Hey folks:

I was wondering if anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area knew of a place that could steam clean my engine for a good price. thanx!!

Tony

I would suggest not cleaning the engine. The power washer is powerfull and the engine degreasser will harden the rubber gaskets on the engine witch will lead to leaks. Also the power of the spray wand will damage the wire harness and lead to shorting out. it is not advised to steem clean an engine but to wash it by hand and hose.
At dealerships we steem clean engins frankly those engins don't have a owner or waranty.
After an auto is bought it usually ends up back at the dealer and huge problems between the buyer with no waranty and the dealer who don't care.
Just my opinion-GOOD LUCK!!
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Kevin * HONDA spanking,1985 240DL * VOLVO ON!!!!

Contact me off-list at molidpiree@yahoo.com

I've done it on my own cars and know what can go wrong; so far no one have discussed the two specific problems that can occur. I'll charge you $50 and help you avoid those two problem areas (which can be very, very expensive to repair).

By the way, car washes, garden hoses, 409, etc don't get all the dirt out

The Brickboard is about free and open exchange of information, about helpful advice. We do not charge for that. Perhaps there is another forum somewhere else for that kind of activity.
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David Hunter

Hmmm...

Steam cleaning... DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you plan on having the wiring harness actually last on your brick. The best way to get the grime off would be to first warm the engine, spray on some degreaser, scrub the caked on spots with an old toothbrush, rinse and blow dry with compressed air.

NO HEAVY SOLVENTS, NO HIGH HEAT OR HIGH PRESSURE WATER. ALL VERY BAD.

Happy Bricking!!!
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Richard - '87 245 DL 374,000 km, '82 242 GLT 121,000 km

There has been a lot posted on this Board about engine cleaning, so you might want to do a search. In the short version though, why don't you just do it yourself with a bottle of 409 and a garden hose? Just get the engine warm (but not hot), spray it good with 409, let it sit for a couple minutes, and then rinse it off with water. Most everything is sealed, so you do not have to be overly concerned about water getting into bad places, just avoid direct hits on you electrics, though a little random, light pressure spray will not hurt a thing. Once the first 409 treatment gets the worst of it, go back for a second application in the seriously dirty areas. You might want to upgrade that to the Castrol purple stuff for the really greasy spots, but be careful with that, it is potent. Do not let it sit on the engine long.

Finish up with wax on the sheet metal, as you can reach, and a little Armor All/water mixture diluted to 50% on the rubber. Your engine compartment will shine, and you do not have to worry about the potential damage steam cleaning (or for that matter, high pressure washing) can do.

A self-serve car wash, with higher pressure sprays, works even better.