Any Brisbanites know of a car wash that you can wash engines etc?

My brother-in-law's car wash in Ballina has a hot degreasing engine wash cycle and the plant has oil traps etc to catch it all, but the few I've spoken to around home either deny it can be done (duh!) or don't allow it.

Don't particularly want to have a 6 hour return trip for a free wash of a gear box.

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I go to the 24hr ones, at the appropriate time and use the engine degrease. Hell, if they want to argue with me about the fact it's not in the car....

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Videos - Turbocharged A-Series on Dyno & at Wakefield
Mafs waz not my strong subgeckt at skkol

The DIY coin operated ones in Vic have it.

I'd just get an old drum cut in half and do it with diesel and an old paint brush.
I used my parts washer for mine and did a rinse with diesel. The parts washer had the proper kerosene(?) based solvent but it is due for a clean-out and refill and I will be putting diesel in it next time around.

The engine I put on an engine stand and brushed/sprayed the degreaser on then hosed it off - minimised the amount of chemical used, the outside of my engines I keep pretty clean, but I had to clean it internally also obviously.

KB

Normally I'd smother it in degreaser and Karcher it off but we have a total ban on hoses up here and the noise of the Karcher would be a give away. And no it doesn't suck from a bucket

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Yeah but I just hosed it - if you "paint it" with diesel, give it a scrap then let it soak in - surely you don't need too much pressure to get the gunk off?

No pressure washer involved
KB

There are now better degreasers availbale than the old type and definately better than diesel which gave me blisters all over the hands last time I used it.

Might be a genetic link on that one Kevin - so be careful.

Manufacturers are now getting the chemistry about right and the one I cant of the name of (ask your own local mechanical workshop) is a blow on with a compressor fed applicator bottle. You then let it dry and basically you could get the muck off by tossing a bucket of water over it.

Doesn't damage alloys or straight al either.

Time for you to get yourself a rainwater tank Wombat. Doesn't need to be anything flash. Just get a 44gallon drum (or a bloody big container, preferrably plastic) and plum it into your downpipe(s). Bung a tap into the base of it. $50-$100 later you'll have yourself constant supply.

Might be an idea to take advantage of the rebates currently on offer from both municipal and state governments and fit a big hoohar.

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

I agree with the concept and a 44 gallon would work fairly well. 12 volt pumps (and even 240 volt ac fish tank pumps) are fairl cheap these days and usually fully submersible to boot.

Most of these would (and will ) provide enough pressure to drive a karcher. If you wanted upmarket then the lastest generation of petrol powered fire fighter type water pumps do an excellent job. The smaller capacity motored ones start as low as two hundred and maybe cheaper on fleabay

I agree with the rain water tank - our house at Noosa is on rainwater, 75,000 litres under the garage floor and we are near Mt Tinbeerwah - the wettest spot on the Sunshine coast Haven't run out of water in 12 years - but the tenants are paying good money for "quiet enjoyment" of my dream home Plan to move back there this year but can't wait that long to clean this box out

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I thought you are allowed to use pressure washers as they use a lot less water than the normal hose, well I know in SA you can.

Might want to have another look at the Water ban regs just to double check

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He is right, you will be shot on the spot if you are found to be connected to a tap outside.

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But he's thriving and striving and hugging the turns.

OK - I looked up the full restrictions - clear enough but not very specific to my situation :
Washing a vehicle/boat/caravan/trailer
(other than by a commercial service provider)
Washing with buckets filled directly from a tap is permitted
at any time.
Flushing of an inboard or outboard motor or any other mechanical
component (to prevent corrosion) is permitted using a hose at any time.

And:
General cleaning of household materials
and equipment
Cleaning of household materials and equipment (e.g. tents, rubbish bins,
barbeques) is not permitted at any time unless using a high-pressure
cleaning unit or other water efficient cleaning methods (e.g. hose fitted
with a trigger nozzle).

So I rang the hotline and asked - all she kept saying was it comes under Washing a vehicle/boat/caravan/trailer and I have to use a bucket unless Flushing of an inboard or outboard motor or any other mechanical
component (to prevent corrosion) when I can use a hose - talk about a stuck record.

So I asked if she could tell me which car washes have facilities to wash engine - no she couldn't as they don't have those records - I have to find that out for myself ?????

Here's the kicker - she then asked "Has this call been helpfull?"
Not really I replied

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I see two options:

1.. sit it on the BBQ while I wash the BBQ with the Karcher

or

2 .. (what I'll probably do) Lay the wheelie bin down with lid open on the ground and gear box on lid and clean out the bin

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

is the gunk on your engine corrosive