Pressure Wash Transaxle?

[Carl Swirsding]

Today I removed my transaxle and found 3/8 - 1/2 inch of greasy crude on top. Plus the rest of it is a greasy mess because the tranny, and engine, have been leaking forever.

Any reason why I shouldn't pressure wash the transmission? Obviously I have to block the vent on top. But beyond that would it be ok?

Doing my best to keep the faith,

Carl

[Dan Epperly]

Today I removed my transaxle and found 3/8 - 1/2 inch of greasy crude on top. Plus the rest of it is a greasy mess because the tranny, and engine, have been leaking forever.

Any reason why I shouldn't pressure wash the transmission? Obviously I have to block the vent on top. But beyond that would it be ok?

Doing my best to keep the faith,

Carl

Do it. Are you pulling it to have it repaired,meaning it will get opened up? Or did you pull it for other reasons? I would be careful about shooing water around the axles if the boots are off or shooting it up the axle tubes of its not coming apart. You don't want water in there.

[Carl Swirsding]

I am indeed pulling it so it can be rebuilt. It has over 200,000 miles and has begun to have issues. Boots are on and very sound. I still have the 36mm nuts at the ends of the axles in place. I've got some degreaser that I will soak it with before hitting it with the pressure washer.

Thanks for your support,

Carl

[Doug McDonnell]

In order to decrease pollution start with scraping off as much as you can before using the degreaser. A plastic spoon can remove a lot of the stuff first. I used an old ice scraper but doubt you will have one of those laying around where you live. I live on a trout stream so sensitive to what I use here at home.I followed the scraping with cleaning with the blue paper shop towels and simple green. Tedious but a good start. Everything I used went in a plastic trash bag and was taken to the local toxic waste facility.

[John Brooks]

I would NOT Pressure wash it or anything on a 356. . Spend 15 more minutes using a parts brush, and a bucket. You will get water into places where it should not be wet and when you tear it down it will have surface rust on things that are smooth oily and shinny right now.

Raise it up over a trash can and clean it with a brush and foaming aerosol de-greaser, gently rinse and wipe with a towel and blow dry. Your wife's hair dryer was designed to clean the transmission.

John

[Dan Epperly]

I would NOT Pressure wash it or anything on a 356. . Spend 15 more minutes using a parts brush, and a bucket. You will get water into places where it should not be wet and when you tear it down it will have surface rust on things that are smooth oily and shinny right now.

Raise it up over a trash can and clean it with a brush and foaming aerosol de-greaser, gently rinse and wipe with a towel and blow dry. Your wife's hair dryer was designed to clean the transmission.

John

Personally I used purple power and steel wool to clean the exterior of mine and a scraper for the thick stuff. Pressure washing will be fine, those units are sealed after all and as long as he blocks the vent and doesn't shoot it up the axle tubes no water is going to get in there. I don't use a pressure washer because I don't have one and my wife would kill me if I splurged fossilized 90wt gear oil all over the house and driveway.

[Carl Swirsding]

I'm laughing at "my wife would kill me if I splurged fossilized 90wt gear oil all over the house and driveway." I'm just imagining black greasy crude flying all over. And interestingly, when I told my wife the idea of using the pressure washer, she said, "go for it." Then again we've been married 42 years and she knows I'm Mr. Clean.

I'll start as described above with scraper and cleaner. Maybe I'll take that approach all the way if it goes well.

Thank you all for your comments. This is the greatest car forum I've ever participated in.

Carl

[Doug McDonnell]

Or if available near you? http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site_5/Free ... me%21.html

[Jon Bunin]

I am indeed pulling it so it can be rebuilt.

Carl, you might contact the person or business who will be rebuilding it for you, and consider their recommendations.
Some rebuilders have professional means of cleaning housings once they're disassembled, and prefer that their customers not power wash or scrape away at them.

[Doug McDonnell]

Excellent advice from Jon who is a well know 356 transmission restorer. And yes there is a difference between rebuilt and restored IMHO.

[Mike Wilson]

A good idea to check with whomever is going to work on your transaxle. Some may want it clean before they touch it.

[Carl Swirsding]

Good advice from all. Today I talked to my rebuilder and he said it would be refreshing to have a transaxle come to him that was already clean. So today I started scraping the built up crud. Man, lots O crud. I asked my rebuilder if pressure washing was ok if I blocked the vent, etc. He said he had no problem with it.

Again, thanks to all for their advice. What a great forum.

[Mike Wilson]

Time to get dirty, Carl! Ha! Good luck with your rebuild/restoration.

[Dave Erickson]

I just did this on my SC transmission - it took a couple of hours and the results were great, but there was no need for pressure washing. I used paint thinner with a brush and scraper with the transmission balanced over a large tub. Then all the thinner went back into the 5 gal pail ready for the next job and the sludge went to the recycle jug. I followed up the thinner with a hose-down, and it came out nice.

[M Penta]

I cleaned mine best I could by hand, but ended up using a pressure washer in the end. Just a quick blast did wonders compared to the hours of hand work. I used compressed air and then a couple of fans overnight to dry everything off, worked fine. Just avoid spraying area's where water could get into trans.