Anyone got any pointers? I've never cleaned it because I'm almost afraid to because I don't really know what to do. What do you guys use to clean it up? I'm not gonna shoot for show quality because it'll be dirty again in a couple days, but I'd like to get it a little cleaner if I could.
Cleaning engine bay?
- Thread starter duh09
- Start date
eliyarbrough
Legend
Here's what I do to mine:
I have to tell this from the start, or I'll forget a part. I take mine to the car wash. I prop the hood & kill it. I then wrap a Wal-Mart like bag over the dist & coil. I use rubber bands to hold it on there. Some cover the alt, I don't though. Then I start my car. I use the 'engine degreaser' on it. I let that set while I turn it to 'soap'. I then spray it all down with the high pressure. I walk to both sides, to get it real good. I then just rinse it off.
This still keeps my dist cap & coil as dirty as it was before. I then remove each plug wire & clean it that way. Same on my coil. I then detail it the best I can.
That's about all I can do with mine. Also, this takes me a good day to get mine cleaned up. Most of you can knock this out in prob an hour! I just cannot rush myself. It looks pretty good though!
I have to tell this from the start, or I'll forget a part. I take mine to the car wash. I prop the hood & kill it. I then wrap a Wal-Mart like bag over the dist & coil. I use rubber bands to hold it on there. Some cover the alt, I don't though. Then I start my car. I use the 'engine degreaser' on it. I let that set while I turn it to 'soap'. I then spray it all down with the high pressure. I walk to both sides, to get it real good. I then just rinse it off.
This still keeps my dist cap & coil as dirty as it was before. I then remove each plug wire & clean it that way. Same on my coil. I then detail it the best I can.
That's about all I can do with mine. Also, this takes me a good day to get mine cleaned up. Most of you can knock this out in prob an hour! I just cannot rush myself. It looks pretty good though!
Looks good. I'm just scared of using high pressure under the hood, but I'll give it a try.
username182
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Best way I've found:
Rinse down engine bay with a regular hose, low pressure. Don't worry, everything can get wet but use common sense (don't go soaking the dist or something)
Spray everything with Simple Green (except for obvious things...dist, etc). Let sit for 5-10 min.
Brush everything you can reach with a soft bristled brush.
Rinse again with the low pressure hose to get all the simple green off everything.
Lastly, I use a product called CD2. Only place I've found it was in Autozone, in the brake fluid area. It's an engine detailer that works very well. Just spray it on the entire motor (follow the directions, don't spray it on the belts, dist, etc), drive the car around for 5 min and come back to enjoy your freshly cleaned engine.
The CD2 stuff makes your hoses look new again and cleans up all the black pieces. :headbang:
Rinse down engine bay with a regular hose, low pressure. Don't worry, everything can get wet but use common sense (don't go soaking the dist or something)
Spray everything with Simple Green (except for obvious things...dist, etc). Let sit for 5-10 min.
Brush everything you can reach with a soft bristled brush.
Rinse again with the low pressure hose to get all the simple green off everything.
Lastly, I use a product called CD2. Only place I've found it was in Autozone, in the brake fluid area. It's an engine detailer that works very well. Just spray it on the entire motor (follow the directions, don't spray it on the belts, dist, etc), drive the car around for 5 min and come back to enjoy your freshly cleaned engine.
The CD2 stuff makes your hoses look new again and cleans up all the black pieces. :headbang:
Ah no high pressure. Me likey.
If it ever stops being friggin muddy and wet, I might try that.
If it ever stops being friggin muddy and wet, I might try that.
eliyarbrough
Legend
I've never washed an engine until I got this car! I never really had anything worth showing off, I guess. I like the high pressure though!
S
screech
Guest
Purple Power works well for degreasing, or simple green as mentioned before. turn car off, soak with degreaser of choice. the spray down. keep track of the time the degreaser sits. my 454 in high school evenutally had stripped intake and heads. I use high pressure on fenderwells, and just garden hose the rest. Also every time I wash the cars, I take the bucket of left over soap and splash it on the firewall.
If you get water in the distributer its not a big deal, just take off the cap and wipe it down with a dry rag. make sure you dont leave water in the intake manifold pockets, you will get a water ring and then the paint will start to pop up.
If you get water in the distributer its not a big deal, just take off the cap and wipe it down with a dry rag. make sure you dont leave water in the intake manifold pockets, you will get a water ring and then the paint will start to pop up.
