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HH
Dodge Dakota
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8/31/2003
16:45:01
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 Subject: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Is Engine Steam Cleaning Safe? Or should I just leave the last 3 & 1/2 years of accumulated dirt on it? Isnt there a danger water may get into the oils & fluids? Does it harm the alternator? What if the dirt & grime being washed off, contaminates the timing belt accidentally? Is engine steam cleaning advantageous or detrimental?
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QC DAKOTA
Dodge Dakota
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8/31/2003
18:07:27
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Nope It doesn,t I have done it a lot of times just have a screwdriver to take dist cap off and dry the inside of the cap or it wont run. WD40 is good to spray in it and away u go
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4XDAK
Dodge Dakota
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8/31/2003
22:44:16
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Use common sense, dont spray directly on the PCM or the fuse box, distributor ( major electrical componets ) you will not get water in the oil.
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Black Sheep
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
00:18:49
|  RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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I keep my engine spotless. I use the garden hose with a jet spray tip. I do use care in not directly hitting fuse box and major electrical parts. I have cleaned my engines this way since the early 70's. I have not had any problems.
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Rob 1
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
04:14:32
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Do as Black Sheep suggests and avoid those areas as much as possible and cover distributor with plastic bag and you should be fine. Once you get it clean if you will take the garden hose to it every so often with a mild degreaser or similar cleaner it will be easy to keep it that way. I hardly ever have to do that now since I steamed mine and painted block and exhaust manifold. I just wipe it down wit a rag once in awhile and blow the dirt off with air hose.
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AmsoilSponsor
DakotaEnthusiast
9/01/2003
14:09:51
| Amsoil = American Synthetic Oil & Filters
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HH,
I have my engine bay steam cleaned once a year. No problems. Sure is nice to have a clean engine, especially when I drive often in dusty conditions in the Summer and salted roads in the Winter. A clean engine runs cooler, (and a clean vehicle gets better MPG).
Most components are sealed, so it shouldn't get into places where it does not belong. I don't think an occasional steam clean is any more harsh than the environment they normally live in (rain, splashing through streams, mud bogging, Winter salt, off-roading, etc..
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Disclaimer: I am not a Detail Expert. Todays modern engines have a lot of electronic parts and moisture MAY hurt them. Just because someone else has not had a problem, does not mean you won't. Be careful and read all labels if you are using any type of chemicals in the cleaning solution.
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Not much info but I hope it helps.
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For a FREE Amsoil Synthetic Oil and Filter Catalog, Click Below:
Steven Roark , Amsoil Dealer , Proud Sponsor of www.DodgeDakotas.com
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils, Lubricants, Filtration, and Truck Care Products
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JerryTT
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
14:23:44
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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How many of you wash under the car often? I spray the frame and everything under my car/truck once a week with fresh water from my garden hose. I don't like the under side dirty and especally durring winter. Do you think this helps prevent rust/corossion?
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
18:23:27
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Ok Amsoil Sponsor
how does a cleaner car get better gas mileage?
Rob
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EricNC
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
19:49:37
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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I washed my truck today after driving it through the mud all weekend and at least 400 lbs of mud fell to the ground. From the bed and from underneath. 400 lbs lighter and I garantee my truck will get higher mpg.
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Rob 1
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
21:15:55
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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A clean car will get better gas mileage for the same reason they will run faster. Just ask any crew chief from NASCAR why they make sure car is clean and waxed before race. Air slides over car with less resistance. Maybe not a great big difference but anything for an edge.
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Rave
Dodge Dakota
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9/01/2003
22:22:29
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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I clean my motors all the time with a garden hose. If you do it once every couple of months its easy to keep clean. After the washing i start it and let idle for a few minute then take it on a 15 minute cruise to dry things up.
Caution! Do not try to hose off a hot engine!
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AmsoilSponsor
DakotaEnthusiast
9/02/2003
07:16:13
| Amsoil = American Synthetic Oil & Filters
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Rob 454,
I think EricNC and Rob1 answered your question pretty well. Depending upon how dirty your Dakota is --- extra weight, extra drag or loss of aerodynamics. Maybe negligible --- but certainly a difference in MPG.
Steven Roark , Amsoil Dealer , Proud Sponsor of www.DodgeDakotas.com
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils, Lubricants, Filtration, and Truck Care Products
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teamfast
Dodge Dakota
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9/02/2003
20:53:35
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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and an engine that isnt wearing a dust jacket will run cooler even by a couple of degrees, but still cooler
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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9/02/2003
22:53:32
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Message:
Im not trying to be a jerk or anything but this is the first time I heard a clean outside on a car will make it gain mileage. Now mabey that is true for a car that sees 190+ MPH on a race track but I wash my car every week and I see no mileage gains. Mabey you guys are taling .001% increase or something that you will never actually see?
I know a cleaner motor runs cooler I clean mine every few months at the local coin wash.
Thanx
Rob
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Rob 1
Dodge Dakota
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9/02/2003
23:42:03
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Not trying to be jerk but quit washing car every week and see what this eventually does to your mpg. Don't know for sure but pretty certain it will drop somewhat. Let us know?
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2003
17:11:08
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Bull. You won't see a difference.
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ydf
Dodge Dakota
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9/04/2003
21:22:20
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Kowalski
I can only guess that you are the fu_ked up dirty truck that everyone writes on with their finger .............. WASH ME PLEASE !!!!!
Ya dirty Fu_k !!!!!!!
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ShinySideUp
Dodge Dakota
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9/08/2003
09:20:16
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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If you live in the rust belt, don't use an automatic or do-it-yourself car wash to flush the chassis in the rust belt. They are notorious for recycling the soapy wash fluid, resulting in a salty brine. This would be the equivalent of efficiently forcing seawater into all the nooks and crannies of your vehicle! I heard the rinse water is fresh though.
Buy yourself a pair of rubber gloves and keep the garden hose indoors. Anytime the outside temperature is above 32° you can wash your car and flush the salt. I've been doing this for 30 years and saved a lot of money in that time. I get strange stares from neighbors who watch me washing my cars and snow is piled high around the driveway. But this is when cars most need to be washed. Surprisingly, hands don't get that cold with rubber gloves on. Tip... if you're washing the car late in the day and it's barely above freezing, the doors will surely freeze shut unless you keep the doors ajar for 10-20 minutes after washing. Keeping them open will allow most of the water to run off rather than wick into the door seals and freeze.
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Justin
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2003
09:40:09
| RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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Regarding the comments about better fuel economy and how a dirty truck gets less mpg, every car, truck or bus we wash every day is washed underneath with a 15 hp pump where the 1 inch hose drops to 1/4 inch nozzle. No recycled water. We haul away 12 cubic meters of mud every week and we are just a small detail shop not a high volume car wash.
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Black Sheep
Dodge Dakota
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9/15/2003
21:49:03
|  RE: Engine Steam Cleaning
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ShinySideup, you were right I was down at the car wash the other day and asked if they recycle the wash. The guy seemed like he hated to answer but he said yes. Thanks for the info, I would have never known that the wash was recycled.
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