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Engine cleaning suggestions

5K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  TGO 
#1 ·
Does anyone have advice on how to clean the LT1 engine in a Impala without destroying the Optispark in the process? I like to degrease my engine compartment from time to time but now I’m afraid to because of potential damage to the Optispark. Any advice is appreciated.
 
#2 ·
I’m replacing my Optispark right now due to contamination inside the cap and rotor compartment. This design is ridiculous, so I just let road tar and engine grease build up forever?
 
#20 ·
If you had a lot of stuff in there, I'd be sure to check that the Opti vent harness is working as it should. That may be part of the problem. The design of the "sealed" Opti REQUIRES that it is vented with clean air to to not build up the junk inside. If not, you can kill a normal working Opti in a hurry.

Lots of stories of these normal working Opti's lasting for 100k ++ miles. Mine has and driven thru many nasty rain storms and some long road trips for many years without a hiccup. the location orf the Opti, although not ideal, has never seemed to pose too many concerns to me. Again, assuming it is sealed and has a working vent harness.
 
#5 ·
Thank you! Sounds like good solid advice. I live in Southern California and the roads are covered with oil droppings and grease from the heat.
And with 133,000 miles on it there are slight oil leaks here and there from the engine. But I will take your advice from now on.
 
#6 ·
Take some time now, while it is off, to completely seal the cap to the body with silicone. Also locktite the rotor screws. The seal that comes on the opti stock is a joke. A bead of silicone will go a long way.
 
#9 ·
#14 ·
The WD stands for Water Displacement. The main ingredient in WD40 is fish oil.
 
#12 ·
It's not rocket science.

Cover the alt and the battery with bags. Spray the engine and engine bay lightly with water and citrus based engine degreaser. Let it sit while you scrub the really dirty areas. Rinse by lightly spraying with water. Repeat if necessary. Start engine when done to help dry it. I was never a fan of spraying water on a hot motor. YMMV.

You're not gonna kill your opti. Just don't spray it directly with full force from the hose. It's not like the thing isn't in a prime position to get wet every single time you drive in the rain. Unless you've got other issue with your opti, which you would already know about.
 
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#13 ·
Hi, 4doorss had the 2nd link that had the link that was the original method.

Engine Cleaning/Detailing

seems safe enough and that's what i do.
-ALF out..
 
#15 ·
I've always sprayed copious amounts of Simple Green on a cold engine and the rinsed with a open water hose.

Never caused an opti failure....... cwm1

KW
 
#16 ·
IMHO...if one does chose to run open water on the engine...not something I endorse...use air compressor or leaf blower after

The electrical connections using "weather pac" are pretty good at keeping out moisture (especially if previously treated with dialectic grease) but the wire to plug orifice is not as water tight even though there is a small rubber sleeve on that part of the wire inside the connector..

While water exposure can sometimes cause immediate issues (no start or miss) the engine can initially run fine but the moisture that did get inside connectors starts corrosion which later can make that circuit stop functioning or become intermittent...and then chasing wtf wire is causing the issue can be a long chase given the # of electrical connections under hood

Yeah people have gotten away with it as mentioned...rags, elbow grease, prudent use of cleaners and protectants is what I have chosen. YMMV
 
#17 ·
IMHO...if one does chose to run open water on the engine...not something I endorse...use air compressor or leaf blower after
If you're so worried about getting the engine wet I'm not sure why you would recommend forcefully pushing said water in and around various electrical connections with high pressure air. That's literally the worst thing you can do.

Just run the engine until it's dry. It doesn't take long, especially with the hood closed.

Any water that does get in the plug boots will be dried by the heat of the engine and the exhaust manifolds or headers as well. Not sure how you would even get water in there...rinsing from the top down like you're supposed to.


Again, it's not rocket science. Everyone's got their own opinions on how to do it best. Just remember a little common sense goes a long way.
 
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#18 ·
washing these engines with opti mounted as I said before is not good..water or any liquid will get into the distributor . perhaps covering the opti with plastic sheet with the venting hoses and the electrical connector/plug wires removed should work ..BUT NOT an easy job to cover the opti perfectly from any contamination ..the EGR is also a component that does not like any water , as this design is not to have water on it .so wrap the EGR up with plastic ..

water should not cause corrosion on electrical connectors but chemicals will,, like ACID type cleaners ..
I had access to steamer washer , this I used to clean electrical devices with NO cleaners just plain water and high water steam temps .. worked great but I had to seal up portions of the components from the steam/water... the cleaning did work great and it did dry quickly as it was about 200F on the blow down of the cleaning process . I also used this to clean up circuit boards before they were to be repaired .. located in a very dirty environment ..
 
#19 ·
washing these engines with opti mounted as I said before is not good..water or any liquid will get into the distributor .
How? A proper functioning opti will hold a vacuum. That means it's air and water tight.

Just don't shoot the damn thing directly with the hose if you're paranoid about it.

If you think your opti doesn't get wet with normal use live in a fantasy world lol
 
#23 ·
I think anyone who has owned and worked on a Gen2 LT1 knows the Optispark is susceptible to getting fluids (oil & coolant) inside them despite having O ring sealing and they do, as mentioned, hold vacuum from vent harness (about 5 PSI)....but we also know fluids can get inside it from outside sources. Leaking WP, intake gasket, etc. and yes a hose spraying water on it. As mentioned just don't go all high pressure spray on it and you should be fine.

Several have replied about how they chose to do engine cleaning and not all agreeing on all methods. I don't use running water but do spray mist the area I am working on with water bottle first then simple green and let the simple green sit for a few minutes and then use a mechanics brush all over. then wipe off vs spraying with water. Just my personal method. I feel wiping with a rag gets the grime off better than just hosing it off. Then spray the non metal stuff with Protectant and let that sit for a few minutes then wipe that off with a rag. Also use air compressor and protectant in nooks and areas hard to get to buy hand/rag. I use wax on painted surfaces

I think the core point about cleaning engine is just be prudent about exposing Opti, alternator, PCM to direct water. Besides that, several ways to do it

The Opti is mostly plastic and wipes clean with a rag or one with some form of cleaner on it
 
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