best way to get grime off the bottom

What's the best, simples, least messy way to get grime off the bottom of my engine, oil pan etc, so I can see where the oil there is coming from.

no matter how you do it its gonna be messy........here in iraq we've used simple green and a pressure washer..............it works really well, however i dont think i'd use that method on my cherokee or my cj....plain water and some good engine degreaser would prolly work the best. depends on the person and what they like to use i suppose......


Kris

Any degreaser will work fine. Be carefull not to get your electronics (esp TPS) covered in that stuff and don't blast them with water. If you're really worried about the mess you will no doubt be making, go to one of those coin operated car washes and do it there.

Hawaiian Style said:

Any degreaser will work fine. Be carefull not to get your electronics (esp TPS) covered in that stuff and don't blast them with water. If you're really worried about the mess you will no doubt be making, go to one of those coin operated car washes and do it there.

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Yea, just don't get caught, I still get dirty looks from the owner of the local one after I took my XJ in there one monday afternoon after a really muddy drive over our blue mountain on a power line. The big chunks of red clay really ticked him off plus there were 3 of us all in different bays. Now theres a big sign out there 'No trail or construction mud cleaning please' underneath the 'No engine cleaning please' sign, I'm waiting for the 'No excessively dirty cars or trucks' sign next Heck, theres an idea, I may put one up myself and see how long it takes him to notice it Screw that baby in with tamper proof screws :laugh2:
The stuff you use on a warm engine does the best, not a hot engine, warm, spray it on then using gentle water [no power nozzle or thumbs in the end] rinse the stuff off without splattering. I like to spray it on then move it around and break it up with one of those round parts cleaning brushes with the stiff bristles. I've even gotten the gunk in a can, the kind with a small parts basket in it and used that with the brush, that works well also.

I asked the local owner of the spray and wash, he said, they got oil seperators built in, he has no problem with me washing my motor, just don´t use degreaser, because it messes with the seperators. Asked him about mud, he said spray as much as you can into the trap, I pay "the punk" to clean it out.
A week later, as I was washing a ton of mud into the catch basin, the punk came out, yelling and screaming, waving his arms in the air. Sprayed his rear, while he was walking away, with a grin, an "Ooops" and a, "I´m sorry slipped". :moon:
Simple Green and a high pressure cleaner, avoid the sensors and connectors as much as possible. A set of drive up ramps helps also.

OK here's the deal. Based on advice here, I called a local coin operated car wash and the owner said you could clean an engine there with degreaser, so I guess I can clean the bottom too.

Its a fairly long way from where I live and I haven't ever been to or used a coin operated car wash, so I don't know how its set up. How do these coin operated washes work and how would I clean the bottom of my engine in a coin operated car wash.

At home I'd have to get under the xj (5 inch lift) and scrub or wipe or brush.
(But I'm trying to avoid the mess on my driveway) Can I get under the vehicle in a coin operated wash, or how do I get to underneath the vehicle in one of these washes. Can I lie under it like I'd do in my driveway.
Is there a pit, etc. Anything else I should prepare or take with me before I go there.

Its a little far from where I live, othewise I'd just drive over and scout things out, so though these question may seem a bit niave (how do you clean the bottom of a car in a coin operated car wash) and I feel a little bit funny asking so basic a question, I'm hoping you can save me a second trip by explaining it to me step by step before I go, so I can handle it all in just one trip.

basic advice in this forum has saved me from a lot of grief and a lot of money in the past.

Ever heard the term "There's no such thing as a stupid question"? Better to ask now then learn the hard way.

I doubt you'll want to crawl under your XJ on your back and scrub at a car wash. With 5"s of lift though you should be able to blast with the pressure washer pretty well.

Usually a car wash has a sprayer and a brush. When you put your quarters in it starts a timer that allows you to select from plain water, soap, wax, and sometimes even degreaser stuff. It's important to work fast because time flys and a simple wash can start to cost some $$. HTH.

Take a crawler with you, they can be pretty cheap in the mart type parts stores. That way you can scoot around on the ground w/o getting nasty...

I take a set of drive up ramps, gets the front an extra foot in the air and borrow, my sons roller blade knee pads. Move the ramps around back, and clean over the gas tank. Might want to have a close look, before you go and spot the worst places, kind of hard to see, when the water is spraying all over.
Probably not gonna get it all, in one trip, I do it every couple or three months. Unless, I go charging through the mud, then I get it off as quick as possible. And after winter is over, once a week, for three weeks (salt kills).
Probably always gonna be some spots, you will miss, object is to clean it regularly and not let it build up.
Make good use, of your clean motor and undercarriage, do a thorough inspecting with a flashlight, check for rubbing cables and what not. Check your brake lines, for rust that has eaten in some (surface rust doen´t mean much).
There is usually a rinse function on the dial, something to think about before you run out of quarters.
I usually avoid degreaser, unless it´s serious grime. Not really necessary (penetrating oil works just as well) and there are often warnings about spraying it on rubber and seals anyway. Besides the stuff, being poison and unnecessary, bio soap (or just the water pressure alone) often leaves a very thin film of oil, that protects against rust. When using degreaser, it often takes the oil off completely and promotes rust.
Regularly, cleaning the motor and underbody, especially in salt and mud country, really pays off in the long run.

Hawaiian Style is right, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people who ask questions.

However I don't think you should use the foaming brush provided. I sure wouldn't want to be the next person to use it after you scrubbed the crap out from under your rig.

lapaul said:

What's the best, simples, least messy way to get grime off the bottom of my engine, oil pan etc, so I can see where the oil there is coming from.

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1. Buy cheap terry cloth rags from Home Depot.

2. Take XJ to self-serve car wash .... use degreaser mode and nozzle if they have one. Or take a bottle of simple green, spray underside of motor ... then power-spray underside only. Please don't use the brush as it leaves grime for the next unsuspecting patron. Avoid giving yourself a bath ... I usually take coveralls and knee-high rubber deck boots ... stuff flies all over including the grease.

3. Go home, crawl underneath, and start cleaning the residue using those cheap HD throw-away rags.

4. You're done.