Steam cleaning an engine and under the truck

Think I'll take mine over to the detail shop just before I have a inframe done. At least my mechanic will appreciate it.

 

When I got to pulling the bad engine out of my KW it was obvious the 10 extra tubes of red silicone didn't work. Who ever put it together didn't have faith in gaskets, or didn't have faith in their work. Framerails, cross members are in very good shape though . Cleaned most of the big stuff with a putty knife, the rest I will get with my pressure washer and degreaser. I will say this though.... growing up around cable tool drilling rigs, grease for the spudding gear has to be worn off, washing would not cut it. But, a steam Ginny would cut it no problem come paint time, pressure washer just moved it around.

 

Hot water on grease is kinda like they say about horsepower "there's no replacement for displacement"

 

Looks like money well spent to me.

 

Now that you have that fifth wheel clean it's a good practice to keep it that way. I service my truck every 12,500 miles changing the oil and filters, grease it. I grease it half way between oil changes. Anyways, part of my oil change routine is to degrease the fifth wheel with a handful of red shop rags can of brake parts cleaner or starter fluid. Whatever is handy, and then I put some clean grease back on top of the plate and grease the jaws. I grease it as necessary between oil changes but always strip it down and clean it up when changing the oil.