Thread: PUMA - Tips for cleaning engine bay?

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

So a run-in with a mud-puddle sort of annihilated any semblance of a clean engine bay I once had.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urue5Tx2SO8&list=UUDMhMZPjOeUhd9yNkQWU2tA

I think the muddy water went thru the radiator, and vapourized throughout the engine bay.

lol - at that speed what outcome did you expect?

I did read in another thread Puma engines didn't like high pressure cleaning, but I have not had an issue with mine so far.

Any pics of the engine bay?

Originally Posted by FeatherWeightDriver

Any pics of the engine bay?

No, I'd probably get excommunicated for such crimes against the land rover.
The engine bay looks just as bad as the exterior

As long as you stay well clear of plugs and gaskets you should be right. I have seen all sorts of intermittent mysterious faults after a careless pressure wash. For example the mechanic who last serviced and pressure cleaned my d2 managed to get moisture into the injector harness plug, so the car came out running worse than what it did going in. I also killed the alternator on my tojo by a careless jet of water into it. oops.

I'm not a fan of dielectric grease, wd40, silicon grease, dc-4 etc in plugs. Sure, it displaces water for a time, but over time it gathers dust and then moisture. Most dust in Oz is high in all sorts of nice oxides, so you eventually end up with a slightly conductive, abrasive paste in your plugs. Using WD 40 and similar in your plugs is the best thing to destroy your contacts over time imho. A sealed plug should is designed to use air as a dielectric, and should only be cleaned with an electrical contact cleaner (low residue, don't ever use an anti static type!) or in a pinch I use Shellite or R55 in a spray bottle. There are some contact enhancers out there, but I cannot imagine needing them for automotive use and anyway, they are quite pricey.

My 2 bits anyway.

Most importantly- have you got the engine clean yet? My tojo is stained around the engine after a similar adventure, not even scrubbing can clean it and the gerni won't touch the red mud stains on everything

Not clean under the 'bay yet, will give it a good going over on the weekend.
My thought is that all the under bonnet detailing dealer did has attracted more than its fair share of dirt also.

Long term, any help I can get to stop weater ingress into the wrong parts will be a help. Most components are water resistant by design, but a good soaking will be bad news for many sensors.
thermocouples like EGT, coolant temp fuel temp should be fine. O2's are no issue. but throttle sensors, AFM's/MAF/MAP sensors injectors and HT leads are a no go.

Good advice on the dielectric grease and collecting grit. Not sure what is the lesser of two evils though- use the grease and change infrequently, or use a contact cleaner and do it more often. decisions decisions.

Cleaned the einge bay yesterday. Things went better than expected.
Used a bucket'o'soapy water, and a brush.
Gave all parts a good once over, then spray with the hose keeping away from wiring looms and sensor plugs as much as possible.
Stubborn stains got a spray with some degreaser diluted in a spray bottle, then a prompt hosing. Aluminiun components dont like degreaser (found that out the hard way ages ago when soaking some throttle bodies in a bath of the stuff to 'clean them up'. Not much left the next day).

I wouldn't use a pressure washer under the bonnet of any car. Yeah, I know, ya can "keep away" from stuff, "cover it up",etc, but I believe high pressure is a recipe for disaster with electronics, so I wouldn't use one under the bonnet. I've actually got a very good Karcher, but I wouldn't use it under the bonnet.
Pickles.