pressure washing and wwater in the plug wells
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pressure washing and wwater in the plug wells



For Patrick and Dave - 

It's pretty common for mechanics and shops to pressure wash engines either 
before (preferred by me!) or after working on them. Most all dealers do this on 
all their used cars to make things look sharper, and it's not much of an issue 
IF IT'S DONE CORRECTLY.  To me, this means you securely wrap all electrical 
components that can be damaged by water intrusion - the generator or 
alternator, the distributor, voltage regulator, etc., and of course, make 
doubly sure to seal off the carburetor. I do this by stuffing clean non-linty 
rag into the open throat, then taping securely a double sheet of fairly heavy 
plastic around the opening. Heavy duty trash bags are good for this use.

You have to use some common sense in using any pressure washer on a vehicle, as 
you can do anything from blowing off paint to disintegrating small parts if you 
hit them hard with the stream.  To get a really clean engine, do all your 
protective measures, then use engine cleaner (Gunk), let her sit awhile, then 
use the washer. If you have compressed air, a followup blow drying is a real 
good idea.

 Be aware that you will be blowing cruddy water all over your immediate world 
in this process, some jurisdictions may take a dim view - watch your runoff. 
You will have to do a detail on the exterior after you have the innards 
presentable.

Water in the plug wells - use paper towelling as a wick, you can get it to wick 
right up and out of the wells with a bit of trying. Get the hair dryer out 
there afterward to get it the rest of the way - you have to be willing to heat 
it up, then the remaining moisture will evaporate.

Happy housecleaning!

Kate Justet Triplett
Kate's Custom Gunleather
Monroe, Washington
Proud mother of a soldier
and owner of  "Lucille" 1968 Crown 4 door HT 



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