Engine cleaning

[Tweety16]

I would like to pressure clean the engine and engine bay in my 1997 F 250 7.3 Powerstroke. Is it OK to do this? Are there any special precautions to take?
Thanks in advance for any advice about this.

 

[IDIBOBS]

No do not do that. A pressure washer does not belong any where near a motor. You can and will cut houses and wires. You can rip old wires out of connectors ect…. Motors need to be steam cleaned. It’s a 28year old truck. Everything is brittle. Not that I would pressure wash a brand new truck but being old makes it worse. A PS also has many sensors that should not get soaked and you can end up with water down an intake.

 

[Diesel D]

I would not use high pressure...Use a degreasing foam, followed by a light rinse....

 

[Black dawg]

What kind of pressure washer do you have? Most cheapish pressure washers will be fine. Avoid radiator,condenser, and intercooler fins.

And do it with the engine dead cold. Cold water on hot electrical connectors will cause rapid cooling, and pull water into them. Still a risk of water in electrical, but much less.

 

[Tweety16]

No do not do that. A pressure washer does not belong any where near a motor. You can and will cut houses and wires. You can rip old wires out of connectors ect…. Motors need to be steam cleaned. It’s a 28year old truck. Everything is brittle. Not that I would pressure wash a brand new truck but being old makes it worse. A PS also has many sensors that should not get soaked and you can end up with water down an intake.

 

[Tweety16]

Thanks for the response! I really appreciate your information. I screwed up saying pressure washer. I have attached a picture of what I have, it is a hot water pressure washer maximum 500 psi. I have used it to clean many car engines but I was unsure about the truck engine. It burns diesel fuel to heat the water.

Do you think this will be safe to use?

Once again thank you for your assistance!

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