What's an engine cleaning gun and what is it for

[PoorOwner]

Something like this

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=3953


In today's cars I think we need to be careful spraying cleaning agent around the engine.

[IanF]

Interesting... kinda looks like a low-powered pressure washer...

I couldn't get a price to show up... :headscrat

[PoorOwner]

regular price $10, sale $4.99 I have seen other china brands for about $30 though.

[Uncle Buck]

They have been around for years. For cleaning under the hood.

[Freejack]

I've never found to be nearly as effective as a good pressure washer.

Jake

[Danglerb]

Think of a giant aerosol can, where your air compressor is the can, and whatever the little hose goes into gets sprayed with the force of your air lines.

Pressure washing, watery wet washing under the hood on an old new enough to be loaded with electrical stuff, and you can be looking at years of costly and flakey repair situations.

Harbor Freight from time to time sells the McCulloch MC1275 steam cleaning rig for $89, and that does seem to work very well. Its not high pressure or volume so you can direct the nozzle where you want it to go and avoid other spots, and it is "real" steam so it does clean quite effectively and doesn't leave stuff wet (quickly evaporates cause its HOT). Not a fast operation, but popular with detailers and just to demuck a really nasty underside before suspension work. I wondering if it wouldn't make an good general parts washing setup with just a basin, some citrus stuff, and a brush.

[kylefitz]

DO NOT GET ONE. I had that exact gun for a few years, all the way up until last night when I threw it out. It never worked right but it could be a defective operator.

[goodfellow]

Back in the day, when the EPA wasn't as vigilant as now, we used to degrease engines with Varsol (using the exact same gun). It was mess and very toxic, but did wonders for cleaning old engine blocks.

[jimvannoy]

I use the old standby Gunk. Spray the engine real good and blast it off with my pressure washer.

[eschoendorff]

I have that gun and use it as an extended blow gun. Never used it with any solution...

[z28toz06]

I power wash the engines in my cars. I just spray them down with simple green, let em soak and then start them up and spray them. If she starts to sputter you stop spraying. Pay attention to your electronics and don't douse any computer boxes, ecm's etc. Never had a problem. I don't climb right up on them and douse them, I stand back a little with the wide wand and hit them in bursts. I am mostly getting the road dust from all the dirt roads off them, that's all.

[Detroit Diesel Man]

We use something similar at work to wash out Diffs,Rear end housings and Trannys...work really well..we use a non solvent type cleaner..non toxic..couldnt tell ya what it is.

DDM

[bgarrett]

Something like this

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=3953


In today's cars I think we need to be careful spraying cleaning agent around the engine.

'todays cars'??
The cars I drive 'today' are a 1931 Ford,(for the last 12 years) a 1935 Ford pickup (5 years) a 1939 Ford pickup, (16 years) a 1957 Chevy, (about 8 years) a 1959 Ford (about 6 years) and the newest car I own, a 1966 Chrysler Convertible thats been in our family for 37 years

[Uncle Buck]

'todays cars'??
The cars I drive 'today' are a 1931 Ford,(for the last 12 years) a 1935 Ford pickup (5 years) a 1939 Ford pickup, (16 years) a 1957 Chevy, (about 8 years) a 1959 Ford (about 6 years) and the newest car I own, a 1966 Chrysler Convertible thats been in our family for 37 years

A man after my own heart! I wish I could boast the same. I am working on it, the closest I have gotten is 72 Chevy truck my daily driver 1968 Chevelle, the wifes backup transportation to her 1992 Lincoln Town Car, and a 1986 GMC heavy half another old reliable that has too much left to get rid of. :thumbup:

[Toxicscrew]

I bought a similar one at HD last night for $12 and used it to clean lage parts before powdercoating them. Worked great.