G
GREG@SN95
Guest
Use an all purpose cleaner like Purple Power etc... Any will do...
Warm motor, wet it with water, spray on lots of all purpose, use a soft long bristle brush if you have one (not needed), rinse off...
WD40 is a good degreaser too, it is good for cleaning motors too since it displaces water and treats rubbers and plastics...
DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to use simple green until I had 2 clients tell me that after I cleaned their motors, their headlights/blinkers blew out... The dealer told them that the cause was the detergent used to clean the motors. I had to pay for the tab on those 2 cars... Mind you, this is only 2 cars out of maybe 100... So odds are is you won't run into any problems, but the risk is still there. I switched over to purple power and never had a complaint since...
Just something you may want to keep in mind...
Warm motor, wet it with water, spray on lots of all purpose, use a soft long bristle brush if you have one (not needed), rinse off...
WD40 is a good degreaser too, it is good for cleaning motors too since it displaces water and treats rubbers and plastics...
DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I used to use simple green until I had 2 clients tell me that after I cleaned their motors, their headlights/blinkers blew out... The dealer told them that the cause was the detergent used to clean the motors. I had to pay for the tab on those 2 cars... Mind you, this is only 2 cars out of maybe 100... So odds are is you won't run into any problems, but the risk is still there. I switched over to purple power and never had a complaint since...
Just something you may want to keep in mind...
S
screech
Guest
dang thats crazy about simple green! wow, actually sounds like the shop wanted the blame on someone else, and seen the clean engine bay- found the scape goat.
Like how mitsubishi tried telling me that because of my intake my entire cars warranty was void. riiiight. dubie smokin crackers. they didnt say to much when my uncle called them, who is an attorney for MGM. Knows nothing about cars but knew it didnt sound right.
Like how mitsubishi tried telling me that because of my intake my entire cars warranty was void. riiiight. dubie smokin crackers. they didnt say to much when my uncle called them, who is an attorney for MGM. Knows nothing about cars but knew it didnt sound right.
OnyxCobra
Post Whore
lol wait a minute, hundreds of people use Simple Green and never have any problems. I think you're looking at a coincidence there and I think the dealership just used that as an excuse.
Since we're ripping on cleaners Simple Green is tons better than Purple Power, unlike Simple Green that purple crap causes white corrosion on all the metal in your engine bay and it looks like crap. Stay away from any corrosive cleaner when you're doing your engine, I have tried several cleaners and found Simple Green to be the best choice.
Since we're ripping on cleaners Simple Green is tons better than Purple Power, unlike Simple Green that purple crap causes white corrosion on all the metal in your engine bay and it looks like crap. Stay away from any corrosive cleaner when you're doing your engine, I have tried several cleaners and found Simple Green to be the best choice.
98mustangv6
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The best way for me is to use Armorall Tire Shine Foam Spray. Works really well. You let it sit then when its almost dry and you hardly see and white foam start hitting the wet spots with a towel
degreaser, scrub with a brush and rinse with a garden hose.
Don't hose down the ignition or main wiring harness.
let dry, brush on a good plastic cleaner/shine & let dry.
the little nooks and valleys, you just gotta get to with a brush or by hand.
Don't hose down the ignition or main wiring harness.
let dry, brush on a good plastic cleaner/shine & let dry.
the little nooks and valleys, you just gotta get to with a brush or by hand.
G
GREG@SN95
Guest
OnyxCobra said:
Coincidence maybe... But I haven't had a single complaint since and I don't have to fork out money to make repairs...
And abut simple green being better then purple power or anything else... You think what you want, its all the same shit for the most part... All purpose is all purpose...
You gotta READ the directions on the cleaners - Simple Green is meant to be diluted with water. Don't spray it directly on a dry surface and let it sit for a long time. Also, Simple Green will damage your clear coat if you let it dry on the paint. So be careful!
G
GREG@SN95
Guest
Dr Fildo said:
Not all simple green needs to be diluted, only the concentrated stuff... And its hard for the APC to dry when the motor is wet... lol...
Also, not only can APC damage your paint or clear (not all cars have clear coat), it will remove wax...
OnyxCobra
Post Whore
rebelyell said:
yeah they work the same but Simple Green doesn't turn the metal in the engine bay white and Purple Power does...
G
GREG@SN95
Guest
OnyxCobra said:
i never had that problem
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