Steam clean the engine?

[Cruz]

My engine has years of oily crud and muck on it in lots of places, especially around the dipstick and oil filler area and I was finally thinking of getting around to getting it cleaned so the oil leak could finally be found too.

There is a steam cleaning place near me that's been there for donkeys years. Would steam cleaning be OK? It's not going to be too aggressive is it?

[California Dreamin]

Our valets would always include an engine steam clean.....spray around with the degreaser first, work it in with a stiff brush, then steam clean it off, do again if necessary.

Note* they would make sure coils/distributors/fuse boxes and any other sensitive parts were thoroughly wrapped in plastic first. (they used old plastic seat covers).

Martin

[itchyfeet]

that oils is likely from a duff seal in the oil breather tower or fuel pump. maybe dizzy seal if oils the other side too, all cheap and easy to change.

I prefer getting in there with parrafin and a toothbrush which also leaves a light oil finish which prevents corrosion in future.

[Plasticman]

we used to always steasm stuff, pressure washing is too brutal and causes damage or can cause it,
we used to run an engine up to op temp then blast a load of degreaser on it , leave it a bit then steam it off, inherant heat soon dries it off, then fire it up again
mm

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Steam is good, not hot wash.....

While you’re at it why not get the underside done,

They may even propose to apply a Waxoily type coating...

Can't do any harm..

Cordialement,

[ckendal]

Thats one of my van jobs for the weekend - again to check for an oil leak (or two). Replacing brake shoes and fluid is the main job.
I am going to remove the under-trays, apply "Jizer" from Halfords, and then use my karcher to see if it washes off the crud.
Hopefully, the van will still start afterwards....its my daily driver.

[Plasticman]

As ive found to my cost on here, carefull with the 'jizer'
mm

[ghost123uk]

This is summat I always wanted to do (and have typed about it on here) but how do you stop muck n stuff getting all over your van's interior from the "blow back" (for want of a better word ) or splatter from Jizer and stiff brush, and rinsing with warm water

[Plasticman]

mm

[ghost123uk]

Ah, OK, "Van's interior" then

[AdrianC]

This is summat I always wanted to do (and have typed about it on here) but how do you stop muck n stuff getting all over your van's interior from the "blow back" (for want of a better word ) or splatter from Jizer and stiff brush, and rinsing with warm water

<ignores obvious feedlines>
Get some plastic sheeting (big roll's cheap from a builder's merchant, or just open up bin bags and tape 'em together), and tape it solidly all around the rear/sides of the engine bay and to the tailgate opening, so that it can't get anywhere it's not wanted...

[trentjim]

..splatter from Jizer...

went into full beavis & butthead mode there... i'm so juvenile....

[ghost123uk]

..splatter from Jizer...

went into full beavis & butthead mode there... i'm so juvenile....

With a bit of very light editing you can get =

This is summat I always wanted to do, but how do you stop stuff getting all over your interior from the blow back and splatter from Jizer ? Stiff bush, and rinsing with warm water...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get some plastic sheeting (big roll's cheap from a builder's merchant, or just open up bin bags and tape 'em together), and tape it solidly all around the rear/sides of the engine bay and to the tailgate opening, so that it can't get anywhere it's not wanted...

Aye, I suppose that is the only way, sounds like a right faff though, you would have to make sure it was all sealed up pretty tight or my white vinyl interior would look a lot less clean than it currently does

[New Kentish Campers]

If doing this on your [Tarmac] drive, make sure neat Jizer or Gunk doesn't get onto it 'cos it will eat right into it
And don't I know it too....

[Cruz]

Got it done today and I can now see shiny engine areas that probably haven't seen the light of day for a decade or two

And for £10 it's not worth all the hassle of doing it yourself