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06-29-2015, 01:03 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Posts: 15
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Cleaning Cummins engine
My cummins 8.9L ISL engine is dirty since driving back on the Alcan Hwy. Is it advisable to wash it down with a water hose or a pressure washer?
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06-29-2015, 01:30 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Fleetwood Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 569
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Simple Green and a hose.
__________________
2010 Dutch Star 4333
2009 Honda Accord- Brakemaster
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06-29-2015, 07:18 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Sterling Heights, MI
Posts: 2,723
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Make sue you get the radiator from the engine side also. it can get clogged with dust and debris.
__________________
Tricia & Dennis Lockhart
2010 Ventana 4333
Spartan MM w/Cummins 360 ISC
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06-29-2015, 07:35 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Ca
Posts: 1,076
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A water hose works for me.
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06-29-2015, 08:47 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,654
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Get a pump up garden sprayer and mix strong batch of dawn.
Rinse everything off to get dusty stuff off then get everything wet with dawn and keep it wet by repeat spraying as it needs to soak a bit.
AVOID ALL ELECTRIC CONNECTIONS.
Gently rinse and repeat if needed.
Do not use pressure washer as it will get into places not intended and be a mess.
Stronger batch of dawn if real bad or use a brush.
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Tony & Lori
1989 Country Coach Savannah SE
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06-29-2015, 03:12 PM
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#6
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,922
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I wash mine when necessary. My only addition to this post is to start it and let it warm up after washing. This helps to dry places where water shouldn't sit.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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06-30-2015, 05:03 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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Quote:
Make sue you get the radiator from the engine side also. it can get clogged with dust and debris.
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Most 8.9L's are side radiator, so not so dirty, but Alaskajim didn't say.
Like the others, I hose mine out when needed. Spray in a detergent like Simple Green if greasy. Then run the engine a bit to dry it out.
You probably need to change the air filter as well - it doesn't take much dust & dirt to really load it up. My performance goes down noticeable even when the 'filter minder" still reads "half". I think that means half the engine performance!
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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06-30-2015, 05:16 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Posts: 15
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Cleaning Cummins engine
Thank you all for the advice on cleaning my Cummins engine. I'll try not to screw it up. Jmi
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06-30-2015, 06:14 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AB
Posts: 7,587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alaskajim
My cummins 8.9L ISL engine is dirty since driving back on the Alcan Hwy. Is it advisable to wash it down with a water hose or a pressure washer?
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If you could see what's going on in your engine compartment while driving in a rain storm, it would answer your question. Get out your pressure washer, spray some degreaser, and have at it. Start it up for a while when your finished to dry things out.
I give mine a bath at the car wash mainly to remove salt residue that causes lots of trouble if left alone.
I did however run into a problem as a result of washing on our trek to AK last summer.
When we got to Tok, the rig was Filthy. On the way out of the CG in the AM, there was a car wash so I thought I would rinse some of the grime off. Had a little time left when I was finished and decided to give the engine a rinse also. All went well until we got about 2 hours down the road and got a high temp alarm. Stopped and found the serpentine belt had jumped off. Turns out when I washed it, I dislodged a tiny rock that fell down into the tensioner and eventually worked its way into the belt causing it to jump off the pulley.
Fortunately, I had a spare belt and with the help of some folks in our caravan I was back on the road again. Made me appreciate my side mounted radiator and having the support of being part of a caravan.
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2019 Unity LTV CB, pushed by a 2013 Honda CRV, BlueOx Baseplate, Aventa Bar & Patriot Brake
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07-01-2015, 12:06 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: White Rock, BC
Posts: 782
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It depends largely on how dry your engine is. If it had oil leaks or wet spots you'll have to wash it but if it is dry a compressor and air hose does a great job without risk of getting water into electronics.
I am in Alaska now and used the compressor I carry with me to dust out my coach and toad engine as well as the genny bay and battery compartment after coming over the Top of the World Highway. We're now on our way back down and I'll soon have to blow everything out again. Be sure to wear safety goggles and a breathing mask.
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Retired and livin' the RV dream!
2005 Newmar 43 ft. MADP, Cummins ISL 400HP, 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sahara
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07-01-2015, 08:52 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,654
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Air compressor is so old school...
Leaf blower does a much better job.
We use them to clean out commercial heat exchangers and they outperform compressed air BIG TIME.
You need high volume air which the blower does.
Compressed air can damage some things and most compressors used with mh just too small to be effective.
The blower can get lots of dust and dirt out from a distance.
Great for radiator as it is low pressure but 300 CFM can do wonders.
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Tony & Lori
1989 Country Coach Savannah SE
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07-06-2015, 10:51 AM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Eagle River, Alaska
Posts: 15
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Thanks for the info and suggestions. I used a garden hose with nozzle gently and cleaned the engine and underside of the MH. Then started the engine and everything seems to work. Thanks, jim
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07-09-2015, 11:00 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 809
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I pressure wash (water only) my tractor (M-11) and tanker down every day (brine hauler), plus sides, front and back and underbelly (STAY OFF the turbo) She drip dries overnight and is chopping at the bit in the morning. Don't follow me, I come off gravel roads and will throw stones and on rainy days guess who gets my underbelly brine. (Sorry, just doing my job)
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07-09-2015, 02:25 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,061
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Ditto on the leaf blower suggestion.
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Gil
03 Prevost H3-45
Hoffman Conversion
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