Cleaning Engine Bay, Methods? Options

[Cutrara]

I've heard of people using a pressure washer, but I don't know what's involved with that, or if it's safe. What's the most effective method (short of taking everything out of the engine bay)? I've done a lot by hand and I think it looks decent, but I want my firewall to look better.




Thanks

- Alex

This post has been edited by Cutrara: May 27, 2005 - 2:53 PM

[DamDirtyApes]

start up engine let it get slightly warm to the touch
spray concentrated simple green on, try to avoid wires, alternator, battery and other electircal stuff
let the simple green sit for about 5 minutes
take a house and hold it over your engine and let it run for a while to get rid of all the simple green and crap.
It should be very clean now


this also works good for the engine wall, just try not to get any on outside the engine bay paint

This post has been edited by DamDirtyApes: May 27, 2005 - 6:10 PM

[Phat_99CeliGT]

i spray the whole engine bay down qith armorall foam.
let it sit for a minute, then wipe it off.
or use WD-40, then wipe it off.

works everytime.

[Batman722]

that bay looks pretty good. Nice job.

[lagos]

i just took a brillo pad to my valve cover ...worked good at getting all the crap off, but then i sanded and painted it.

turned out ok, but i just hope the paint lasts


This post has been edited by lagos: May 28, 2005 - 3:35 AM

[Illyont]

i just took a brillo pad to my valve cover ...worked good at getting all the crap off, but then i sanded and painted it.

turned out ok, but i just hope the paint lasts

[right][snapback]292618[/snapback][/right]

Omg, that's one sexy valve cover.. Come do mine too!!!

[Galcobar]

My last engine clean was quite extensive, and I did this write-up for it on another detailing site. People tend to stay away from the pressure washer because of the potential for water getting into electrical components -- the greater the pressure, the greater the potential.

I only did the top half of the engine due to a persistent leak in the power steering fluid pump -- it's so slow I've been trying for years to get a bottle of stopleak into it, but power steering fluid makes an incredibly large mess with small amounts. Normally, one does the bottom half first, so you don't have to get underneath an already dripping-wet engine bay.

I should also note I have a major advantage in that the tap water in my region is collected from rain-fed rivers, meaning in a dust-free environment it dries spot-free.

Materials:
aluminum foil
Meguiar's Extra cleaner
shop rags
long-handled scrubbing brush
toothbrush
wire brush
Silvo metal polish
Mother's Back-to-Black
Black Magic anti-static dashboard protectant
old cloth diapers
bandaids


Steps:
Covered the alternator, fuse boxes, alarm computer, and sparkplugs with foil completely. Draped foil over the distributor as best I could. The stock air intake in my Celica is actually a CAI, so it didn't need covering.

Ran the engine for about five minutes, let it get to the point where I could still put my hand on it.

Lightly rinsed the engine with a spray from the hose, then scrubbed at the more disgusting areas with the long-handled brush to loosen the grime. Rinsed again, gave the engine a quick scrub, then liberally sprayed the compartment with Extra and let it soak for 10 minutes.

From there it was elbow grease and banged-up knuckles, scrubbing at stuck-on grime with either the scrub brush or the toothbrush, depending on how tight the crevice was. Discovered how effective Extra remains, even when the brush is black. For lightly soiled areas, used a shop rag wet with Extra to wipe down, including the various hoses and plastic covers.

Lightly rinsed the compartment with the garden hose again, then used the shop rags to wipe it down, particularly concentrating on areas where water could pool.

Unwrapped the covered pieces and went at them with a shop rag, again wet with Extra, then wiped them down with a water-damp rag to rinse. This was the safest method I could find to use on the alternator. The shop rags are rough-textured for some cleaning power, but won't sling droplets like a brush.

Wire brush was used on certain aluminum or iron parts to deal with rust, then Silvo applied with a shop rag to smooth and protect. Three months later, the aluminum heat shield over the headers is still silky smooth. My alternator is painted, so a similar treatment could not be used on it, unfortunately, though I did lightly go over it with the wire brush during the Extra wipe-down.

Next step was treating all rubber and plastic with Mothers B2B on a cloth diaper -- though I kind of regret that now, knowing the long-term effects of B2B. Penultimate step was to dress all the rubber and plastic with Black Magic's anti-static dashboard protectant.

Finally, I went inside and bandaged the various gashes, scrapes and cuts I'd inflicted on my hands.
------------

Things to keep in mind when cleaning an engine bay: most degreasers will eat petroleum-based products, such as rubber and plastic. Citrus-based degreasers, which tend to be much safer for the rubber and plastic and the local wildlife, will stain polished/anodized aluminum and if left can etch any type of aluminum finish. Elbow grease is far safe than chemical action for cleaning your engine.

As for your firewall, I'd suggest combining a long-handled brush with a very mild engine or all-purpose cleaner, followed by your regular car shampoo, then a quick coat of wax.

[94CelicaRedHatch]

me and my friend used some engine degreaser, worked fine, looked real sharp afterwards

[Cutrara]

Thanks guys I'll get right on this.