2G Proper engine bay cleaning.

[Efalcon]

I want to wash my engine bay properly.

Anyone have any tips.
I have the gunk spray, have seen videos.
But is there anything different with turbo cars?
Just trying to do it the best way.
Also do you suggest washing with hose or wiping it down?

Sorry if re-post or there is already advice.

 

[IrishBeatdown]

Not that I really know of, just go nuts on it. Stay off the air filter though.

 

[GoCanes777]

I would take the time and wrap up anything electrical like your alternator or any visible wires and then go to town. I even went as far has using spray water bottles instead of the hose to be more in control and most of all being careful and slow is key in my book.

 

[dsmcurse]

I work at a very reputable and popular repair shop, the way we do it (ASE certified techs) leave the engine running so the hotness of the engine will help evaporate away the water the best it can, belts are goin things are movin, its all good, we use a steam/pressure washer and just go to town on it. the only things your truly gonna want to not "spray directly" is your coil-pack and your cam angle sensor. Everything else just spray the shit out of it. it wont hurt nothing. In our wash-bay at work theres also a shop-air hose strung out there and it has a air-spray-nozzel at the end of it. After sprayin down the engine with the steam cleaner we use the air hose and blow the water off the best ya can. (engine was running the whole time)

I use this method on my personal DSM, but after i wash the engine/air blow in the wash-bay, i then pull the car around into the normal portion of the shop, bust out a few nice lint-free rags and then wipe the engine off a lil extra, THEN, i take glass cleaner (not the spary bottle like windex but the areasol can and it sprays out similar to spray paint) and spray it all over my engine. (engine is off for all this portion, of course, duh) that kinda glass cleaner works magic. i then use the air hose air nozzel and air spray my whole engine. BOOM! sucker is detailed to the max.

want proof? look at my profile, see my pics? full wire tuck, custom piping, the whole shabang, this is the method i use to clean my engine bay. (do this every oil change, keeps it lookin good)

so to awnser the OP, yes you can spray the crap out of the motor, long story short, keep the engine running and be smart about it thats all

 

[Joethefallen23]

Power washed the crap out of my bay last week. Let it dry in the sun for a while. Blew the alt dry with my compressor. Drove it around to heat the bay up and called it a day so long as you avoid the air filter and make sure any exposed connectors/wiring is dried with a few blastsof compressed air you'll be fine. Had old ps fluid/oil all over the area behind my driver's headlight. Needless to say, I can tell my abs pump is there now.

 

[dsmcurse]

id have to disagree on the battery removal. when used cars roll through there detail shop and they shine the shit out of 'em they dont pull the battery. they clean it the way it sits

 

[VisegripMech]

It is a little irritating when you realize that your battery box is full of water. And with out a cover the spark plug "tool-tray" area fills up real fast.

 

[Kyle_T]

I just wipe everything down with the damp towel I use to dry my car after I wash it.

 

[gofer]

The PROPER way to clean an engine bay, not half-ass, is to pull stuff.

Typically, I pull my UICP's and coil pack bracket and use a bottle of Simple Green and a bunch of rags. Spray the Simple Green on the towel if you're trying to be precise or spray it directly on the tough stuff and wipe it away with a rag.

Doing it this way you don't have to worry about getting water where it shouldn't be (IPT, coil pack, etc) but you'll also have a cleaner bay because you can pay closer attention to detail. Whatever you do, don't roll up to a self car wash, pop the hood and start spraying because odds are, you won't be driving away.

 

[91-GS]

If you have something that is really dirty, spray Mean Green, Purple Power, or any other degreaser on it. Then cover it with a large trash bag. The bag will keep cleaner from evaporating while it's doing it's job. Let it sit for couple of hours. If it's still dirty, scrub her with a brush, rinse, re-spray the cleaner, re-cover the part, and let it sit a bit longer.

 

[DSM1G90]

Ya, get a scrub brush, preferably on a handle, get a gallon of Simple Green and load that stuff straight into a spray bottle since undiluted Simple Green works the best.

Soak that scrub brush down with Simple Green and go at it.

Then hose off afterwards...

I do power washing on the lower half of the motor - like, block, all underneath, oil pan, transmission, et.al.

 

[Colt4G63 also]

I take customers cars around the corner to the pressure washer with a can of gunk all the time. I always shut the engine off, because otherwise the gunk could light on fire. Then I pressure wash the crap out of it everywhere. Then I start the engine and let it idle until dry. Works perfectly 99% percent of the time. The other 1% have crappy distributor caps that need to be dried out before the car will quit misfiring.

Never once have I not driven away.

On my personal car, for up keep, I spray the engine with the hose, then with simple green. Then I scrub with a 2.5" paint brush, and hose off. Then just wipe dry with the absorber of your choice, and idle until fully dry.

Ps. The "tool tray" has a drain hole, so it doesn't stay full for long.

