pressure car wash it about 5 miles from my home. They are equipped to skim off any oils that wash down the drain. Therefore my engine's are ALWAYS hot when I arrive.


I have pressure washed aall my engines at least once a month for 33+ years and have never had a problem.

I have used my 2600 psi pressure washer several times to hose off the engine. I just make sure I keep the tip at least a foot away from anything that looks like it could easily be damaged.


On my last truck I was pressure washing it one day, there was something on the rubber molding around the windshield I adjusted the spray too the needle shape and cut right through the rubber before I knew what was happening. So be careful when cleaning these trucks.

My 2002 has 40,000+ miles and the engine looks new.

I always clean cold. I use the power wash avoiding
the electrics and computer stuff. After the cold wash,
I use lots of cloth towels to buff..........

Looks good. Edited by: 56Nomad

My 2002 has 98000 miles and looks new. I spray 409 dergreaser and let it set for a minute or so then rinse with water hose. Always with the motor cool. I do not crank until it dries. No problems at all.

cut right through the rubber before I knew what was happening. So be careful when cleaning these trucks.


Thin rubber