Washing the Engine of a Boxster

[Pierre's Porsche]

So, had a leaking oil filler tube, which I repaired. Now the smell of residual oil once the engine heats up is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions on how to best approach and engine washing. Looking for suggestions on draping the driver compartement and approach (bottom and top)...should i use low pressure water and spray engine cleaner versus power washer?

Thanks.

[healthservices]

I would just wipe off the excess oil off and use a propane torch to burn off the exhaust pieces that are contaminated with oil.

[Dale_K]

Gee, I wouldn't put a lit torch near my car. There is a product named "Gunk" that is made for cleaning engines. I've used it a lot and it works great. Somehow it turns oil & grease into some kind of emulsion that rinses off with water. My garden hose has a nozzle that spins around to produce different spray patterns. One of them is "shower" and it makes a gentle rinsing action. That's what I would do (on a cold motor). Spray the area with Gunk and gently rinse it off. Stay away from electrical devices and connectors as much as you can. Drive the car right away afterward to dry everything off.

I've got to say I've never actually done this on my car but the propane torch idea scares me.

[kbrandsma]

Best way is to take a spray bottle and mix with half "Simple Green" concentrate and half water and liberally spray the engine compartment with mixture. Rinse with water and repeat. Tough spots can be wiped downed with with a disposible rag after engine has been sprayed and has been soaking in the Simple Green mixture.. Don't pressure wash and don't use flames. Works better than Gunk (IMHO) and environmently friendly.

Works great.

So, had a leaking oil filler tube, which I repaired. Now the smell of residual oil once the engine heats up is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions on how to best approach and engine washing. Looking for suggestions on draping the driver compartement and approach (bottom and top)...should i use low pressure water and spray engine cleaner versus power washer?

Thanks.

Edited December 19, 2011 by kbrandsma

[healthservices]

Gee, I wouldn't put a lit torch near my car.

I've got to say I've never actually done this on my car but the propane torch idea scares me.

I understand not everyone is comfortable working on their cars with certain tools.

I actually used the torch a lot when at the dealer. Customers hate it when their car smells of burning oil after a service. On some cars the oil filter leaks oil onto the the exhaust when the filter is removed. I clean off as much as possible then use a torch to burn off the rest. No need for the customer to wait days for the oil to burn off the exhaust.

Oh and if the oil is crusted on the exhaust use a wire brush to take off what you can, I just torch the exhaust, no engine pieces.

Edited December 19, 2011 by healthservices

[ChrisJP]

Best way is to take a spray bottle and mix with half "Simple Green" concentrate and half water and liberally spray the engine compartment with mixture. Rinse with water and repeat.

What a clean motor!

Do you first protect electrical part (ie alternator)?

If so which one and how?

Tks Chris

Edited December 19, 2011 by ChrisJP

[kbrandsma]

Best way is to take a spray bottle and mix with half "Simple Green" concentrate and half water and liberally spray the engine compartment with mixture. Rinse with water and repeat.

What a clean motor!

Do you first protect electrical part (ie alternator)?

If so which one and how?

Tks Chris

No special precautions needed. Just spray and rinse.

[healthservices]

Best way is to take a spray bottle and mix with half "Simple Green" concentrate and half water and liberally spray the engine compartment with mixture. Rinse with water and repeat.

What a clean motor!

Do you first protect electrical part (ie alternator)?

If so which one and how?

Tks Chris

No special precautions needed. Just spray and rinse.

I'd plastic, and tape off the passenger compartment. Make sure the motor is not hot (don't want cold water on hot alternator diodes as they will be damaged)

before

after...

sorry for the crappy cell pics

[ChrisJP]

I'd plastic, and tape off the passenger compartment.

What a difference! I really have to try this but I'm not yet comfortable.

Can you please be a bit more specific about "plastic & taping off the passenger compartment"?

Tks Chris

Edited December 20, 2011 by ChrisJP

[healthservices]

it is just so the grease oil and water won't get splash into the interior...

tape along this area...

and use some type of plastic sheeting for painting like what you can get from Home Depot...

Tape that back so when water hits it it will not allow water into the interior.

Edited December 21, 2011 by healthservices

[kbrandsma]

I'd plastic, and tape off the passenger compartment.

What a difference! I really have to try this but I'm not yet comfortable.

Can you please be a bit more specific about "plastic & taping off the passenger compartment"?

Tks Chris

I never turn my hose on hard enough to cause unwanting splashing. Here are some photos from one I did last week. The photos are in different stages.

The first is the dirty engine, the second is treating the engine and compartment with cleaner and the last is the compartment after hosing it off with low pressure.

Edited December 21, 2011 by kbrandsma

[Pierre's Porsche]

Thanks everybody for the great suggestions and pictures of before and after. I like both the Simple Green and Gunk application ideas. Wasn't sure Gunk was "safe" to use on "P" rubber.

It's staying in the low 20's to 40's here in So. Colorado. So when weather warms up a bit, low pressure wash away.

