Cleaning a sandy engine???

[lpandroc]

Hello everyone....I try to keep my engine as detailed as possible...but here in Southwest Florida our soil contains a considerable amount of sand. As such...much of the grime in and around the car is sand based...and of course it gets into the engine area. I wanted to know if my regiment is ok and that I am doing everything right to keep the engine as clean as possible in this sandy area...I hose down the engine with one of those adjustabe hose nozzles with very very light pressure....I do not use any solvents or degreasers....I am too paranoid to get it on the paint or somewhere where it does not need to be...I dry the areas where I can ..or let airdry in others unreachable..and prep with 303. let me know the best way to remove the sand or if you have any cost-effective ideas beside what I do already...Sorry so long..Lance

[laynlow]

Sounds like your doing fine. I would not be afraid to use a degrease when necessary; when used properly they should not harm your paint. I like Meguiars APC+ and EFHI for that chore.



After you hand dry as much as possible, take it for a short drive to evaporate the remainder of the water off. Letting it air dry and washing frequently could lead to rust formation.



The autopia E-book has detailed instructions on engine washing, check it out! :xyxthumbs

[aljo]

Don`t be afraid to use any degreasers or solvents. In your case, why don`t you wash your engine, and when u are waiting for it to dry... Wash your car. This will give you something to do while your engine dries, plus it will wash off any solvents that may have come in contact with your paint.