It wouldn't be a wee bit and it wouldn't be just for a minute or two.

 

Was your engine in need of cleaning?

 

I suppose snow would work too. Just pull out the air filter.

 

Go for a ride in the rain.

 

yes it works, but it's easy to get wrong and damage your engine.

 

That picture of my clean piston in post 2 is how it looked at 100K right after I took the head off. It had been eating coolant since new. Not a whole lot till near the end. It would empty the reservoir bottle about ever 6 months if you let it. I just kept it full. Seriously doubt the antifreeze made it any cleaner. Let it get a little low during the winter and pretty sure that finished it off. Ran fine till one morning when cranking it up. Made a loud crack bang. Then even more crazily racket like electrical arcs and a motor running on the end of a whip bouncing around since the starter was no longer hooked to the motor.

 

It is easy to see when a head gasket has gone, and where, by which piston is clean. Mechanics have diagnosed internal coolant leaks like this for years.

Just don't drown it. You can't compress a liquid, so too much water equals lots of broken bits.

 

Guys, just as a general statement and not pointed at anyone in this thread at all.

When somebody tells you: "I did ____ to my engine and it ran just fine!", that does not automatically mean it's a good idea.

Just sayin'...