is it safe to clean your engine..

[T2urtle]

my mother's 96 camry 4 banger had a leak in the valve covers in the rear. So you can imaging it burning a bit of it since its dripping on to the intake manifold and etc.

I replaced the cover and now there is SMOKE after she drives it on the RIGHT side of the valve cover/ dizzy area.

I wanna see if its the gasket that is leaking/ or it the dizzy o-ring is leaking/ left over oil burning off. But i'm scared to clean it with simple green and water. Because its SO close to the dizzy. I've seen people power wash and spray water to clean their engines but they always say cover up the intake, dizzy and battery. In this case its SO close to the dizzy i'm scared.

Whats the worst that can happen and what the most likely thing thats going to happen.

 

[jlee]

afaik, the worst thing that can happen is you'll get water in the distributor cap and you'll have to wait for it to dry out before it'll run properly.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I'd just cover the distributor with a plastic bag, take the battery completely out, and cover up the air box.

Please do note that you should only clean your engine when it's cold (has not been run in a few hours). Cold water + hot engine = cracked block or heads.

 

[zerocool84]

It it's only on a certain part you'll be fine. I've cleaned my engine engine but did it when cold and covered any vital electronic parts.

 

[T2urtle]

I'd just cover the distributor with a plastic bag, take the battery completely out, and cover up the air box.

The leak is on the dizzy side, i would want to clean spray the dizzy area as well... thats my main point.

There are coolant lines and sensors in the same area as the dizzy. Looks like a LOT of seepage

 

[radioouman]

dizzy?

 

[JulesMaximus]

What the fuck is a dizzy? Is that dorkspeak for distributor?

 

[Squisher]

dizzy?

or

 

[Throckmorton]

I would do it when it's cold, let it dry before starting, use a rag dampened with Simple Green rather than spraying everywhere, and definitely not power wash

 

[marrr]

Check out this thread.
http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/detailing-school/7903-engine-bay-detailing.htm

 

[exdeath]

afaik, the worst thing that can happen is you'll get water in the distributor cap and you'll have to wait for it to dry out before it'll run properly.

Meh, why wait, just hose it out with some brake clean 🙂

OP: Disconnect battery, hose it down with a pressure washer and simply avoid deliberately aiming directly at electrical components. Indirect splashing isn't going to hurt anything. Look it over for worn torn insulation, wire, connector boots, vacuum hoses, etc and take care of those first. Most connectors on that engine (5SFE 2200) are weather proof (rubber or epoxy where the wires enter the connector pins) and sealed and are designed for harsh environments, including the ignition module, etc.. Allow to dry and reconnect battery.

The distributor internals are sealed moisture tight by the cap with rubber boots around the plug wires, around the igniter/coil/pickup leads at the base, and by a rubber gasket at the cap itself. It's a pretty hard engine to mess up or neglect 😛

Nothing at the back side to worry about but injectors, knock sensor, and some vacuum lines.

http://www.turboninjas.com/camry/eg1.pdf

 

[TraumaRN]

My Fusion Hybrid I used paper towels/old soft bristle brushes and Simple Green and lots and lots of patience...not to mention being insanely careful. Took awhile, especially around the high voltage power cables but it came out nice in the end...but took me about 4-5 hours to get it where I wanted.

 

[AMCRambler]

Well if you're gonna spray it, make sure you cover the under hood fuse box too. The box is supposed to have a watertight lid but over time rubber seals dry out and can leak.

 

[RedRooster]

Just unhook the battery, powerwash(within reason) that bizzy and let it all sit in the sun for a day after you're done. Or use an air compressor to dry it if you're in a hurry.
The only car I ever washed the engine on I sold, so who knows if I broke it or not.

 

[T2urtle]

What the fuck is a dizzy? Is that dorkspeak for distributor?

yes it is.

its like saying mobo rather then motherboard. if you remotely know the parts in question you will understand.

I know you have more then enough understand of cars to know exactly what i'm talking about when I say dizzy.


I dont have a pressure washer. Just a normal garden hose, i'll spray it down tomorrow with disconnection of the battery. I have this can of "foam engine brite" made by GUNK. i might use it

 

[Jeff7181]

yes it is.

its like saying mobo rather then motherboard. if you remotely know the parts in question you will understand.

