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Engine cleaning advice needed
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.
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Chad 2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE 1998 Acura 3.0 CL OBK#44 "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) SOLD 1985 300TD - Red Dragon 1986 300SDL - Coda 1991 - 300TE 1995 - E320 1985 300CD - Gladys |
#2
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Use an orange/citrus based cleaner rather than something like "greased lightning". The ingredients in GL can stain the aluminum.
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-Evan Benz Fleet: 1968 UNIMOG 404.114 1998 E300 2008 E63 Non-Benz Fleet: 1992 Aerostar 1993 MR2 2000 F250 |
#3
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Do you have any tricks you can share to make this as easy and clean as possible?
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Chad 2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE 1998 Acura 3.0 CL OBK#44 "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) SOLD 1985 300TD - Red Dragon 1986 300SDL - Coda 1991 - 300TE 1995 - E320 1985 300CD - Gladys |
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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.
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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif 15 VW Passat TDI 00 E420 98 E300 DT 97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME! 97 S500 97 E300D 86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D 86 300SDL (o\|/o) |
#5
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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 |
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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
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Chad 2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE 1998 Acura 3.0 CL OBK#44 "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) SOLD 1985 300TD - Red Dragon 1986 300SDL - Coda 1991 - 300TE 1995 - E320 1985 300CD - Gladys |
#7
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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.
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1983 123.133 California - GreaseCar Veg System |
#8
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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 http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=273825 If you want some pictures. |
#9
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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)
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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto '19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled '21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition '95 E300d - SOLD '84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one '81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter |
#10
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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.
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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg |
#11
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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! |
#12
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Just one thing to add to the above...
FACE SHIELD!!! that gunk sure burns in your eyes and mouth!!!
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
#13
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I understand Simple Green can be corrosive to aluminum, let it soak a bit, don't let it dry out, then agitate with a brush and rinse throughly.
BrakeKleen is good stuff too, but pricey.
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83 SD 84 CD |
#14
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Hahaha! Yeah, this could be a real problem on your Diesel engine...
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[/SIGPIC]~cirrusman 1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD - Wife calls him "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" [SIGPIC] 1983 Toyota Tercel (Tommy, The little Toyota that could) 1965 Ford F100 (Grandma Ford) 2005 Toyota Sienna (Elsa, Wife's ride) Gone: 1988 Toyota Pickup 2004 Subaru Outback 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham 1986 Volvo 740 GL Station Wagon - Piece of junk. 1981 Volvo 242 DL 2 Door - Hated to see it go. R.I.P. 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT |
#15
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I use over cleaner,then spray off with high pressure water.
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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran |
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