How should I clean my motor?

PerfRedGT · Dec 2, 2008

Its got loose dirt all over, and im wonder what the best way to clean it is.

thanks in advance

MustangLX-5.0 · Dec 3, 2008

Simple Green,soft tire brush and a hose.Use Simple Green because it is non-acidic and won't corrode aluminum or eat paint (or your hands).Do Not clean it hot because it will dry up the cleaner fast and stain.

isjoining · Dec 3, 2008

i use simple green as well. make sure to cover the air filter, alternator, battery, and fuse box with plastic bags and I also cover the COP's with a rag. Use simple green all over the engine and let it sit for a few minutes and scrub on the dirty areas. People rinse out in different ways, but I use the mist setting and sparingly spray water on the engine. Then start the car and let it run for about 10-15 minutes

PerfRedGT · Dec 3, 2008

ok thanks guys i'll try it tommorrow morning. its startin to look bad, lol.

Big Show 96 · Dec 4, 2008

On a cold engine, get a can of no touch tire shine and spray everything under your hood. Close the hood & let it sit for about an hour. No water needed. Depending on how dirty your engine is you might want to do it twice to get it looking right!!

MustangLX-5.0 · Dec 4, 2008

Big Show 96 said:
On a cold engine, get a can of no touch tire shine and spray everything under your hood. Close the hood & let it sit for about an hour. No water needed. Depending on how dirty your engine is you might want to do it twice to get it looking right!!

I'm actually not real crazy about doing that.If you work under your hood,you won't like the idea of getting tire shine all over your hands.Besides it makes dirt "stick" to everything real easily.

Personal preference I guess.

As far as covering parts goes,you don't need to cover the battery,fuse box or the coils/coil pack.Water isn't going to hurt them.I've been cleaning under the hood for years.Trust me when I say it wont hurt them.Now,the alternator you may want to cover.It's when water gets into the alternator from the bottom side that it temporarily causes the brush/contact ass'y inside to slip and squeal.

It wont hurt the coils because they are allready sealed.As long as you have the COP/Plug wires firmly attached and dielectric grease is evenly coated inside the terminal,it's fine.

Now on some cars like the 5.0 and 2.3 with distributors,you'll want to cover those because I found they don't always keep water out too well.

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metroplex · Dec 10, 2008

Don't ever wash the engine or at least keep water/fluids away from the COP coils. If you want to get rid of dust/dirt, use compressed air.

R Martin · Dec 26, 2009

I use some good old engine degreaser. Spray it down and hose it off, but keep your car running. I have been doing this since I detailed cars in the past jobs. For shining up the engine just use some armor all tire shine. Let sit for a couple of minutes and then just wipe down the areas you see where it sits in a puddle. Usally it's around the air filter housing but i you have a CAI then uncover that.

metroplex · Dec 26, 2009

If you do intend to hose down the motor, AVOID the coil packs at ALL COST. If you've detailed cars this way for 50 years, fine - just understand that every Ford modular engine has very sensitive coil packs. A little water down into the spark plug wells will spell death for the COP coils and cause misfire conditions.

RacerX1307 · Jan 8, 2010

R Martin said:
For shining up the engine just use some armor all tire shine. QUOTE]

It will look good, but it leaves a greasy finish which collects dirt as you drive making it horrible next time. I use a light protectant that keep it clean looking rather than shinny. I have a pic of my engine bay at a car show last year if you want to see what I mean about clean but not greasy.

MustangDanny · Jan 14, 2010

Just use a water based dressing or VRT. That will not attract nearly as much dust and dirt.

seths99cobra · Jan 26, 2010

purple power degreaser from advance auto parts works well to and so does brake parts cleaners to get the oils off the engine to then just hose. if you want to shine things up use quick detail spray wipe it with a rag. shines and doesnt catch dirt and dust

gtford86 · Jan 26, 2010

well heres what i do at work..as well as my own car.on cold engine i spray whole engine bay with a degrease then power wash it lightly ..let kinda drip dry for bit.. the spray tire shine on everything.. let sit for 5 min or so then take a rag and wipe what you can off ..looks great for long time

MustangLX-5.0 · Feb 7, 2010

metroplex said:
If you do intend to hose down the motor, AVOID the coil packs at ALL COST. If you've detailed cars this way for 50 years, fine - just understand that every Ford modular engine has very sensitive coil packs. A little water down into the spark plug wells will spell death for the COP coils and cause misfire conditions.

I learned...believe me. Stupid ass coils. I cleaned the engine off in my moms Harley F-150 a few days ago. After I was done, the thing missed like crazy. It took me spraying electronic parts cleaner on the coils and driving it for nearly 45 minutes just to get rid of most of the missing problems. The rest cleared up the next day luckily. I don't get it, I've been washing engines for years. I own 2 stangs, a 92 5.0 and my DD 96 3.8. They get scrubbed. I have blasted the engine on the 3.8 dozens of times with water. The coil pack does fine. NEVER had a problem. Clean the 5.4 however, and the thing gives me trouble. I don't know what Ford did, but C.O.P's suck ass. They don't seal them right or something.

Rob_03Cobra · Feb 7, 2010

Gunk Citrus Engine Brite

Plus Water (be careful as stated above and dont even go near the coils)

Plus Armor All Equals amazing results

The day I installed the Procharger on my old 99GT was the same day I did mine.

It went from THIS

TO THIS

I've used it in Mustangs and Lightnings for years and never once had an issue or miss. BUT AS SAID I dont spray water anywhere near the coils.
Work on the front of the motor, the sides of the motor, and the engine compartment it self. When it comes to the top of the motor and anything rubber or plastic, Armor All will make it look better than new....

GOOD LUCK

Jim D. · Feb 7, 2010

What kind of spray did you use that adds a supercharger???

What I like to do is clean it using some of the suggestions above, sometimes just a car wash solution and a detail brush. Simple Green 100% can stain some bare aluminums, so be careful.

After I rinse, I take a mixture of 1 part Mothers Protectant and about 2 parts distilled water and put it in a trigger sprayer with a fine mist and cover the entire engine compartment -- even the liner. Since it's diluted, it's easier to keep it from getting thick and greasy. I'll then close the hood and wash the rest of the car. During drying the car, I'll run the engine for a few minutes and most of the excess water will evaporate and leave a nice light natural look to all of the underhood.

How should I clean my motor?

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