Engine Cleaning????
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Volo IL
Engine Cleaning????
Hello,
I have a 1994 Admiral Blue Corvette Convertible that had an engine you could eat off until I moved into a new subdivision that was under construction for 2 years. Well over the years I could not keep up with the dust that accumulated in the engine compartment.
Does anyone have any suggestion on how to clean the engine? I was told DO NOT POWER WASH it. Keep in mind this is the first year of the Opti Spark which we all know is very sensitive to water and other liquids.
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions.
Thanks
Sammy
I have a 1994 Admiral Blue Corvette Convertible that had an engine you could eat off until I moved into a new subdivision that was under construction for 2 years. Well over the years I could not keep up with the dust that accumulated in the engine compartment.
Does anyone have any suggestion on how to clean the engine? I was told DO NOT POWER WASH it. Keep in mind this is the first year of the Opti Spark which we all know is very sensitive to water and other liquids.
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions.
Thanks
Sammy
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by rick lambert
I think vinnies87 has one of those small hand held steam cleaners he likes...whatever you use make sure you cover that opti.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Garden City Kansas
But you know what? I did power-wash my '94 a couple of weeks ago. I immediately noticed an ignition stumble. It doesn't happen all the time, once in a while accelerating from a stop or just revving the engine in park. Sometimes it is severe. I only had the vette a week and was not familiar with the Opti-spark dist. Iv'e always had the standard Chevy distributors all my life until now.
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,387
Likes: 30
Originally Posted by dheiser
But you know what? I did power-wash my '94 a couple of weeks ago. I immediately noticed an ignition stumble. It doesn't happen all the time, once in a while accelerating from a stop or just revving the engine in park. Sometimes it is severe. I only had the vette a week and was not familiar with the Opti-spark dist. Iv'e always had the standard Chevy distributors all my life until now.
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 862
Likes: 0
From: Lewisvlle NC
Originally Posted by vinnies87
Correct Rick: its one you've seen advertized, hand held with different nozzels, works great, takes some time, but with the steam pressure and the brush nozzel, it just eats away the dirt.....
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Volo IL
Is yours hesitating only when the car is first driven and then goes away after 2 to 5 miles down the road? I'm having a slight problem with mine and was wondering myself if mine for the second time is going out.
When mine went out last time it would not run good when it was warm.
When mine went out last time it would not run good when it was warm.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,841
Likes: 19
From: CLT, North Carolina
Many malign the Optispark ignition system without fully understanding the engineering feat it represents.The Optis do the job they were designed to do and will do it for a long time if you take care of them. Where GM screwed up was in not considering the average owner hosing and washing the engine down without understanding just what he was doing. The Opti is a good example of how careful the engineers have to be before giving the average Corvette buyer fairly sophisticated engineering. Sometimes we miss out when the engineers are faced with the decision on how to make the car idiot proof and I guess you could say they failed in this area of the C4.
Last edited by Greg Gore; Nov 9, 2006 at 01:34 PM.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Volo IL
Thanks for calling me an idiot!!! My posting was asking what is the best way to clean an engine with an Opti? Especially the 1994 which was the most vulnerable year because it was the first year. How about we keep comments to beneficial ones and stop calling people idiots.
So from my original posting I think maybe I did no what i was talking about. You would think a senior forum member would know better than to post a useless message.
So from my original posting I think maybe I did no what i was talking about. You would think a senior forum member would know better than to post a useless message.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Sammysofa
Vinnie,
What brand steam cleaner do you have? How much are they?
Thanks
Sammy
PS. Nice Engine!!!!
What brand steam cleaner do you have? How much are they?
Thanks
Sammy
PS. Nice Engine!!!!
There at walmart, rite aid, can't remember the name, looks like a big coffee pot with a nose... if you can picture that...around $50, then simple green, 00 & 000 steel wool, rags and time... I don't have an opti but i've always done it this way, and seems to work best - without breaking things.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,891
Likes: 2
From: Baltimore MD
Originally Posted by Greg Gore
Many malign the Optispark ignition system without fully understanding the engineering feat it represents.The Optis do the job they were designed to do and will do it for a long time if you take care of them. Where GM screwed up was in not considering the average owner hosing and washing the engine down without understanding just what he was doing. The Opti is a good example of how careful the engineers have to be before giving the average Corvette buyer fairly sophisticated engineering. Sometimes we miss out when the engineers are faced with the decision on how to make the car idiot proof and I guess you could say they failed in this area of the C4.
