Steam Clean versus Pressure Wash
 

Preference for cleaning the chassis and engine compartment (protecting all the essentials) with engine and tranny intact?

Steam cleaning or pressure washing?

I usually do that first and hit everything else with plastic scrapers, a biodegradable cleaner/degreaser (simple green), brushes, plastic scrapers etc... .

I have a thin layer on the top of the engine and a heavier one underneath.

Whew - that is all the questions for now.

Frank

I just powerwashed an engine that was nasty. First used a biodegradable spray on it and let it soak for 15 min.'s. Then connected a garden hose to my hot water heater and into the powerwasher. It came out clean as a whistle. I felt nothing else was needed prior to painting. My 2 cents. Pete

Thanks Peter!

After you get the most of the grease off with the pressure washer, you can spray oven cleaner on the remaining stubborn deposits on the transaxle. Let it dissolve the grease for awhile and then hose it off, and use the pressure washer again. Check your pressure washer manual to see if it's compatible with hot water - some are not and it can damage the internal seals. Also I would avoid spraying too close to the output shaft seals on the transaxle.

Don't leave the oven cleaner on for too long! That stuff eats aluminum; one use for it is removing the anodization from aluminum wheels (and other parts). If you let it sit overnight, you may come back to find holes in the engine!! Not sure how magnesium (e.g., transmission housing) deals with it.

--DD

Yes, sodium hydroxide (what's in oven cleaner) attacks aluminum and magnesium and creates hydrogen gas. Remember the aluminum foil and lye in a soda bottle to make a hydrogen balloon? Since the engine and transaxle cases are very thick compared to foil it would take a lot of oven cleaner and time to eat through the case. But as Dave said I would not leave it on there any longer than necessary to just remove the grease. I've seen transaxles cleaned with it and it just leaves behind a natural gray but self-protecting oxidized finish.