Engine bay cleanup

[Steve]

Let's hear what people have to say on cleaning up the ole engine bay. It's a project I want to tackle and do right but I don't have the elusive STEAMER so I'm gonna give it a shot w/o first.

I've got a can of CD2 Engine Detailer in the garage I never used, an air compressor with a spray wand to power spray some simple green or other solution, etc..

What what's up mofo's.. How do you keep your engine bay shiny and nice. I'm ashamed to pop my hood when the rest of the car looks so nice.

[Slick]

I personally just go to the car wash and use Optimum Power Clean on the wheels , wheel wells , and engine , put some Quarters in the meter , Start the vehicle , Pressure wash the engine , shut the hood and leave it run while you wash the rest of the vehicle , Then take the longest route back to your house or where you plan to clean up your ride at . and then pop the hood , and use a product like Silk Shine or something similar. Only product I personally use from Meguiars is the Hyper Shine which I use under the hood on most vehicles I personally detail .

Hope this helps

- Slick

Edited August 23, 2012 by Slick

[01yellercobra]

I hit it with Simple Green and let it soak while I set up the soap bucket and get the wash mitts. I rinse it off when I rinse the car off. If it's really dirty I go over it with a sponge. Once it's dry I usually go over the shiny pieces with a power ball.

[RockinHrse_98]

I did NOT write this thread nor do I take credit for it. It is however a great writeup and the process will clean up even the dirtiest engine bay!!!!

Best way ever is the following, take it for what it's worth, it's tried and true..

Products needed: Simple Green, Turtle Wax F-21 tire dressing (or whatever dressing you would prefer), several rags.

Here's a link to F21 so you know what it looks like:

http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,1,3,5

Here's the simple green for those that have never used it:

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_...se_cleaner.php

Start engine, get it warm, not hot, just nice and warm. As an example if the car was fully cooled, run it for 5-8 minutes. Turn off engine.

Cover the alternator and air filter on your intake, Aluminum foil works great since the motor is warm. Everything else can be subject to light rinsing type spray, including the covered fuse panel. All of these areas get hit by water when driven in the rain.

Lightly spray entire engine bay with water from hose, you will see some light steaming, this is good.

Spray the entire engine bay, including firewall, plastic parts, metal parts, loom, coils and hoses with Simple Green. Set the hood down, not fully closed, just to it's safety catch point, and go find something else to do for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the simple green do it's work. Closing the hood let's the simple green interact with the steam you created with the warm motor. This loosens the tough stuff up so you don't have to work so hard in those heavily soiled areas.

Open hood, look for heavily soiled areas, wipe them with a rag, use more simple green if necessary. Rinse lightly with hose.

Spray entire engine bay with F-21, it foams, coat everything just like the simple green coating you did.

**** IF YOU USE A NORMAL SPRAY DRESSING APPLY WITH A RAG!!! I WOULD NOT SUGGEST SPRAYING IT ON BECAUSE IT COULD SHORT SOMETHING OUT***

Close hood again, walk away for 10-20 minutes or until nearly all the foam has dissipated.

Open hood, Wipe up any areas that water settled and such. Wipe up any areas that the F-21 didn't dissipate on it's own.

You will note that the F-21 restores the black plastic parts to the same oem flat black color they were when new.. It leaves the paint shiney with no streaks on the fenders and fire wall. Best of all, it is not greasey to the touch.

[Slick]

Just be sure not to leave any residue from the Simple green on any of your aluminum under the hood ... There are safer alternatives to Simple Green ......

- Slick

[330CubeGt]

My idea of cleaning the engine bay is removing the battery, wireing and anything else that you don't need thats under there. So i can't help much there. Most i have ever done is take some armor all and wipe everything down :/

[MMR]

A can of engine cleaner, contact cleaner and brake cleaner, and alot of shop towels, got mine clean. Silver and black Hammerrite to cover all the coroded areas and some gold/copper hobby paint to add to the details.

[95opal]

My idea of cleaning the engine bay is removing the battery, wireing and anything else that you don't need thats under there.

/\ This lol

as for what the op is asking mild soap and water is the only thing I use then again I already cleaned up my bay lol

and my new bay will be even cleaner I promise :wink2:

[D3vst8r96gt]

The one time I sprayed my motor down I had CEL codes out the ass ..... ill pull the motor to clean it next time lol

The D3V

Edited August 24, 2012 by D3vst8r96gt