Washing engine ?

[Revolverman]

Can a diesel engine be sprayed off "gently" with high pressure if it gets a little dirty ?

What parts (breather ?) should I stay away from on these engines if it can be done ?

I have washed my dodge truck engine many times while the engine was running with no ill affects and wondered about diesel.

Thanks,

Revolverman

[79Mercy]

Cover the intake and its breather tube as well as the alternator and you should be good to go. Just don't spray water near the oil cap, dipstick, and tranny dipstick with much force, that stands to reason...

[leathermang]

most important part to protect...
do not spray hot or cold water on the IP...

[pawoSD]

I'd say its a bad idea. Cold water on hot IP = bad bad things

Let it be dirty and happy. Thats what I do. If I need to clean part of it I use rags and do it by hand with a cleaner with the engine off.

[bustedbenz]

I've pressure washed mine (fairly low pressure one at the quarter operated car wash, NOT a homeowners gas powered behemoth) pretty much all over several times, with no bad results *YET*. Don't recommend it unless it's your dime if something does go wrong... but it hasn't done any visible damage to any of mine.

[thatguy]

I've never been a big fan of spraying engines. I usually just spend an hour or two painfully cleaning the motor with Simple Green and a old-growth forrest-worth of paper towels. You'd be amazed how clean that can get the engines all over with some time and elbow grease; they look brand new.

[charmalu]

Originally Posted by leathermang

most important part to protect...
do not spray hot or cold water on the IP...

X2 on this one.

I have power washed mine at work using their hot water (steam Cleaner) many times with out any problems. i put it up on ramps and do the under side first. then do the engine from the top side last. then use an air hose and blow off the water.

I don`t cover the alternator, but then don`t blow water directly into it. i remove the air cleaner, cover the turbo inlet.
it sure blows out the brake dust from the calipers.

I have washed the 85 since 97 and the 240 since Feb when we got it. and the 82 Datsun Diesel PU since new.

opinions will vary on this issue as well as about every other issues on these cars. sift through the comments for your ultimate decision.

Charlie

[thayer]

pretty sure the alternator has been sprayed with water everytime it rains. I could be wrong, I've never ridden in the engine compartment.

But....I've sprayed my engine down twice, it just gets oily again. I've also read on this forum that an oily engine is free rustproofing. I thought that was nice.

A clean valve cover is pretty.

[W124 E300D]

Remove engine belly pans

Buy a can of proprietary degreaser / engine cleaner like Jizer.

follow instructions on tin

hose off with hosepipe, no pressure.

grease and lube all appropriate points and linkages that have been degreased by the washing process.

spray duck oil / silicone lube on all electrical contacts and wipe vaseline / petroleum jelly on battery terminals etc to protect from corrosion.

replace belly pans.

job done

(if you engine is leaking fluids, it is bleeding to death, so FIX IT!)

[rscurtis]

I did my '83 300 many times when I first got it, as the PO had run it with the exhaust bellows broken, everything under the hood was black. I used a hot PW with detergent. I would not clean a running engine due to the sensitivity of the injection pump.

[speednjay]

I've lightly sprayed mine down after spray bombing it down with degreaser. Ill never spray a hot or warm engine...always cold and ill let it dry out for a half day before I fire it back up.

[4x4_Welder]

Do not spray the injection pump while the engine is running, it'll cause the plungers to seize and all sorts of bad things to happen. Other than that, clean away. Some areas like the air inlet you probably shouldn't concentrate on, but otherwise you aren't really going to damage anything.

[vstech]

Wait.
you mean all you guys don't get the largest bottle of simple green you can find, and a box of toothbrushes and go to town on every crevice and surface on the car. followed by polishing compound on all the alloy surfaces, then clear coat the polished surfaces and color paint the iron surfaces? aerospace 303 the rubber parts, and generally dust off all electrical and air ducts?
me neither... engine degreaser soaked on a warm engine, and then powerwash the rest off with my 99.00 electric powerwasher on rotate...

[Renntag]

I prefer to have a clean engine bay. This is clearly an example of a well kept machine.
I have been doing this for 20 years with no issues other than a couple instances with a wet ignition distributor on a gasser. I keep all of our diesels CLEAN. Period.
If there is a leak of any kind, I am more apt to see it right away as apposed to everything being a black gunky mess.

What is with all the concern of the IP? Seriously. How can water ever get INTO the IP if the fuel is at such high pressure exiting ? If water can get in at moderate pressure from 12-24" away, then the motor probably runs like crap to begin with. (Fuel leaks, air issues, etc).

My normal procedure is to spray some cleaner on the motor after it is warmed up, sometimes I do this at the local DIY car wash, or at a friends auto repair shop with a steam cleaner. Occasionally I use my own pressure washer at home, but I dont have any means to catch the run off as the car wash and the auto shop does.

For the winter months I spray an anti corrosion coating (Born of the marine industry) on anything that can oxidize, and I always apply die electric grease to electrical connections.

I have had zero issues doing this and when I service my car, I dont look like I just climbed out of a grease pit.

Bottom line is its your investment. If you dont step on cracks while walking on the sidewalk, avoid black cats, and repeatedly knock on wood, then proceed with the utmost caution as the boogy man might finally get you.

[vstech]

I doubt the concern with the IP is getting water into it, it's more a temp change tolerance issue concern with a hot IP getting cooled while running or after recent shutdown and getting damaged by cooling too quickly...