I know you have more then enough understand of cars to know exactly what i'm talking about when I say dizzy.


I dont have a pressure washer. Just a normal garden hose, i'll spray it down tomorrow with disconnection of the battery. I have this can of "foam engine brite" made by GUNK. i might use it

I've never heard a distributor called a dizzy. Why would it be called a dizzy? Do you call a battery a bazzy? Call the intake an inny? WTF kinda slang is dizzy?

 

[T2urtle]

stuff i picked up off a 240sx forum.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

My Fusion Hybrid I used paper towels/old soft bristle brushes and Simple Green and lots and lots of patience...not to mention being insanely careful. Took awhile, especially around the high voltage power cables but it came out nice in the end...but took me about 4-5 hours to get it where I wanted.

Shiny!

 

[lavaheadache]

dizzy is a very common term in the mechanics world. I'm shocked how some people in here don't know that.

 

[lavaheadache]

I've never heard a distributor called a dizzy. Why would it be called a dizzy? Do you call a battery a bazzy? Call the intake an inny? WTF kinda slang is dizzy?

don't be ignorant.

Tranny
intake mani
exhaust mani
dizzy

need some more there buddy?

I imagine you call your t.v. (ahem television) clicker a Infrared signal tramission unit right?

 

[CraigRT]

I don't clean engine bays with water, I've had problems with sensors and ignition parts before... I usually just clean what I can with compressed air and rags. I take care of my engines by doing oil changes, coolant changes, etc, but it doesn't matter as much what they look like on the outside.

 

[NutBucket]

My Fusion Hybrid I used paper towels/old soft bristle brushes and Simple Green and lots and lots of patience...not to mention being insanely careful. Took awhile, especially around the high voltage power cables but it came out nice in the end...but took me about 4-5 hours to get it where I wanted.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/DeathBUA/IMG_1347.JPG[/im][/QUOTE]
Yeah, I'd be apprehensive about taking a hose to that as well;)

For my cars, I spray the engine bay down, liberally apply Simple Green, scrub/wipe the areas I can reach and spray down again. Works great. Do it yearly and you'll have an easy time of it unless you have major leaks.

 

[T2urtle]

I don't clean engine bays with water, I've had problems with sensors and ignition parts before... I usually just clean what I can with compressed air and rags. I take care of my engines by doing oil changes, coolant changes, etc, but it doesn't matter as much what they look like on the outside.

i dont care too much on the outside either but i'm trying to pin point a possible leak and to get rid of the burning oil smell that was there due to a leaking valve cover gasket...

 

[slag]

don't be ignorant.

Tranny
intake mani
exhaust mani
dizzy

need some more there buddy?

I imagine you call your t.v. (ahem television) clicker a Infrared signal tramission unit right?

Its ok to refer to it once or maybe twice as a dizzy, but when you put it in every damn sentence as if you are making a point to try to sound cool, it gets very annoying.

At any rate, when washing a car engine, always follow these guidelines.

1. Keep the engine running. You wont crack a block or head or any such bullshit so dont listen to that other guy. What you will do is keep water out of places that it shouldn't be in.

2. I generally spray the engine down with purple stuff first (the kind you get at autozone or walmart and then wait a few minutes before starting it up. The stuff doesn't have time to evaporate before you wash it off.

3. Never ever ever use a pressure washer on your engine as it can easily knock off vacuum lines, break electrical lines, and will get moisture into places you don't want it. Think about it.. you have 1700-3000 psi pushing water all over the place. Its not necessary unless you want to wash off the oil pan or underside of your engine or transmission but even then, probably not needed. Sure, I've washed the engine bay before with a pressure washer, but its just asking for trouble so don't do it.

4. Do use a regular garden hose with regular garden hose pressure. If you pretreated the area first, the grease and oil should come right off with an application or maybe two.

 

[Jeff7181]

don't be ignorant.

Tranny
intake mani
exhaust mani
dizzy

need some more there buddy?

I imagine you call your t.v. (ahem television) clicker a Infrared signal tramission unit right?

Excuse me for not understanding the need to use terms that sound like they were made up by a teenage girl while referring to her VW "Buggy."