RE: Cleaning engine woes (long)

From: Ray Block (bpracing@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Tue May 30 2006 - 06:06:50 EDT


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Kramarsky
>
> So today I decided to clean the engine with some Simple Green. I first
> covered the
> battery, the PCM, the distributor, and the alternator with some plastic
> garbage bags.

Just FYI...really no need to cover the battery, PCM or alternator.

> Then sprayed the whole manifold and the valve covers with Simple Green.
> I worked the
> heavily greased areas with an old toothbrush.

Gunk might work better on heavy grease.

> Then using a bucket I splashed water on
> the manifold several times to rinse off the simple green.

You don't have a hose?

> After the cleaning I took the plastic garbage bags off and started the
> engine. I had
> some mis-fires going on 'cause the spark plug boots at the spark plugs
> were arc over to
> the heat shaileds.

That shouldn't happen with quality wires. Remove the stupid heat shields.
Your life will be so much better.

> After putting the boots back on, it started right up and sounded ok.
> But wait,
> theres a strange sound, i looked around and to my dismay the alternator
> was making a
> whining sound that wasnt there before. The whine is coming from the
> backplate on the
> alternator. "Awe crap", i said. "It must have got wet somehow".

Water, cleaning solution, whatever, isn't going to hurt the alternator.
Think about this....4x4 trucks and Jeeps used for off-roading routinely go
through creeks and such and as long as you keep water out of the air intake
they work just fine. That's why they sell snorkels. When I worked at a
garage (many years ago) we offered an engine steam cleaning service. All
we protected was the distributor and air inlet. Everything else was fair
game for the steam cleaning and that will get into places that a bucket of
water never will. I have washed the engine of all my vehicles (yearly) for
the past 40 years. Other than the occasional condensation in a distributor
cap I have never had a problem.

> So, what should i do? -dan k.

Take it for a drive at highway speeds to get everything dried off and write
back to us.

Ray

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