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Old 06-29-2015, 01:03 AM   #1
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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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Old 06-29-2015, 01:30 AM   #2
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Simple Green and a hose.
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Old 06-29-2015, 07:18 AM   #3
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Make sue you get the radiator from the engine side also. it can get clogged with dust and debris.
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Old 06-29-2015, 07:35 AM   #4
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A water hose works for me.
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Old 06-29-2015, 08:47 AM   #5
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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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Old 06-29-2015, 03:12 PM   #6
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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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Old 06-30-2015, 05:03 PM   #7
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Quote:
Make sue you get the radiator from the engine side also. it can get clogged with dust and debris.
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!
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Old 06-30-2015, 05:16 PM   #8
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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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Old 06-30-2015, 06:14 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alaskajim View Post
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?
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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Old 07-01-2015, 12:06 AM   #10
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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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Old 07-01-2015, 08:52 AM   #11
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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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Old 07-06-2015, 10:51 AM   #12
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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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Old 07-09-2015, 11:00 AM   #13
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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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Old 07-09-2015, 02:25 PM   #14
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Ditto on the leaf blower suggestion.
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