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Best way to clean the motor?

jeeperguy21

jeeperguy21

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Syracuse, UT
Next week I am going to be replacing the RMS, oil filter o-rings, valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, etc and I think it would be a good idea to get all the old oil buildup from all these leaks cleaned off the motor so a) I don't have that crap falling in my face all day while I'm working on it and b) so I can more easily identify where the oil leaks are coming in the future (because they surely will eventually return.)

Are those "engine degreasers" any good at the self spray car washes any good? Looking for some ideas...
 
NO the engine degreaser at the car wash is no good. Go for some purple power, simple green, or super clean. When I cleaned mine i used purple power and it took 90% of the cake off the engine with a power washer. I used carb cleaner to get the rest of the crap off. And dont use the power washer on the distributor cap or the fuse box.
 
After applying one of those products, would it be helpful to power wash the metal parts, or are you recommending applying that stuff and then wiping it off with a towel?

I'm looking for the quickest and most efficient way. Good tip on avoiding the distributor cap and fuse box.
 
Another good product family is WD40, Liquid Wrench, CRC, PB Blaster etc...

Peel off a few pcs of tinfoil, mask off your distrib cap, ECM (or the funky RENIX 101 connector) fuse box/relays, and air filter.

While the engine is warm (not so screaming hot that the crap bursts aflame when it hits the exh man) hose that stuff all over...repeat on the xtra funky areas, wait a bit for it to soak in...

If you are in the sun belt, lay your hose out in it for awhile, it'll toastify the water... if you are in the arctic, hook the hose up to your HWH.

Then have at it. Repeat as neccesary.
 
Is it worth it to take it to a detailing place and have them do it there? I hear they do good work...
 
"I hear they do good work..."

Holy S#!t! ROTFLMAO and all that.

I'd rather trust some random dude to bikini-wax my old lady than touch anything under my vehicles hood... especially with a water hose. But I'm funny that way.

It's your Jeep and your coins... good luck.
 
if u have any way of using a a steam pressure washer, if not then as mentioned above lay the water hose in the sun, i have good luck with the purple cleaner soak the engine with purple cleaner, drive it to the car wash and then pressure clean the engine just my .02 worth
 
dinorl007 said:
if u have any way of using a a steam pressure washer, if not then as mentioned above lay the water hose in the sun, i have good luck with the purple cleaner soak the engine with purple cleaner, drive it to the car wash and then pressure clean the engine just my .02 worth
Click to expand...

I think that's the best suggestion yet. I'll give that a try. Thanks.
 
Have a friend that details cars and this was his advised on how to clean/detail a dirty engine bay.

1. with engine still warm spary on a good degreaser and let is still a couple minutes to good.
2. put on a heavy pair of cotton gloves that you don't care about, soak in water and wash the engine by hand that way you can get your fingers in all the nook and crannies of the engine and compartment.
3. do it in sections left side, then front, then right hosing down and applying degreaser as to go to each section.
4. Once done give a once over to hit any spots missed spary it off and let it dry.
 
GUNK original. 2 cans if its bad.
 
I always used to go to the quarter ($1.75) now and clean the shit out of everything just trying to avoid the main electrical areas. After reading all the forum stuff though, now, I would stick to degreaser and garden hose.
 
i've had excellent luck with "purple cleaner" and the pressure wand at the local car wash(the water is usually warm for some reason). spray the purple clean on a nice warm engine, give it about 5-10 minutes, and hose it down-avoiding electrical stuff. i've never had a problem doing this, done it probably a dozen times on various vehicles.
 
I've only had one mishap using the quater wash, trying to untangle the hose I sprayed the TPS at close range, it died.
I do like Woody suggested, for the serious stuff I spray it down with penetrating oil and let it soak for awhile, then use Simple Green over that. I have a collection of brushes, that combined, seem to get into most of the hard to reach places. A little scrubbing and then a pressure wash takes of about 90% of the junk. Trying for the last ten percent usually causes more problems than it solves.
I wrap the trouble spots with tin foil and even then avoid them with a direct spray.
I used to use degreaser, but the guy who owns the quarter wash asked me not to, he said it messed up his oil/grease trap. Other than that, he had no problem with me cleaning my motor there. I switched to Simple Green (I'm willing to meet the owner half way) it works nearly as well as degreaser in most cases.
 
I don't understand the obsession with pressure wash. What is wrong with just wiping things? Why risk damaging anything at all? Even worse is the obsession people seem to have with using toxic chemicals like penetrating oil, brakleen, etc... It's like just because the product exists you feel the need to spray your engine bay with it, and by extension the environment, water table, and every surface you get the substance on. There are nontoxic substances that work, like Simple Green.
 
Last edited:
Do what you think is best for yours.

I use the purple stuff (it's biodegradable). I disconnect the TPS and IAC and put a gallon size baggie over them to keep them dry.

Warm the engine, spray liberally with purple stuff, let sit. Add a bit of water (gentle spray) from my hose. Use an old dust pan brush with soft nylon bristles, to scrub around where I can. Then rinse.

I have a decent size shop vac that I use to "blow dry" afterwards, meaning I use it to blow off the larger puddles of standing water around anything electrical (dist, coil, plugs, FI) and anywhere else I feel like.

I do basically the same thing for the trans, diff and any other part of the undercarriage.

Mine is my DD and is pretty oil tight so it's mostly dust and road grime. I clean it about monthly so it's never too bad.
 
Agree the key is to keep it clean! Do it prior to spring and fall service as required, and then work on a clean engine=NICE!

I use a 1 gallon garden sprayer, the kind you pump up with a hose and wand. Use hand dish washing detergent like Dawn, 1/2 to 1 cup in a gallon of water. Just pump it up for a good GENTLE MIST and get a good coating on all except those electrical areas mention above. let soak 20 minutes or so. Get the garden hose nozzle to a FINE GENTLE MIST ONLY. Rinse off well and repeat if needed. A cleaning brush helps on a few areas as required, but the detergent mainly does the work.

Finish up with the ShopVac blow dry as mentioned above really makes it easy to get the pools of water in sparkplug recesses, and other areas, blows the water out without excessive pressure.

When its really clean-KEEP IT THAT WAY!!!

Its easy once you get it clean!

(Kinda freaks people out to see a 'old' jeep with a CLEAN Engine compartment-lol!)
 
winkosmosis said:
I don't understand the obsession with pressure wash. What is wrong with just wiping things? Why risk damaging anything at all? Even worse is the obsession people seem to have with using toxic chemicals like penetrating oil, brakleen, etc... It's like just because the product exists you feel the need to spray your engine bay with it, and by extension the environment, water table, and every surface you get the substance on. There are nontoxic substances that work, like Simple Green.
Click to expand...

so the simple green will remove the grease and oil and deposit it where?

I can't understand the obsession with putting rags soiled with grease and oil into our landfills either.:D
 
Shorty said:
so the simple green will remove the grease and oil and deposit it where?

I can't understand the obsession with putting rags soiled with grease and oil into our landfills either.:D
Click to expand...

That's just dry grease though, and landfills are sealed from the surrounding soil. When you spray stuff and wash it away, it's going into your local rivers eventually. I just get annoyed with how people casually use toxic chemicals without even thinking about the effects on the environment, their own health, their families, etc.
 
I have been using pressure washers at the coin car wash for over30 years. Just stay off the distributer and tps. A few dollars works wonders. Also after removing the oil pan on a RMS job take the pan back there for a good cleaning ,just spray in out with brake clean before reinstalling.
 
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