So I was working on my project over the weekend (1995 Miata). Sat neglected for several years. Just about every part that could leak oil was leaking; poor thing had about as much oil on the outside of the motor as on the inside. Everything was caked in grime. Makes every job take twice as long because I have to scrape off the sludge first, then make sure none of that makes its way inside the engine.
I am using a variety of things - engine degreaser, Formula 409, car wash soap - but it is very tedious. I am tempted to spend a couple hundred bucks to have a detail shop steam clean it, but I don't know anyone who has experience with it. Most of the YouTube videos I found portray it as more of a final step in making an engine bay that is already pretty clean really sparkle (either for show cars or high-end detailing on luxury cars), not to dig a neglected fixer out from a mountain of sludge.
Thoughts?
Steam cleaning engines used to be a pretty routine procedure back in BE - Before Electronics. Nowadays, engines have so many electronic modules, sensors and wiring it's become problematic. Especially because you're not just spreading steam - all the crud you are removing and whatever soap/solvent you used will get into things.
On the other hand, if you Saran wrap and Baggie all the electrical bits, then used the steam cleaning tool more like a Water Pic than a flamethrower - it would probably take as much time as the way you are doing it now. The engine bays on Youtube that look immaculate - I bet they pulled the engine out first.
