Engine Cleaning - share how YOU do it

[Red2]

Hey DFW Stang'sters!

We all claybar, wash & wax our cars to keep them looking great on the outside.

But who all does an occasional engine cleaning? If so what's your method and products?

I have yet to do mine so I'm hoping to learn something from others.

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[Tcstang]

So this is the method I do twice a year and it works great.


Let the car idle for a few minutes to get it nice and hot under the hood. Then turn the car off and cover anything you don't want wet such as open air filter with plastic or foil. Next take and spray the whole engine bay with water to knock off the easy dirt. Then take a bottle with a solution of simple green and water mixed 50/50. Spray down the entire engine bay. Then lower the hood so that it's has a slight gap left. Let the car sit about 15-20 minutes. The warm motor will help create steam and let the simple green eat through all dirt. Now hose off the engine bay again to get rid of all traces of the cleaning solution. Next take turtle wax f21 tire foam and spray it all over everything under the hood. Let it sit until all the foam it gone. Then use a rag to wipe everything down and get in to the tight spots. Engine bay will look brand new.

 

[Red2]

Sweet [MENTION=15416]Tcstang[/MENTION]! You want to get started this weekend? My car says thanks in advance. :lol:

 

[Tcstang]

Ha ha I'll pass, going to paint my brake calipers and wash mine before the meet up sat.

 

[Ozzmosis86]

Thanks for the tips mine is in desperate need of some attention after sitting in the body shop for 3 weeks! It is covered in sanding dust!

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

 

[GoBlues38]

I am low tech ans simple. To a cool engine, but not cold....wet it down nice a good. I dont cover anything up, but also do not point the hose directly at the electronics.

Take a bucket of soapy dish detergent water and wipe down what I can.

Rinse with the hose.

Then wash the outside of the car.

I do this every 4 or 5 washes.

 

[Tcstang]

I'm cleaning the engine today so thought I'd share before and after pics. I have about 30 minutes total in this with most of it just waiting around.

Before.



It wasn't super dirty so no a drastic difference plus phone pics suck. Notice all the hoses are black again not gray.

 

[Red2]

that looks super nice. great job!

 

[Tex-Stang11]

I am reviving this thread bc I cannot stand the dirt and pollen that has now taken residence in my engine bay. [MENTION=15416]Tcstang[/MENTION], I have a stock engine bay minus a oil seperator which looks similar to yours, did you cover anything before you wash? Wire harnesses etc? Also how long do you rinse your engine down with water? Having never done this before, I just want to make sure I fully understand the process before flooding my engine haha

 

[Tcstang]

I didn't cover anything. I rinsed it just long enough to get everything nice a wet so the steam could break up the dirt. Then long enough to get all the simple green off.

 

[Tex-Stang11]

Cleaned the engine bay this week and it looks way better. Thanks Tcstang for the relay. The only thing was there was a little standing water/turtlewax on some of the crevasses that no towel would pick up and absorb. I am assuming a little water never hurt anything so i left it. If this is a major problem, please let me know so i spend more time wiping down these spots in the future.

 

[Tcstang]

The water won't hurt. I use my air compressor to blow out those crevices before I wipe it down.

 

[Tex-Stang11]

Need to get one soon....

 

[RobbieFrazier]

The car wash I use has a couple stalls with air dryers. They're perfect for blowing the water out of all the nooks and crannies in the engine compartment.

I clean the engine compartment several times a year using the spray wash. Like @Tcstang I just don't spray the CAI directly. I do the engine bay first, and then the full car wash after. I've done this on every car I've owned and never had any issues.

Funny side note: a mechanic buddy of mine was working on my parents' 2005 Impala a while back. As soon as he opened the hood he asked my dad, "Robbie's been under here, hasn't he? His cars have the cleanest engine bays I've ever seen." It's nice to be known for the cleanliness of your engine compartments!

 

[Tcstang]

Funny you say that Robbie, I helped someone replace a radiator on a Cherokee I sold them about a year ago. The engine bay made me want to cry it was so nasty.

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