Engine cleaning advice needed - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Chad300tdt · #1 05-26-2010, 09:41 AM

I have my wagon off the road and ready for a series of fairly involved repairs.

The oil pan leaks, the spot where the oil pressure gauge meets the filter housing is crusty and may be leaking (but it may be the gasket behind that housing), and the turbo drain is leaking at the top under the turbo and at the bushing where it enters the oil pan.

My question is this:

What should I use to clean all the crud off. I was considering climbing underneath and spraying everything with Simple Green Degreaser and then wiping it off.

I don't want to risk pressure washing it since I don't want any chance of water getting in the oil pan through the almost non existent grommet at the turbo drain to oil pan intersection.

Any thoughts or advice??
I know this isn't going to make it perfectly clean, but I'm hoping to get it clean enough to see what I'm doing with these oil leak repairs and then take it to pressure wash the remainder of the engine once that stuff is sealed up.

KarTek · #2 05-26-2010, 09:43 AM

Use an orange/citrus based cleaner rather than something like "greased lightning". The ingredients in GL can stain the aluminum.

Chad300tdt · #3 05-26-2010, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

Use an orange/citrus based cleaner rather than something like "greased lightning". The ingredients in GL can stain the aluminum.

Will that stuff cut through the 20+ year layer of THICK sludge that is coating the underside of everything? I don't mid a bit of elbow grease, but I don't want to spend all day spraying, waiting, scraping, wiping, spraying, waiting, scraping, wiping, rinsing.

Do you have any tricks you can share to make this as easy and clean as possible?

warmblood58 · #4 07-13-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

Use an orange/citrus based cleaner rather than something like "greased lightning". The ingredients in GL can stain the aluminum.

I agree! I like to use a garden sprayer filled with really hot water. I pump it up and can pinpoint the spray exactly where I need it and the hot water really helps remove the crud. I sometimes use "Dawn" dishwashing liquid as a presoak and use a parts brush to physically agitate the heavy grease areas and let it penetrate for an hour and then spray off. You can use your compressor to blow away residual water and voila, clean engine! Pressure washers down low (below IP) work well too - good luck!

TX76513 · #5 05-26-2010, 10:05 AM

Both degreasers mentioned are fine but you need to visit the dollar store and get an assortment of brushes. Those long handled dish brushes are great for knooks and crannies. You will need to put some elbow grease into this to get good results. I do use a pressure washer on certain areas that are void of electrical and vacuum lines also.

#6 05-26-2010, 10:07 AM

I'm old enough that I remember the days when we could actually buy and USE solvents that worked to cut oil and grease. Simple Green seems to be about as strong as is politically correct to use these days.

I drove and maintained over 800,000 miles of MB diesels and one of the many advantages of them was that you could pressure wash these engines into total submission with no risk of any kind. Even if you DID get a little forced through something and make it's way to the oil pan a proper frequency of oil changes will take care of this with no trouble.

On modern cars with all their electronics, I just sort of lightly spray around to keep the oil, grease and dirt knocked off without the chance of forcing water into critical electrical connectors. With my old MB diesels OTOH I pressure washed them with great intensity and NEVER suffered any ills from the practice.

If I were about to dive into a project on my old MB diesels, I rarely had to make a special trip to the car wash because I KEPT them clean. That said, if you need to clean up before a project, simply take a pair of ramps to the car wash with you and wear some nasty clothes that you don't mind getting wet. Drive it onto the ramps in the wash bay and GET WITH IT! Don't worry, just clean.

Make sure not to get any water in the distributor cap though

Chad300tdt · #7 05-26-2010, 10:24 AM

I feel unsafe taking the car to a car wash since the last time I took it for a drive, the right front wheel was wobbling pretty bad. I'm assuming it's due to the split boots on both ends of the tie rod assembly and all the other soft, brittle and crumbling bushings.

It's so bad that when I apply the brakes the front right wheel wobbles ... and yes the bearings are fine and less than a year old.

Maybe it's due in part to the idler arm bushing that feels like gummy candy.

Here's the thread where I'll be documenting all the progress through these repairs:
http://www.peachparts.com//shopforum/showthread.php?p=2474394#post2474394

DeliveryValve · #8 05-26-2010, 10:36 AM

If you do take it to the car wash. Make sure you get your engine cool down significantly before spraying it with water. Spraying cold water on an IP while hot can possibly do damage to it.

.

andrewjtx · #9 05-26-2010, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

That said, if you need to clean up before a project, simply take a pair of ramps to the car wash with you and wear some nasty clothes that you don't mind getting wet. Drive it onto the ramps in the wash bay and GET WITH IT! Don't worry, just clean.

+1

I've done this a few times lately. I have a self-serve wash right outside my neighborhood. So a slow, short drive gets me down there without too much heat. I've cleaned around the IP even without a single problem. You just don't want to come off a hard drive and do this.

Also be sure to bring a GOOD flashlight. The lighting in most car washes is about as horrible as the drain smells.

You'll kick yourself when you've just blown all your quarters, come home and in the light of your garage you see half-done pressure washing around your problem areas. (This is why I've done this a few times lately)

cirrusman · #10 05-26-2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryBible

Make sure not to get any water in the distributor cap though

Hahaha! Yeah, this could be a real problem on your Diesel engine...

oldsinner111 · #11 05-26-2010, 01:07 PM

I use over cleaner,then spray off with high pressure water.

Stretch · #12 05-26-2010, 10:54 AM

I cleaned up the front of my OM617 engine with brake cleaner - the can said it was environmentally friendly - probably an expensive way to do it but it was quick!

See

OM617 Front crankshaft seal nightmare - should I re-align the upper oil pan?

If you want some pictures.

#13 05-26-2010, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

I cleaned up the front of my OM617 engine with brake cleaner - the can said it was environmentally friendly - probably an expensive way to do it but it was quick!

See

OM617 Front crankshaft seal nightmare - should I re-align the upper oil pan?

If you want some pictures.

This is the common method at your local race track. No one wants any oil on a race track and there's no pressure washer nearby. Racers carry lots of Brake Kleen in their trailer so if they have an oil leak, they can repair it and clean it on the spot. Expensive? Yes! Effective? Yes!

fdanielson · #14 05-26-2010, 02:09 PM

Whenever I'm in a no-hose-down situation I fill up a spray bottle with mineral spirits and use that along with a parts cleaning brush. If you're really serious get one of those engine cleaning air guns with the tube to suck up solvents - http://www.harborfreight.com/engine-cleaning-gun-97014.html. Get a big aluminum foil roaster pan or a drip try to slide under the engine and go to town. The solvent will run down into the pan and you can pour it into a container and let the dirt settle out and re-use it for more cleaning. That's how I cleaned the 20 years of nasty off of our old van engine when I had it on the stand in the garage.

MBeige · #15 05-26-2010, 11:13 AM

Let it soak with the cleaning agent of your choice, get some cheap brushes (with extensions if you need to), take it up on ramps, or even get compressed air if you'll do it at home. The air is fine to use if you do not want water. It will not be as potent, but it should work. Cover your ears!

Might even be better to remove air cleaner housing prior to cleaning the turbo return pipe area, to get better access.

As an alternative, diesel fuel will degrade rubber, so it should also work on the grime. Then again, you'll want to make sure it focuses on the grime and not on other rubber bits. Kerosene works too.