Put a shower cap over the alternator to keep it relatively dry. Followed
the procedure below, a-and the engine started!

I confess that I was kind of expecting that the water might have fouled
the wiring and converted the engine into a useless inert lump of metals
and petroleum-based fluids. But it's idling away and drying right now.

I had no idea that there was so much color in the engine compartment! Up
until now, everything was uniform brown or brownish-black!

All the colors of the rainbow.

--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.

On 08/24/2012 03:39 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> if you want to do anything like that ..
> this is my surefire method.
> the first word of caution is 'don't overdo it !'
>
> you could just use compressed air to get dust off..
> if you want a washing method....
>
> warmish engine preferred.
> spray down with Simple Green ...scrub with a toothbrush here and there
> as needed.
> Don't spray into the alternator, but everything else, pretty much.
> Don't try to get every tiny bit of grime off the engine ..it doesn't
> hurt anything.
> Let the simple green soak in a little. ...10 minutes say.
> Ideally.........hose that off with hot water.
> Just spray it off briefly ..no sitting there blasting ! Don't spray
> water into the alternator.
> just a fairly quick swish and spray. Like 10 seconds is plenty. Even less.
>
> Immediately spray everything....... especially all wires, plug wires,
> distributor, coil, etc. with WD-40.
> This is the most important part of the entire process. You can use that
> generously.
> You can dump a gallon on the engine and it won't hurt anything. Just
> spray generously.
> it displaces water...very, very effectively.
> Then start the engine right away and let it idle some ..
> and dry out.
> It does not have to be show-car clean ..there's no point in trying to
> accomplish that.

[snip]