Engine Cleaning

[SquareOne]

I've personally been pressure washing every engine I own probably for the last 20yrs or better...including this ISX. For me, under the hood is part of a wash and I take pride when any of my hoods come up ----- PLUS, it's nice to work on a clean engine!

I believe the issue is this: 95% of people have no clue how to pressure wash anything...especially an engine! Without a solid presoak regiment, even the stronger pressure washers will have trouble removing certain grease/oil mixes. Hell, road dirt will come off with a finger wipe, but won't do much at all with a pressure washer and no presoak.

-- I'll mix commercial degreaser, water and cheapo laundry detergent in a sprayer and mist everything down before pressure washing. I'm not exactly sure what the ratio is, but start with 8-10 parts water, 1 part commercial degreaser, and about a laundry cap full of detergent. I make about a 2 gallon mix at a time.

The degreaser works well, but alone its too strong for many applications (unless needed in really greasy/oily situations). The water will cut it down obviously, and the detergent will take the 'sting' out as well as allow the presoak to hold onto the surface for much longer, with more consistent coverage, and without streaking. I'll coat the whole truck with this concoction and after I'm finish pressure washing, it literally looks like a hand wash.

A good presoak like that will allow the dirt, grease and grime to break down enough where you truly don't need to use the wand close to anything. The widest tip and a good distance will work just fine and keep you safely away from all electronics while still providing a thorough cleaning in all the areas you just cant reach by hand.