Im curious, ive got a 98 ram 1500 and i want to clean the engine out. Can i just take the hose to it and wash the dirt and stuff off nd use a rag or something or would i be risking hurting something putting that much water on the engine? Also i know i would do it when the engine is completely cooled off dont want any cracks or anything.

 

I used to spray 'gunk' all over an engine and spray it off with a regular water hose. I don't think that 'gunk' has the same ingredients in it now as it did 25-30 years ago. If I clean one now, I spray 'brake parts cleaner' to cut heavy oil/grease on anything dirty under the hoodand rinse with hose then I use an assortment of brushes and 'Mean Green' for remaining dirt/road grime. When I'm satisfied that it's clean and dry, I hit any everything that isn't steel or metal with Armor-All, (Radiator hoses, plug wires, etc.).You can also wax any painted surfaces such as the firewall etc. with an easy working liquid polish like NuFinish. It's a lot of hard tedious work but you can make it look brand new under the hood if you want to.

 

You should be okay...I've done it before. I sprayed with a degreaser first and then hosed it off. I wouldn't pressure wash it, but some people do with no problems. Just let it dry out as much as possible before driving if you soak it down good...just my opinion,probablynot a necessity. Just don't get water at the top to where it can get in the throttle body.

 

I wash under the hood quite a bit. I don't let the water pour onto the motor. I'll wet it, wash it, then spray it to rinse. I try to stay away from the elctrical components. You can also spray the electrical connectors afterwards with WD40; This will dissipate water.