'89 760T. Planning to wash down the engine as to better be able to see any oil leaks, etc. Are there particular areas to stay away from with water, etc?
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dnvolvo '89 765T - '91 245

Around here in the Twin Cities, the detail shops charge $30 to steam clean the engine bay, $10 if you also spend $120 for a wax job. For the dirty engine in my 850, I gladly paid $30 to have all of the grease and oil removed and not have it on my driveway. Now I just wipe it down once in a while.

Klaus
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98 V70Rawd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 75 164E(173K mi)

I try to avoid spraying the insides of the distributor and alternator as well as the brake reservoir cap (it has a vent hole in it), but otherwise give the engine a good spray. I use a citrus degreaser first, then spray it with a garden hose. Works great. Do it twice a year and your maintenance will become much more pleasant and diagnostics much easier.

Yes, avoid direct high-pressure spray onto the electrical components, and you may want to put plastic bags over the parts like distributor, brake reservoir, etc.

Also, of course, try not to force water through the air cleaners...prety much common sense stuff. :-)

I haven't had an awful lot of luck with citrus degreasers on extemely dirty engines. I usually start with full-strength Simple Green on a hot (warm) engine and let it sit a few hours to loosen the crud. Follow with a stiff brush, scraper, whatever you may need to pry oily clods loose. I like those nylon/soap kitchen scrubbers for fine wrok, and I use a cleaner-soaked rag to finish up.

Once the engine is clean, it's easy to keep it that way by wiping it down whenever you have the hood open or are washing the rest of the car.

Try not to get to be like me...I have to jack mine up and wash/wax the bottom side too! *sigh*

A detail shop will do your engine bay for anywhere from $50-$75.

They use a protectant on the rubber parts (like 303 Aerospace) and usually try to put a coat of wax onto the areas that show - it helps keep things cleaner.

Don't forget the underside of the hood. Nothing like showing off your engine with oil and dirt on the hood!

Have fun!

I want to do this, and I have seen it done by a mechanic that actually covered NOTHING. I do I recall he stayed clear of the distributor and plug wires.

I do have one large connection in the middle of a harness under the intake. It is pretty dirty. I wonder if it would be OK to spray the Simple Green on this, and then wash it along with the rest with a pressure wash. To cover that connection would seem to defeat the need to get it clean.

Thanks for the hints.
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"Be blessed in your quest'' 89 764 (110K), '94 940T (180K) , '92 745T (totaled 2-10-05 RIP)

So there are others who actually clean their engines and engine bay.
I thought I was the only one who had this disease ;)
I also like Simple Green as it is relatively less toxic than cleaners like GUNK.

As Steve and Barongrey noted the engine is easy to keep clean once it is clean and will make servicing much more pleasant. I are sure the car prefers it too and will reward you with fewer problems. Hey I am even thinking about repainting my engine block Volvo red if I could locate a brush on engine enamel. Anyone done this?

Uh, yeah, "there are others who actually clean their engines and engine bay," but that wouldn't be my brother and his two teenage boys, whose 1988 Honda burned this week. Flames came out from under the hood, I am told, the fire department came... the thing was roasted.

I wouldn't much care, but I had crawled around a cold floor this past winter for way too many hours replacing the rusted rear brake rotors, and rusted calipers, and rusted everything related.

The car was dirty underneath, dirty inside, and dirty in the engine bay: you couldn't see what was going on. I mean, layers of leaves. Probably earthworms, too, for all I know. I had suggested that cleaning -- just once in a while! -- would be helpful.

Humpf. Mr. Self-Righteous here. I have two Volvos that they could maybe get into, but I don't want to sacrifice the cars. What an attitude!

Well worth the time to be able to easily find leaks--as well when working in the engine bay the arms aren't getting covered in crud.
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Norm Cook Vancouver BC; 1989 745T 204,000KM