Coming Clean on Issue of Dirty Engines
Question: I own a 1981 Buick Regal with 64,000 miles on it. My mechanic recommended that I get the engine steam cleaned. Is this advisable? --M.P.
Answer: The idea of cleaning something that is dirty, such as a greasy engine compartment, appeals to a lot of people. And there are auto-care books advising motorists that steam cleaning an engine is a good idea.
In some cases, a thorough cleaning of the engine compartment has some benefit, but generally nothing good can come of it, and a careless job can damage the engine.
The primary benefit of steam cleaning is that you can easily identify oil or other fluid leaks. A greasy or oily engine compartment can hide these leaks, making it virtually impossible to know what is leaking.
A clean block also has some modest benefit in keeping the engine running cool, because a layer of crud tends to act like a blanket that keeps some parts running hotter.
And finally a clean engine is easier to work on. You face less chance that dirt will fall into the engine or that parts will not seat properly.
As far as these benefits go, I say who cares. A properly functioning engine will not overheat. And let your mechanic worry about the dirty engine. It’s his problem.
If you drive your car down to the do-it-yourself car wash and spray the engine while it is hot, you could crack the exhaust manifold or even the engine block. To avoid that fate, you’ll have to wait until the engine cools down, which isn’t my idea of a great day off.
You also run the risk of shorting out electrical components. Some books advise you to cover the distributor and coil in plastic kitchen wrap. You’d have to do that after the engine cools off. By now, you could have climbed a mountain.
If you are obsessed about keeping the engine clean, wipe it off with a rag. You can dissolve grease with a spray engine cleaner or a can of WD-40.
Q: I have a 1978 Toyota Celica coupe. After every cold start, I have to struggle with the stick shift to get it into first gear. It feels like something is blocking it. After five minutes of driving, the problem disappears. A mechanic replaced the clutch master cylinder, but the problem still exists. What do you think is causing it?--S.K.
A: The problem is in one of two areas. Either the clutch is still out of adjustment or the synchronizers inside the transmission are shot.
I would make sure that the clutch is adjusted properly first. If the clutch is not fully disengaging the engine from the transmission, it will be very difficult to move the transmission into gear.
You might try a trick in which you first try to shift the transmission into a gear other than first and then quickly shift into first. If this procedure helps, it means the clutch is out of adjustment, the clutch disk is warped or that the clutch is not sliding properly on its splines. These problems also cause the transmission gears to grind when you shift into reverse.
All modern manual transmissions have devices called synchronizers that allow gears to lock onto transmission shafts while they are in motion. If the synchronizers are worn, they might not be doing their job.
