Cleaning the engine bay..?

Mr GT 02 · Aug 30, 2004

according to the manual..it says u must cover the FUSE BOX, BATTERY, and AIR BOX (Air filter). I will do that , I will ALSO cover the ALTENATOR (just in case...) This will be my first time cleaning the engine (that has 31,000 miles on it) HOW do you guys go about doing this? do you just spray on engine degreaser, and then hose it off with the "garden Hose"? (Of coarse the engine will be cold when I clean it, as if it is hot the block could crack?)
I am so paranoid that the water will **** suttin up.....any tipz?

Mega-Man · Aug 30, 2004

I posted this question not too long ago, let me see if I can find the thread for ya. - Mega

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Well, in a nutshell, Simple Green is what you want to use. You don't have to worry about adding water, just straight from the bottle. I didn't cover anything up, but I didn't spray water in the areas you metioned--directly. Just spray water all over, SG everything up, wait 15 minutes, scrub those problem areas and behind the ears, then spray down.

Once done, take your car for a drive to get rid of any excess water / dry out. Done! No worries, if you would have seen how I went at it and how my car is still running to date, you'll be fine.

StangLou · Aug 30, 2004

I started doing this to mine a few months ago. I bought some of the gunk engine cleaner, spraying it all over then engine, bay, radiator, ect... I let it sit for about 5 minutes, then sprayed it off with a fine mist. It rinses off very easily. After that, crank her up and let it run for about 30 minutes to dry any collecting water. I also had a rag and sopped up some really wet spots with that. Next time I do mine I am going to buy a can of compressed air as well. I think that will help me blow out a lot of the whater that collects around the injectors. Honestly I covered nothing. I just didnt spray the cleaner or water directly onto the alternator. My air filter is in the fender well, so no worries there either. The only down side to this is that most cleaners will strip off any shine you previously had on your engine. I also noticed this gunk cleaner will take some of the paint off on the underside of your hood. Engine bay seemed ok, but the underside of the hood might be better cleaned another way. After it dries, you will need to spray some engine detailer on it to brighten everything up again. My .02c on it. Mine has been cleaned 3 times total this way, as long as you start it up and let it really heat up to dry off any collected water I dont think you will have any troubles. Cover what you want though if it will make you feel better.

rpayne20 · Aug 30, 2004

Just did my engine this past weekend..... Make sure engine is cool or cold, never hot...Wet engine with spray from a hose getting it good and wet....fine spray only!!! I did not cover anything up at all. Sprayed simple green straight from a squirt bottle coating everything...waited 5 minutes and sprayed of with fine spray from hose. wow did it get that engine clean!!!!! Started the engine and let it run while using a a leaf blower to blow all the water away from the where it pooled in the engine nooks and crannies.....let engine run for 10 minutes then shut it down....Thats all i did. I had not cleaned the engine in a year and now it looks like it did when it was new....hope this helps ya.

COramprat · Aug 30, 2004

rpayne20 said:
Just did my engine this past weekend..... Make sure engine is cool or cold, never hot...Wet engine with spray from a hose getting it good and wet....fine spray only!!! I did not cover anything up at all. Sprayed simple green straight from a squirt bottle coating everything...waited 5 minutes and sprayed of with fine spray from hose. wow did it get that engine clean!!!!! Started the engine and let it run while using a a leaf blower to blow all the water away from the where it pooled in the engine nooks and crannies.....let engine run for 10 minutes then shut it down....Thats all i did. I had not cleaned the engine in a year and now it looks like it did when it was new....hope this helps ya.

I use Simple Green too. Works excellent and smells pretty too...unless you like to get high from the Gunk degreaser fumes.

1992 2.3LX · Aug 30, 2004

Started the engine and let it run while using a a leaf blower to blow all the water away

This is how i dry my car Do it fairly often and the neighbors have quit looking at me funny. i even noticed one of them doing it the other day

i need to do this and wash my whole freaking car at that.

1990BLUEGT · Aug 30, 2004

I warm up my engine for a minute and then I cover my airfilter(I don't cover anything else because I usually don't drive the car after cleaning the engine compartment for a few hours).
Then I spray it with engine degreaser. I let it sit for a few minutes and then I hose it down. Later, I get some A to Z mag wheel cleaner and spray that. Then I rinse the whole thing and it looks like it did when it came out of the factory.

john_324 · Aug 30, 2004

So is the consensus cold engine when starting, then when finished, run her for awhile?

rpayne20 · Aug 30, 2004

john_324 said:
So is the consensus cold engine when starting, then when finished, run her for awhile?

