Anyone got any tips? Can you steam clean with all hoses / connectors on?

Wouldn't recommend steaming a modern engine with engine management etc. Although you can dry it out you may find electrical problems caused by corroded connections in a few months. Try spraying degreaser with a solvent gun , scrub with a degreasing brush and rinse off with brake cleaner .

I needed to do this before I took car to SVA, so collared a friend.

I was being careful where I was spraying, he just went everywhere, got thoroughly carried away.

Had a nice clean engine though

Used proprietry engine degreaser, brush and hose pipe.

ATB

Simon

i don't really understand this... you're not allowed to tip oil down the drain, but you're alowed to cover an engine with Gunk or Jizer (i think its called) and wash it off down a drain.

is it still legal?!

Rainwater is used for domestic water supplies (after treatment) which is why you're not supposed to put anything chemical down the clean water drains.

I guess you're supposed to catch the Gunked water and dispose of it in the oil waste containers at your local recycling centre.

^ thats what i thought, but the containers don't say anything about it.

not sure the coucil would appreciate a mixture of mostly water poured in their oil cointainers either!

Although Gunk gets the grease off, I find it stinks for ages - you smell it for weeks after you've used it.
I've been using Autoglym engine degreaser which does a reasonable job but doesn't stink.

Surely you should have cleaned the engine prior to fitting it ???

Hot engine + GUNK GUNK GUNK

Fantastic stuff.

Cleaned off with a pressure washer with more mild detergent (cheaper the better)in the attachment bottle..

Take it out for a 20 mile drive 'hot' and all will be well, assuming you dont have an oil leak in the ifrst place..

Cillit Bang...

Steve

Plastic bag over all ecu's etc, point and squirt

i use stuff called g101. autosmart make it, only can get it through the motortrade i think. it bloody good stuff.

I went to trade motor factors recently for engine degreaser. The owner recommended the CarPlan degreaser. Said it was stronger and cheaper than the alternative gunk that he also sells. It worked well for me. I decanted it into a spray bottle and left it on for 20 mins or so. Hose off.