The engine in the 1984 300DT has some oil leaks which makes working on it more troublesome. I'm thinking I need to clean both the top and bottom of the engine and transmission to help identify where the oil leaks are coming from. I also have a kit that uses a dye and an ultraviolet light to help locate the leaks.

As to cleaning the engine and tranny, I've located two possibilities; one, a place that does professional pressure waashing for large heavy equipment and semi-tractor trucks. two, an auto detail business that uses a powerful steam cleaner.

Obviously steam uses far less water which might be safer for the engine and transmission. Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated.....

In the past, I used a bottle with hand pump and hose filled with purple power (a garden sprayer essentially), then power washer on "idle" (without hitting the trigger), to have a delicate water rinse. You can dry it off with some shop towels.
Of course you need to agitate the purple power with some brushes, let it sit for a while, then repeat.

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For super extra greasy stuff

Some old used atf mixed with some kerosene or straight atf can dissolve and loosen a lot of the grease that has built up, one needs to setup a junked kiddie pool under the car.

Then go ahead and use the industrial soap and powerwasher.

so....the water from a power washer won't hurt the engine? Should the power washer be 2000 psi or LESS so as not to damage or intrude into the engine?

I would have been better off with a higher quality spray cans of engine greaser but I used several cans of that and had bought harbor freight pressure washer. It worked but I needed to do it several times. (Removed the Cylinder Head and Transmission job still not over with.)

Note that is the only experience I have had with a pressure washer. Likely the Harbor Freight one is not the best.

Something that can handle hot water will work better.

Where I worked they had an ancient hot water/steam pressure washer and it worked but you still had to redo with it to get stuff cleaned and there was still an oily film (this had no facility for any detergent or chemical to be sprayed).

Previously I just used as spray cans of greaser as many times as was needed and a Garden Hose with a restricted nozzle.

For maintenance (engine cold) a pump spray bottle with Purple Power let to soak in for a few hours and the mentioned garden hose and nozzle kept it from building up until I stopped doing that.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

No matter what method of cleaning us used if the mess is on the underside something to raise the vehicle up gets what ever chemicals you are using to where you need it better as well as the ability to wash it off.

Also lying on the ground while spraying with a pressure washer can have you laying in the Water. I laid on top of Harbor Freight foam anti-fatigue mats. Kept me 3/8 ths of an inch off of the ground. Still got a little wet.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

No matter what method of cleaning us used if the mess is on the underside something to raise the vehicle up gets what ever chemicals you are using to where you need it better as well as the ability to wash it off.

Also lying on the ground while spraying with a pressure washer can have you laying in the dirty Water. I laid on top of Harbor Freight foam anti-fatigue mats. Kept me 3/8 ths of an inch off of the ground. Still got a little wet.

The foam mats are nice to lay on while working on your vehicle. I never liked creepers.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I cleaned up both of my cars with the cheapo power washer from Harbor Freight. Portland. This has been a really great too for finding leaks. Also it’s good for cleanup if I spill a lot of oil on the car during a repair. Also it’s good to clean up the engine before I work on it.

I struggled with leak finding till I got this tool. It really doesn’t need too much soap because the pressure just blows the soft guck off the engine. Dawn in the bubble gun attachment helps get things squeaky clean.

I settled on Dawn. I wanted to try that awesome purple Makers Mark degreaser that Rollguy uses. His cars are amazingly clean. I never got around to acquiring it and I ended up using Dawn dish detergent. I don’t live near Sams club.

Cold water. Got all the crud and tar off the engine and trans. Once it was clean enough I found all the leaks and replaced the usual gaskets…like six of them on each car. Miraculously the leaks stopped. I have some very slow weeping now but never enough to leave drips on my white driveway.

Neighbors gave me dirty looks as I power washed my engine. Greenies. I figure the same stuff is coming off everyone else’s car in the street and flowing down the storm drain. I’m just getting it in one shot.

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79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles

Oven cleaner for me. It's sodium hydroxide like many of the popular degreasers but it sticks to the vertical surfaces better.

DO NOT USE HIGH PRESSURE ! .

It will force water into places it shouldn't go and cause you future problems .

Whatever you use, use it with a soft bristle brush and work it around until you have a greasy soppy mess then rinde it off with the garden hose or other low pressure water jet .

It generally takes a few tries to get things really clean .

As mentioned, once you have the engine and tranny clean and dry you can fairly easily spot the individual leaks, weeps and seeps and address them one by one .

No matter what you're going to need to work from the bottom up if you want a really good job .

Buy some jack stands and a plastic creeper, it's easier to clean off after each use .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I just used 4 or 5 cans of engine degreaser, then rinsed off with water

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1977 240D auto w/OM616.916 engine
2005 Matrix 5spd
2006 Prius

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easy off oven cleaner spray, and warm motor

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

I would be too tempted to drink a Makers Mark degreaser....

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Theseus

Instragram: doss_project
1984 300SD - 930 Blue, OM 617
Murfreesboro, TN

Theseus owned a ship in Greek mythology, and when a part of the ship needed replacing, it was replaced. Eventually, everything was replaced. Is it the same ship? (I own the car of Theseus. )

The old standby Gunk Engine Brite #EB1 is good stuff if horribly toxic .

It will also kill off any grass / plant life so mind the run off .

When first you begin it's great to soften up the deep & thick gooey sludge up underneath the manifolds and block, once you've cleaned it well I find the purple stuff works just as well and is far cheaper .

Oven cleaners do work well but some have chemicals that will attack your alloy parts and plastic plus give you skin burns .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Can you list the six "usual" gaskets?