I myself would start with a cold engine...I run it when i am done just to make sure it will start incase water got into something. Some guys run the engine and get it good and hot to dry out all the water left over but with my leaf blower i don't have to worry about that. Its up to you and what things you have available to you. If your air filter is exposed i would definitely cover that up. My CAI is not installed yet so the air filter is still covered up except for the sound siliencer/snorkel being removed.

Mr GT 02 · Aug 30, 2004

Thanks for all of your advise on this matter. heh, I will be cleaning my entire car on wednesday now Thankz!!

Oh I Am guessing I could get the SIMPLE GREEN cleaner at a local Auto Zone huh? or even Pep Boys

DTMach1 · Aug 30, 2004

hmmm I just use mother's back to black, or NXT tech protectant and a microfiber towel...

cleans up everything very nice!!

I would use simple green on all the hard to clean spots where the grease is pretty bad.

there is just something I don't like about spraying the entire engine with a cleaner and letting it sit...I know it's faster, but I like to do everything by hand...

reeber · Aug 30, 2004

DTMach1 said:
hmmm I just use mother's back to black, or NXT tech protectant and a microfiber towel...

cleans up everything very nice!!

bad.

there is just something I don't like about spraying the entire engine with a cleaner and letting it sit...I know it's faster, but I like to do everything by hand...

I am the same way.. Soaking the engine compartment can only lead to bad things.. Save the risk and spend some time on the engine to clean it... If you love your car like I do, take the time.. It will look better than if you hose it down in the end..

UNVMATT · Aug 30, 2004

Do it with the motor cold.
The ABS intake will crack if its hot and then sprayed with colder water...Which will cause coolant leaks..

My brother found this out the hard way.. Also found out that its just as cheap to do a PI conversion than replace the stock manifold!

SaleenCobra425 · Aug 30, 2004

Heck, I never let my engine bay get dirty enough to have to do anything that major. I just use an old sock and a can of WD-40. It looks really good. I just do that twice a month, and it always looks like new!
-SC425

Sick96Stang · Aug 30, 2004

I dont cover up anything either. Only real reason they put to cover up that carp in there is so they cant get sued if something does go wrong. I spray it down with a gentle mist from the hose and then put degreaser all over the place. Let that sit for a couple of minutes then lightly spray the engine again, that gets it really clean. What keeps it clean really good is the armisol. You just cover your engine in that also and then just leave it on there, come back in 2 months your engine will look just as clean as the day you cleaned it.

StangLou · Aug 30, 2004

Soaking the engine compartment can only lead to bad things

There is no soaking required. Just a light spray will work wonders!!! Im going to stick with the simple green route. I wasnt impressed with Gunk at all, but it worked I guess

Off topic, but what do you guys use to brighten up your engine? Did I read someone right when they said they use WD-40??? I cant find anything that I can spray on the engine to brighten it thats not loaded with silicon which I wouldnt dare put on anything that will heat up. I can find stuff online to order, but not around locally.

admdavs · Aug 30, 2004

Simple Green from any auto store?

smokin'Red35th · Aug 30, 2004

Mr GT 02 said:
Oh I Am guessing I could get the SIMPLE GREEN cleaner at a local Auto Zone huh? or even Pep Boys

wal mart, kmart, etc. its a simple household cleaner.

COramprat · Aug 30, 2004

StangLou said:
There is no soaking required. Just a light spray will work wonders!!! Im going to stick with the simple green route. I wasnt impressed with Gunk at all, but it worked I guess

Off topic, but what do you guys use to brighten up your engine? Did I read someone right when they said they use WD-40??? I cant find anything that I can spray on the engine to brighten it thats not loaded with silicon which I wouldnt dare put on anything that will heat up. I can find stuff online to order, but not around locally.

I've sprayed mine down with Son of a Gun tire cleaner after the Simple Green but I never thought about the silicone. May need to go another route.

Ryan's 02 GT · Aug 30, 2004

I am leary about using engine degreaser nevermind letting it soak. I used to use it and had a pulley bearing go out and an alt. bearing go. I think that degreaser that soaks in can actually remove lube or comtaminate the bearings not to mention the linkages that need the lube. I just use simple green where and when it's needed. Some of the degreasers cant be good for your seals and gaskets either. Just my .02.

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