Whats the best way to clean the engine compartment and components of an 83 300sd. And for that matter a 1990 300SL?

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W126 1983 300SD 286,000 miles and ticking
Baby blue exterior Grey MB tex
Recent work:
Replaced air cleaner mounting brackets and heat shields
Replaced alternator, fan and power steering belts
Replaced positive battery terminal
Replaced negative battery terminal and cord
New Duralast Battery

My car needs work.

Also does anyone know where I can get some xenon or blue light bulbs for the turn signals up front. I have clear corners and I want to upgrade the bulbs but I can't find em anywhere.

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W126 1983 300SD 286,000 miles and ticking
Baby blue exterior Grey MB tex
Recent work:
Replaced air cleaner mounting brackets and heat shields
Replaced alternator, fan and power steering belts
Replaced positive battery terminal
Replaced negative battery terminal and cord
New Duralast Battery

My car needs work.

On the cleaning, there is a consensus that you should not do it with a hot engine. Apparently can mess up some of the important parts (like injectors?).

I simply spray engine cleaner, such as Gunk, on the oily surfaces and apply (using a garden sprayer) warm water and dishwashing detergent to everything else each time I change oil. After waiting awhile, I spray the whole thing down with the hose.

That keeps my engine pretty clean. I also go around after all dries and apply a little light oil or ATF to places where I want things to stay lubricated - like linkages.

Nic
'85 300CD

ok cool thanks I was worried about the hot vs cold engine as I've heard many things before. thanks

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W126 1983 300SD 286,000 miles and ticking
Baby blue exterior Grey MB tex
Recent work:
Replaced air cleaner mounting brackets and heat shields
Replaced alternator, fan and power steering belts
Replaced positive battery terminal
Replaced negative battery terminal and cord
New Duralast Battery

My car needs work.

For Heavens Sake don't put water on any hot metal you don't want to crack....

For cheap degreasing fluid you can buy the Gunk Concentrate and mix it with kerosene at about 9 to one ratio.... then use it like you would the spray on ,,,, let soak as long as possible.. like over night then spray off with hot water....

You can also make a solution of Trisodium Phosphate and water... and brush that on grease and let sit... then hose off with hot water.. Some companies are selling "TSP" , which used to be Trisodium Phosphate, without the phosphate.. which was the effective cleaning agent... you may can get a box at places like Home Depot where it is sold for cleaning oils and stuff off home walls before repainting...

NIC, it can crack the block....

The biggest thing that can (most likely will) be damaged is the injector pump. The tolerances are so tight that if it's warm and you spray cold water on it, the metal will shrink...but at differing rates. The chances of breaking something in there is extremely high.

If the water's cold and the engine's at normal operating temperature, the possiblility of cracking the block and/or head exists, but I think the instructions on most cans of engine degreaser tell you to take a cold engine and drive it for 5 minutes or so to get it warm enough to make a difference but not warm enough to risk breaking stuff. However, you still risk damaging the injector pump by following those instructions, so I suggest doing it with a cold engine. In fact, many diesel manufacturers suggest that you don't degrease or steam-clean the engine at all...but IMHO cleanliness is safety to an extent, so just be careful.

I used that stuff on a marine 6-71 that hadn't run in over a year, along with letting it sit in the sun for maybe 15 minutes (it was out of the boat), with a water hose. Worked great.

Good luck!

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2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999

I just used my normal car washing soap with warm water on the cold engine. It didnt get the grease off the engine but the intake and turbo hoses and all the other hoses look great. I put some armor all on them and they really shine. The car is still running fine.

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W126 1983 300SD 286,000 miles and ticking
Baby blue exterior Grey MB tex
Recent work:
Replaced air cleaner mounting brackets and heat shields
Replaced alternator, fan and power steering belts
Replaced positive battery terminal
Replaced negative battery terminal and cord
New Duralast Battery

My car needs work.

I stopped using Gunk and went to Simple Green because the Gunk seemed hard on the engine compartment and parts paint.

Simple Green worked pretty good and then one day I tried that Orange colored citrus cleaner. It works much better and easier.