Hello all; I am new to the forum so please bear with me.

The engine (both top and bottom) of the engine on my 1984 300D is greasy and grimy. It will be easy to spray degreaser on the top of the engine and use the high pressure wand at the car wash. The underside, however is another story.

I can certainly get under there and spray degreaser and use a wire brush to loosen up the grease and grime. I'm thinking after spraying the underside of the engine with degreaser, a hot water pressure washer with a special wand attachment would be the best for breaking all the crud loose.

I'm also wondering if I could use a regular cold water pressure washer hooking up the supply line to my 50 gallon house hot water heater? I just installed a new 50 gallon hot water heater so there is plenty of hot water.

Would this arrangement work? Could I damage the hot water heater if I accidentally run it empty? Just an idea.

trying to save a few nickels.....

You can’t run a water heater empty… if you mean use up the hot water, then no, it should not damage anything.
If you mean, actually empty the tank, as in, remove water from it, then yes, THAT will damage an electric, or gas water heater.

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My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
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1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
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Cover the alternator and the injection pump, clean the pump manually with a brush. Thermal shock to the injection pump isn't good. Hot water does make a difference.

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

FWIW, I have been overjoyed with my handy dandy enviro steamer for cleaning crud. A handy wand steamer with some brush attachments will work wonders on de greasing an engine bay, and given the small actual water usage, is a lot less messy than hosing things down. You can always pre-treat with a degreaser and then hit it with the steam to dislodge the grime. Very controllable and easy to keep away from sensitive electronics.

Just a thought

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Stable Mates:
1987 300TD 310K mi (Hans)
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee OM642 165k mi (Benzrokee)

You will have to consult the instructions on your power washer to see if it can take hot water.

Not sure what is going on in vstech's mind but in my state all of the water heaters I have ever seen have a drain valve at the bottom where you parodically are supposed to us it to flush out scale at the bottom of the thank. However, those are natural gas fired water heaters.

I have never seen an electric water heater installed or paid attention to them in the hardware store, so I don't know if they have that bottom valve or not.

Also, the valves on the newer tanks are not as sturdy as the old brass ones. They tend to be of some plastic or if metal the valve stem you turn is plastic. Handle with care.

When I first got my Mercedes it to 3 cans of engine degreaser to get only fairly degreased. I put it up on ramps to do the underside. It did get me far enough to find that the coronach oil leak was the valve cover.

It was so bad that the whole of the transmission from top to bottom was covered with layers or dried oil and dirt. I did not have a pressure washer. Just a regular hose nozzle that had narrow stream.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

It is not recommended to use a hot water pressure washer or connect a cold water pressure washer to your home's hot water supply to clean the underside of your engine. This is because the high pressure and hot water can cause damage to the sensitive components of your engine and electrical systems, and can even strip away protective coatings and finishes.

Instead, it is recommended to use a degreaser and a wire brush to loosen up the grime and grease, followed by a regular garden hose with a spray nozzle to rinse it off. You can also use a plastic scraper or putty knife to gently remove any stubborn buildup.

If you want to use a pressure washer, it is recommended to use a cold water pressure washer with a lower PSI (pressure per square inch) setting, and to keep the wand at least 12-18 inches away from the engine components. You should also avoid spraying directly at sensitive areas such as the electrical system and alternator, and cover any exposed electrical components with plastic or tape to prevent water damage.

In any case, it is important to take care when cleaning the underside of your engine to avoid causing damage to the components, and to ensure that the engine is properly dried off afterwards to prevent corrosion.

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