From looking at your profile - it appears you build race car engines. Please remember, not all of us have the luxury of lifting the whole body off our cars in order to work on them. Nor the enormous resources you must have at your finger tips. In principle I agree the Opti-Spark was an engineering advancement - but yes indeed it was very bad placement for a water fragile part.
Some times I wonder what school of engineering some of these guys went to when I look into an engine bay and can't even get to the spark plugs without jacking the car or engine up to get to number #7.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Garden City Kansas
It's odd. I can start the car and a lot of the time it will run and accelerate just fine and I'll dive for a while with no problem. Other times the hesitation is there. I drove it to work earlier this week, about 12 miles, and on the way home I stopped at a light & it stuttered bad for a moment.
I don't know if this problem will go away or end up being a costly learning experience. If anyone has experience with this, good or bad, I would like to know what to expect.
I don't know if this problem will go away or end up being a costly learning experience. If anyone has experience with this, good or bad, I would like to know what to expect.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,891
Likes: 2
From: Baltimore MD
Originally Posted by dheiser
It's odd. I can start the car and a lot of the time it will run and accelerate just fine and I'll dive for a while with no problem. Other times the hesitation is there. I drove it to work earlier this week, about 12 miles, and on the way home I stopped at a light & it stuttered bad for a moment.
I don't know if this problem will go away or end up being a costly learning experience. If anyone has experience with this, good or bad, I would like to know what to expect.
I don't know if this problem will go away or end up being a costly learning experience. If anyone has experience with this, good or bad, I would like to know what to expect.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,841
Likes: 19
From: CLT, North Carolina
The engineering feat was in adopting fairly new for its time square wave technology for very rapid updating of engine management. The Opti had far greater timing resolution than any other system available at the time. Another feature was direct drive of the waterpump which removed lateral belt loads from the waterpump bearings. Another feature is if your belt failed you don't overheat since the waterpump is driven from the cam. I don't know where else it could be placed to meet these goals. I would prefer a reliable waterpump over an ignition system immune from waterpump failure. As another member pointed out it was not my intention to call folks names and it was my unfortunate choice in using the well known generic term.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
Originally Posted by dheiser
But you know what? I did power-wash my '94 a couple of weeks ago. I immediately noticed an ignition stumble. It doesn't happen all the time, once in a while accelerating from a stop or just revving the engine in park. Sometimes it is severe. I only had the vette a week and was not familiar with the Opti-spark dist. Iv'e always had the standard Chevy distributors all my life until now.
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
Is there any hope it will dry out? Or am I screwed?
One member reported success is taking one off, dismantling it, cleaning and then re-assembling and it worked when he put it back in. I would not want to give you odds on the chance of success with that. Check for codes and if 16 or 36 are coming up then the opti is about gone.
As for cleaning an optispark motor the best, safest way is simply shop towels, the microfiber are best, and simple Green, and time. It really isn't that bad a deal. Here is mine:
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 444
Likes: 2
From: Dardenne Prairie Mo
I have washed/steam cleaned two cars in my life, both some years ago and had problems with both cars afterwards and they didn't have have of the electronics that the c4 and newer vettes have on them.
Power washing a engine with all the electronics and computer garb would scare the crap out of me.
I recently painted a c3 engine in the car and just masked everything off really well and washed the motor with simple green till all grease was gone,then a final wipe down with prep solvent and shot away. Worked great and the end result was pretty darn amazing.
I would wipe that c4 down !
Power washing a engine with all the electronics and computer garb would scare the crap out of me.
I recently painted a c3 engine in the car and just masked everything off really well and washed the motor with simple green till all grease was gone,then a final wipe down with prep solvent and shot away. Worked great and the end result was pretty darn amazing.
I would wipe that c4 down !
Last edited by Bob89c4; Nov 9, 2006 at 03:26 PM.