 

[Bymp]

The PROPER way to clean an engine bay, not half-ass, is to pull stuff.

Typically, I pull my UICP's and coil pack bracket and use a bottle of Simple Green and a bunch of rags. Spray the Simple Green on the towel if you're trying to be precise or spray it directly on the tough stuff and wipe it away with a rag.

Doing it this way you don't have to worry about getting water where it shouldn't be (IPT, coil pack, etc) but you'll also have a cleaner bay because you can pay closer attention to detail. Whatever you do, don't roll up to a self car wash, pop the hood and start spraying because odds are, you won't be driving away.

I know this thread has some age, but I would like to say a word of caution while using simple green or mean green to clean your engine bay....

Please do not leave simple green on any aluminum for more than 10 minutes, and make sure you rinse the hell out of it. Simple green will eat away at aluminum and can do more damage than good.

 

[nickxf250]

If you need to clean something really grimy and nasty you can use break parts cleaner. Just be careful not to get it on hoses and vacuum lines and the like.

 

[crash89]

Yea pressure wash the hell out of it, hell go crazy, spray errrthannng!! Never know could end up like me, I did that and BOOM went from this to this!!

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Haha ok maybe Im kidding. I did what Gofer was saying. Except I removed everything and repainted. As for now, I just use a little window cleaner and a rag to wipe it down. Its easier to keep kind of clean without all the stock features and a wire tuck.

 

[jdeleon35]

Nice bay! ^^^

Def. use a scrubbing brush to get everything out of the corners, not just a power wash. I cover alt, etc in a plastic grocery bag and it does just fine.

Good luck!

 

[Jon91TSi]

Watch how much water you get on top of the valve cover.. The water will get down in the valley, start to fill up, and then run down the holes for the spark plugs.

This can cause a headache for two reasons:

1. The current tends to arc to the cylinder head because the jacket is full of water
2. The water is a pain in the ass to get out of the spark plug jackets.

I like to completely cover the valve cover with a trash bag to avoid this scenario.

 

[Ghost_92TSi]

Watch how much water you get on top of the valve cover.. The water will get down in the valley, start to fill up, and then run down the holes for the spark plugs.

This can cause a headache for two reasons:

1. The current tends to arc to the cylinder head because the jacket is full of water
2. The water is a pain in the ass to get out of the spark plug jackets.

I like to completely cover the valve cover with a trash bag to avoid this scenario.

Put one rag in there and be done with it. I never had this be an issue. Once I'm done I put a rag and it absorbs the puddle quick and you are done. Rubber seals for a reason. I only had a arch problem once from the coil to the fuel rail and it was only because the boot wasn't on on the way. If you have broken connectors be careful with those. I too use the simple green, a bucket of water, a scrub brush, and a spray bottle. Usually when I am doing this I am in my garage and I don't want to flood it. Then dry everything up with a couple of towels.

 

[Jon91TSi]

Put one rag in there and be done with it. I never had this be an issue. Once I'm done I put a rag and it absorbs the puddle quick and you are done. Rubber seals for a reason. I only had a arch problem once from the coil to the fuel rail and it was only because the boot wasn't on on the way. If you have broken connectors be careful with those. I too use the simple green, a bucket of water, a scrub brush, and a spray bottle. Usually when I am doing this I am in my garage and I don't want to flood it. Then dry everything up with a couple of towels.

If someone is too liberal with the water a rag will not absorb all of it. The top of the plug boot does not seal tight to the valve cover, and this is how water gets down the jacket. Not everyone has a plug wire cover either, that scenario necessitates something covering the valve cover.

 

[Ghost_92TSi]

If someone is too liberal with the water a rag will not absorb all of it. The top of the plug boot does not seal tight to the valve cover, and this is how water gets down the jacket. Not everyone has a plug wire cover either, that scenario necessitates something covering the valve cover.

It would be harder with a cover. You don't have access to dry it. If they are on right, I just don't see water going up the side between metal and rubber and down in. The high pressure, usually forces the water splattering off. Its not like taking a hose and filling the area. I'm just trying not to discourage people from cleaning it because the VC is a big part in having a clean bay. I just toss one microfiber towel as I wipe down the top of the headlights and inside fenders and with the head and everything. When I take it out, it is full of hot water and my VC is dry.

Although, like everything, I suppose it isn't idiot proof.

 

[boost97gst]

Yea pressure wash the hell out of it, hell go crazy, spray errrthannng!! Never know could end up like me, I did that and BOOM went from this to this!!

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Haha ok maybe Im kidding. I did what Gofer was saying. Except I removed everything and repainted. As for now, I just use a little window cleaner and a rag to wipe it down. Its easier to keep kind of clean without all the stock features and a wire tuck.

Damn crash! You washed it so good i believe it deleted the ABS lines! And some other shit on the firewall . Looking good bro. Nice work
Hell, that water blew the black off the timing belt, look at it! It turned BLUE for gods sake