Happy Holidays everyone!

[Sumflow]

Simple green is on the stronger side. You can use Dawn dishwashing with enzymes which is milder as often as you like. Dawn, as long as you have enough, it surrounds the oil molecules and and lets them float away in water. You can clean everything. I used Dawn to flush out the engine last year when oil got into the water. I was not aware that any areas need to be taped off from soap and water on a Boxster.

I put Dawn in a generic variable spray bottle. Straight or mixed with water it does not seem to make any difference. Just squirt it at the dirt and it floats away. You can flush areas with a low pressure hose, or wipe it with cloth, artist brushes, or just your own fingers. You can safely degrease painted areas, tyres, and interior upholstery. You are not using force to get the dirt off, it is a mild chemical action. The felts in the truck can be washed and hosed down, or put in a gentle washing machine using Dawn. You can look Dawn up on the Internet and get it at a local store. Your engine compartment will be clean enough to eat off of. Porsche said the cars are made to be driven not polished. But if you look on detailers sites, if they are not trying to sell you something they will tell you about Dawn.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Sumflow

[logray]

Sumflow, I think you must have bought stock in Dawn soap. LOL. ;) Looks good (BTW in the future good idea to cover alternator before washing).

[1schoir]

There is a milder version of Simple Green called "Extreme Simple Green", which is ideal for cleaning engines as it will not etch any surfaces when it dries.

Gunk works really well as a degreaser but it can discolor black plastic parts.

Regards, Maurice.

[devin357]

+1 on the Dawn method. I used one-half Dawn dish soap and one-half water in a spray bottle, let it sit for a few minutes and used a soft brush and low water pressure to scrub/rinse. This was the first time I'd ever washed the engine (2000 S model, 53K miles) and it looks new. No water got in the cabin and if you slosh it around the sides it goes down the drain holes. Didn't pay any attention to the alternator and the car started right up. I guess I'll wash it in another 13 years or so.

[q5ka]

There is a gunk gel that is in a spray can that works very well and it actually sticks to what you aim at instead of dripping everywhere. You spray, let sit for 10 minutes or so and then just rinse. When I am changing oil and make my usual mess (still need to figure out how to not make a mess anytime I work on the boxster) I just give it a spray while still jacked up, go inside and get the drink of water (or beverage of choice), go back out and just spray off with garden hose and "rain"selection with spray handle. Then I go for a good run to dry everything off, make sure I don't have leaks, and enjoy the car. This way the engine stays clean and i don't have to smell burning oil (unless I didn't tighten up the oil filter canister all the way) and if something is wrong, i know it sooner than later. Also any leaks that may be trying to develop is hopefully seen before it becomes a problem.

[reiver]

AWESOME - I literally just took the engine covers off and was wondering - "How do I clean this???" Many Many Many Thanks!!!

[eightyeighteddie]

Great tips everyone. Does Dawn also work for cleaning under the car? My Boxster 986 has a small oil leak, and I'd like to clean under the car to make it easier to locate the source. 

[JuncoJones]

I’ve been pressure-washing my Boxster S for +8 years, these are some of my thoughts:

- I pressure-wash my car’s engines once per month. This proactive approach has saved me over the years many un-scheduled maintenance repairs due to alert signs (that could have been otherwise left unnoticed) on the engine
- I use a medium-duty 1900 PSI electric pressure washer, and Very important: the actual angle of the pressure washer nozzles: 10-degree (yellow) for pretty-much everything OR 0-degree (red) for undercarriage, calipers, wheels, engine and exhaust (i.e. all underneath but NOT above), keeping the nozzle at 1 ~ 2 feet of distance
- Be very gentle pointing water jets to the front radiators, you will likely bend the heat-exchanging cells
- If you disconnect anything on the engine with your pressure washer, that was a problem likely waiting to happen
- Great for cleaning debris in the front radiator’s air intakes, all drain holes, etc.
- For cleaning / degreasing the engine, I use purple industrial cleaner diluted 1 to 5, spray the entire engine, give it a few minutes and rinse it out with the 10-degree yellow nozzle
- Before turning ON the car, I thoroughly dry it with my loyal shop-vac leaf blower, particularly on all electric connectors

Edited November 10, 2015 by JuncoJones

[kbrandsma]

Great tips everyone. Does Dawn also work for cleaning under the car? My Boxster 986 has a small oil leak, and I'd like to clean under the car to make it easier to locate the source. 

 

+1 for Simple Green

[ttocs]

Great info everybody! I've been wondering about this since I got mine back in August. Seems Simple enough. I'll start at Dawn on the next warm day.

[Por4vr]

An ex Kawasaki motocross mechanic said they would use Dawn straight out of the bottle & let it sit. Because that made it hard to get into some areas I mix Dawn with denatured alcohol in a garden sprayer, spray liberally, & let it sit overnight.

 

Next to try is straight Pine-Sol - heard it works wonders too.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Por4vr
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