very muddy

[weevil]

I went out and did a little mud riding this weekend and had a blast. The Foreman was more than I could have asked for. Now for the hard part............getting it looking shiny again. It is very very muddy. I thought about going to the car wash and using a pressure washer on it but I think the manual says no. I really am not sure which parts are ok to get wet and which you need to stay away from. I know the electrical components are more vulnerable than some of the other parts, but just where things are located, I don't know. It is completely covered in mud. Any ideas or help?

[HondaForemanNo1]

The plastic, seat, tires, rims, rear axle and stuff, most everything can be washed with a power washer, just don't spray it real close up to the engine, becuase sometimes the pressure can break through the seals. Also, the biggest no-no of using a pressure washer is DO NOT spray the radiator fins with the pressure. It will dullen them and make them useless.

[BadForeman]

Here is what I do. I take it to a car wash and pressure wash it just enough to make it look kinda good, but there is still a little dirt in a couple of places. Then take it home and wash it real good with a wash mit and then use the armor all or whatever you use to shine it afterwards. Also use the hose at home to get by the engine and where all the wires are to be safe. Thats just what I do. Hope this help some!

[Jake]

Agreed about the pressure washers. They can be a very useful tool, but if you aren't familiar enough with the particular pressure washer to know just what destructive power it has, AND if you're not familiar with your enigine and driveline enough to know what seals can be bypassed or torn by a pressure washer, I'd be leary of it. It takes just a little longer to use a hose with a sprayer, but you'll get the same job done.

Most often I start with a cheap junky semi-disposable pressure washer for "the big stuff". It's absolutely no better than a garden hose sprayer, but if I keep using it I don't have to feel like I wasted money on a cheap junky semi-disposable pressure washer. After I do that on the outside, then I clean out around the engine and suspension area with a tool that I made from copper pipe. It works better than anything I could have bought, ESPECIALLY for getting behind the radiator to push mud back out the front. It's quick and easy for that even if I'm not doing a full cleaning.

(You probably could use half inch rigid PCV to make such a tool, but you might want to make the main part of the wand just a little shorter. I don't know, I havn't tried it that way yet).

You need a piece of half inch copper pipe. It's usually ten feet or so, and you'll never use it all, but that's how it comes, and it's pretty cheap.
You need two "T" fittings.
You need three end caps.
You need one ball valve (unless your garden hose sprayer nozzle has the threaded sprayer end, then skip it)
You need one garden hose thread adapter. (be sure you get the right end, as both are available).

And you'll need basic plumbing tools. Pipe cutter, propane torch, solder.

Don't solder at first, put this together so you can make it just how you want itl
Make the first piece about three feet long. Put a cap on one end, and a T on the other
Make two more pieces about ten inches long. Put one into each end of the T on the previous piece. Your tube shoudl now look like a great big T.
Put another T on to one of the short pieces
Make two pieces of pipe about five inches long. Put them each into the ends of the last T you installed.
You should now have a giant T that is crossed at the top by the leg of a smaller T.

Two of the top openings in the pipe will have to be capped with the two remaining caps, and the remaining hole is where you will attach the ball valve and hose fitting (or just hose fitting). Make it so it'll be comfortable to hold.

At the bottom of the longest piece of pipe (near the cap) drill about four holes, 1/8 inch in the side of the pipe. They should start as close as you can to the cap, and be between a quarter and a half of an inch apart. Choose the angle that you drill them from carefully, as that will be the direction that your new cleaner will spray. Again, hold it and see where it's comfortable for you.

With your new cleaner tool constructed, attach it to the hose, turn the faucet on, and set your ball valve (or feather your sprayer handle) to get the pressure that you need. Be careful, it'll pull a little bit. That's how you know it's working. Once you figure out what gets the spraying pressure you want, you can use it to spray under fenders, under belly pans, inside CV boot guards, and basically all of the places that you want to put the sprayer nozzle, but don't because you know you'll take a bath.

There is nothing that you can't get wet, just use caution not to spray directly at the airbox intake, open vent lines, or directly into the seals at the gearshift lever (even on an ES), the front of the enigne where the driveshaft exits, or the driveshaft and two CV shafts right at the front pumpkin. All of these can be washed this way without fear, just not from up close and straight on.

[drktudge]

i spray my foreman down with the pressure washer and get it to where it looks clean and let most of the water drip off and then spray it all over in every hole and body part i can get to with simple green the green formula and let it soak for 5 mins then power wash it again and it looks like new from the day i bought it you can hand dry it and use wd 40 to wipe it down after wards its cleans out the scratches and shines it up nice as well