alright i know this guy who does really nice detailing. I have seen many engines he has steam cleaned (northstar v8s and my moms jag etc..) and they all look flawless. he really gets every nook and cranny of all types of engines with his steamclean for 30$. my LS1 engine bay is VERY dirty and i was thinking of getting a steamclean. i heard this may be bad bc of vapor getting into electronics etc.. is this true? is it a no no to steamclean the LS1? your opinions and experiences are greatly appreciated.

how is CD2 cleaner? just spray on.letsit.then wash off with hose? safe?

 

Is it OK? I don't know, but it was obivously done to my car shortly before I bought it and it works still.

I think as long as you try to avoid the electronics.

 

Make sure the person doing it knows what they are doing. Steam cleaning by a professional should be fine. Ask for references, maybe somebody with an LS1 car? Pressure washing = funny stuff like misfires. I had one guy buy a tuneup on his 92 Benz at a shop I worked at. Came back 2 days later because his car was misfiring like a bastard. Pull out one of the coils (coil over plug setup) and there was about 2 ounces of water down the spark plug hole. So make sure that they know what they're doing and they steer clear of your wiring harnesses and other electronics.

Abe

 

LS1's are all mostly electronics and harnesses.

 

I wouldn't do it. If water gets past the seals into the electrical connectors, you probably won't have any immediate problems, but over time the resulting corrosion will compromise the electrical connection possibly causing intermittent electrical and electronic issues. Those that fix their own cars know how frustrating and time consuming tracking down a problem like that can be. To me it's not worth the long term risk.

 

You're right about that one.

 

Almost all of the connectors are weatherpack..as long as you aren't purposely pressure washing sensitive areas, cleaning the engine bay is a nonissue.

 

Agreed. At most the cleaner will just be skimming over those. Now if he purposely shot it with 1000 psi of water for a couple of minutes, then there could be problems.

I hosed down my 240sx pretty thouroughly a few years ago. The only problem I had was that some water got to the distributor cap. A little wd40 and the thing ran like new.

 

Yes, most of the connectors under the hood are Weatherpack made by Delphi (formerly Packard Electric div. of GM). In additon to the seal between the connector halves, you have the seal around each individual wire going in to the connector. The specifications and tests which these connectors must pass in their design phase is essentially a "splash" test. They must seal against water, and a salt water solution, splashed against them, but they may or may not withstand pressurized water. Anyone who has looked under the hood of an LS1 knows it would be virtually impossible to avoid pressurized water against all connectors during an engine pressure washing. Check out a 4th gen flood car and disconnect some of the connectors under the hood and see what they look like. Not a pretty sight. You'll see a lot of corrosion which will lead to stress corrosion cracking of the tin plated brass terminals in time. In most cases, the pressure from the floodwater is much less that what the connector would see a foot away from a pressure washer nozzle.
With that said, in most cases, most people won't have any problems after washing down the engine if reasonable care is exercised. However, after working in the electrical connector field for over 20 years, and having the experience of evaluating failed systems periodically, to me its not worth the off chance of an intermittent problem with a difficult diagnosis at some time in the future.

 

just use some elbow grease, dont worry about pressure washing it or steaming it, just get in there with a rag and some good degreaser and hit the spots that count visually. takes all of 10 mins and its much less of a risk of damage. just my .02

 

I agree.

Even if you hose down your engine bay, chances are that the water pressure alone probably won't remove most of the grease and grime that's on the engine and in the bay, that'll take a cleaner/degreaser and some hard scrubbing.

I use those Armor All multi-purpose wipes (in the canister with the purple lid) and clean every nook and cranny I can reach. The result is an engine bay that looks new and maintained, not greasy like an engine detail job with Armor All that's going to be a dirt magnet in a few days. I personally like this look and have received compliments on my engine and bay a few times.

 

i use this when detailing people's cars. Been doing it for 4 years, and no problems.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...otive&v=glance

it works great. spray on, wait 10 min. GENTLY spray off with water, run engine until dry (about 10 min). belts may squeak a little for like 30 min tops, then it'll stop. Makes everything look like showroom new. Just wipe down any rubber hoses afterwards and they will look nice and shiny black. I usually get 3 engines per can.

NO HARD WORK REQUIRED!!! I love it!

 

Do you use that black magic stuff on other areas of the bay than the engine? like the strut towers and stuff?
Also, what store can you pick it up at? i dont want to order it.

 

I spray it down w/ Simple green, when cool, and then take a pressure washer to it. Not to close as to avoid cutting wires. A good foot and a half away. Some Formula 2001 or armor all on the plastic parts.

DON"T USE ALUM. CLEANER ON IT! Over-spray leaves white stains on the plastic! I found that out the hard way.

 

You can get it at Kragan's. Most automotive stores will have it. Yeah, i use it on the whole bay.