Club 80-90 Forums

I know many people like what is called in the trade as an "honest looking engine" but the one in my new, temporary T25 whilst oil free is very mucky and dusty, unlike the rest of the van which is MINT.
So, I want to clean the engine !

Steam cleaner

Gunk and hosepipe ?

Gunk then jet-wash (at the garage) ?

Gunk does work wonders, but can get quite messy. If you don't have access to a steam cleaner, then providing you seal off your electrics, coil, dizzy, and whatnot, and soak everything with gunk, or alike a few minutes before, then jetwash carefully.

Gunk and hosepipe

Dont use Gunk if you have have a tarmac drive, i.e letting it get in contact with it, 'cos it wont be tarmac for much longer. As I found out a while back

Mickyfin wrote: If you don't have access to a steam cleaner,

I remember when every garage had a steam cleaner, but these days they seem to be quite rare
I would carefully use a steam cleaner (after putting some protective sheets on the white rear interior) if I could find one !

Mickyfin wrote:then providing you seal off your electrics, coil, dizzy, and whatnot, and soak everything with gunk, or alike a few minutes before,

You know, I have occationally washed / jetwashed my main vans (DG on Carb) engine wirthout taking any water ingress precautions and have never had a problem (stupid thing to say, tempting fate that is !!)

Mickyfin wrote:Gunk ~ then jetwash carefully.

That was the bit I was worried about, the Caravelle is still in Mini Bus form and the inside, right back to the engine lid is very very white and clean. The thought of yucky gunky goo splashing up inside onto the white vinyl etc is a major concern !

New Kentish Campers wrote:

Gunk and hosepipe

Dont use Gunk if you have have a tarmac drive, i.e letting it get in contact with it, 'cos it wont be tarmac for much longer. As I found out a while back

Aye true !

Plus, if you are doing it outside your house (i.e. where the hose pipe is) then it leaves a mess on the road that the neighbours don't like.

Hence my thinking, Gunk it at a jet-wash garage, then blow off with the jet wash.

I did a t25 engine, covered all around the hatch with polythene, then used trailer wash, or traffic film remover, followed by a pressure washer, just make sure the engine is running whilst ya do it, then if it conks whilst washing it you know where you have just blasted!

jamesc76 wrote:I did a t25 engine, covered all around the hatch with polythene, then used trailer wash, or traffic film remover, followed by a pressure washer, just make sure the engine is running whilst ya do it, then if it conks whilst washing it you know where you have just blasted!

Cheers James, that was what I thought might be the best approach (with a garage pressure washer)

pay to have it done by a valeter...they use fab stuff that leaves everything glossy. gunk always leaves things powdery grey and dull. also if you go to a garage and it wont start after....yer stuffed

KINGPRAWN wrote:pay to have it done by a valeter...they use fab stuff that leaves everything glossy. gunk always leaves things powdery grey and dull. also if you go to a garage and it wont start after....yer stuffed

Now I had not thought of that - I wonder what type of valeters do it ? - They won't make a mess of my nice whit interior or if they do they will have to clear it up !

I used to be a valeter many moons ago back in the UK. We had a steam cleaner, and its far more controllable than a jetwash, I can tell you that much. Wouldn't be too challenging for them to sort your engine out mate. Word of warning though, if you do find a valeters that do steam cleaning, ask to see some examples of their work first before letting them clean yours.

I lavish my cash twice a year on a proper valet.. We have a chap nearby that collects and returns and does a showroom clean inside and out, uses a waterless system?? So no peeling off paint! Or blasting wTer into places that it can't usually get to(rust) and she comes back like new and all for £45.....best money I ever spend...excluding my £2 donation here!!!

What about a steam cleaner attachment for a wallpaper stripper, more close control, less water, less pressure, less mess ( you could put a plastic sheet with lots of paper to soak up the muck underneath the engine on the floor) closer working to see the hard to get places. You could still use gunk and old paintbrush for the stubborn stuff. The problem with pressure washers they get water into all the places you don’t want water, mostly back on you wherever you stand

Proper stuff to use is neat Jizer on all parts other than electrical stuff such as Dizzy ,,,,,simply brush on and hose off.
You should be left with an Oil free engine and compartment with a hint of fresh engine aroma.


Trouble is these days you can pay between 15 -25 quid for 5 litres depending on where you buy it from......


Regards


Fritz,,,,

PS,,,, On line has the best deals....

Aye, I remember Jizer, it was better than Gunk but I have not seen it for sale for years.

I will try local valeters, if no luck will look for some Jizer

use elbow grease its really cheap then wash of with a hosepipe and its water soluble so wont make a mess of your new drive loads better than jizer