I did the knock sensor SB procedure when I replaced my oil pressure sender. Even with this done according to the procedure you still leave a small break in the dam at the rear of the engine and it only describes doing this to the rear not the front sensor plug. I did both but after discussions with some of our experts I left the break in the bridge towards the rear but did both plugs not just the rear. (It's basically a bead of silicone sealant applied all around the plug edge except leave a little space open at the back.) And seal the wire where it goes into the plug.

 

Hate to tell everyone, but simple green is NOT aluminum safe.

To reduce it's impact, only use it diluted (never full strength) and always wash it off quickly and completely.

Here is what Simple Green says about their own product:

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances.

Simple Green® Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.

 

Good advice. This is what i do.

I used to use a strong spray of water and cleaner to wash engines years ago but after several failed sensors on late model vehicles i quit this practice.

 

I've never had a problem Barry! Call me and I'll fill you in. Try to use a low or non-caustic degreaser!!

 

spray the entire engine down with a mixture of 1 part dexron III and two parts mineral spirits, let it sit about 20 minutes then spray with citris degreaser and let sit about 20 minutes then rinse with water.

been washing engines for 40 years no problems, in the old days you had to dry out thei inside of the distributor cap after washing but that's a thing of the past.

It will look like new.

 

If it's very dirty, then pressure wash it.

If it is just a bit dusty and dirty, then hose it off with a garden hose after using a lil bit of degreaser.

It would be best to disconnect the battery before either just to be safe and not damage any electrical components. But you have to realize that there is very little difference between the design of what's under these hoods and those of Jeeps that get submerged in water and grime and manage to keep on trekking ( I know, I used to have water over the hood of my 08 Wrangler all the time, kept running, and when I was done, I'd pressure wash the engine and it looked new and I drove it home with no issues, ever.)

Of course though, hosing down electrical components under the hood is not the best thing, and it is possible that things may get wet and cause a difficult start after washing, but let it dry and things will be fine.

 

Not sure if this is what happened to the OP's LT1 engine, but the Opti-Spark optical distributors were very susceptible to water -- especially the '92 and '93 models. If you fried one, the unit itself was fairly expensive and required quite a bit of labor to replace.

 

I wash my engine. I do it like this.

 

I used to use water, pressure and non to clean engines until I wiped out an Opti-Spark. I don't use any water on mine, just an aluminum safe degreaser and plenty of rags. So far have spent 22 hours on the engine compartment for the initial clean and then maintenance. I don't use any water on my car exterior or interior.

 

Look how CRUSTY is can get under the intake:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...-step-2-a.html

 

Seems to me you can wash an LS7 but I'm not sure about an LS1

 

I can sneeze on an Opti-Spark and fry it. Those were the biggest pieces of junk ever. The coils on an LS1, 6, whatever are sealed up pretty good so no worries there. I spray mine with simple green and a then lightly spray it off with water and wipe dry with rag. I've been doing it for years now on 2 different cars with no problem at all.


I'm really curious on how the waterless thing works.

 

I use a garden sprayer to hose off the engine. It gives you lots of control over where the water goes. It's the kind that you hand pump up with air.

 

hmmm..have you ever tried wiping your engine off with a rag?

That's about all he was talking about..some degreaser and a few rags

 

Oh, I misread it to mean he didn't use water at all, ever, on any part...


"I don't use any water on my car exterior or interior."

 

You just don't use water; cleaning products only, a lot of rags. On the exterior only quick detailer, polish and wax...no water.

 

I got it done, and it turned out great. I took off the fuel rail covers and washed them seperately. I did wash the plenum with a rag and windex. Then I reinstalled the fuel rail covers and just dodged the top of the engine. Sprayed the fenders with water, and then sprayed everything down with purple power. Then just washed with a rag and soap and rinsed. Finished it off by spraying it with Mcguiars hose and plastic dressing. Looks awesome. Sorry, no pics.

 

How did you clean under the fuel rail covers (coil packs)?

 

After my Z gets out of the paint shop I'm going to try this method. I can see the definite plus side of no water. I'm from Florida and we get flash rain showers and there is sand everywhere. Will this method work in that environment?

 

This looks like Randy, the Trailer Park's Assistant Weekend Manager! If you've ever seen Trailer Park Boys, then you know what I'm talking about. This show was so bad it was great!