Engine Cleaning

Hey guys didn't see a thread like this one so here it is.

Looking to clean out the engine bay when i get my new CAI. So what's your suggestion on how to do this. Take into account i am on a limited budget becuase i have other projects that matter more going on. (Soon to come on the boards). Also I do not own a power washer. So post your best ways to accomplish this and i will be polishing the strut bar and the intake with polish as soon as they arrive.

I wish I could help, but I really can't. I will be watching this thread though since I am hoping to do the same thing this Saturday.

I think in one of the other cleaning threads there was a link to a cleaning site that has some stuff about engine cleaning.

I don't like using a pressure washer to my engine bay. There is alot of stuff in there that I can see the pressure washer wrecking. Any wiring or hoses could be pulled off due to the high pressure that those put out. I just like having a bottle of quick detail spray and a couple rags. And just go at it. Isn't the fastest way but it looks alot better than just a quick spray down. I also use things like cue tips and things like that for the small spots. Sadly my engine bay gets pretty neglected. But it will get a complete detail soon to prep it for dells. If you want it to be shiney afterwords you can take some tire shine to it all. But make sure to let it dry before startin the car as that stuff is flammable. It gives everything a real nice shine but what sucks is that it leaves everythin with a greasy feel to it. Which I don't like.

Thanks korn. You don't happen to reccomend a certain quick detail spray do you?

Wizards mist and shine. A god of detail sprays. I have never seen it in like autozone or anywhere but my store. I didn't even know about it till I started working here. The whole wizards line is great stuff. I have like 4 bottles of that mist and shine. Stuff is awsome.

Know anywhere i might be able to pick it up for a decent price on the intraweb? And is a reliable site?

Korn, what's the price run on it through your store... if we can't find it online, can we get it through you?

Cleaning the engine bay is easy:

1. Use tin foil to mask off the distributor or ECU, spark plug wires, air filter element and anything else you don't want to force water into. Mold the foil over the parts that should stay dry and tear off the excess. If you really want to be thorough, disconnect the battery negative terminal and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rubber band (absolutely, positively no way for water to short anything).

2. LIGHTLY spray the engine down. best to use a warm only (not hot, not cold) engine. Don't use a pressure washer as it might force water into places you don't want it.

3. Soak liberally with SIMPLE GREEN in a strong dilution.

4. Allow to soak for 10 minutes. Agitate with brushes and toothbrushes.

5. Repeat as necessary until all grunge is removed.

6. Rinse well, then dry (stops deposits/spots).

7. Use a good rubber and vinyl sauce on all hoses and plastic bits. if you really want to go nuts, you can get high-temp silver or black engine paint and touch up any rusty spots, but that's up to you and depends on what the engine looks like.

If you don't have a gentle sprayer for your hose, lots of people recommend getting a hand-pumped garden sprayer. The benefit is that you can pre-mix your solution, use it all, then re-fill with clear water for the final rinse. Since it's pump powered, you really can't hurt anything in the engine bay through too much water pressire.

I use Simple Green on mine as well. Then dress the rubber.

+1 for Simple Green

mx107marlin wrote:

Korn, what's the price run on it through your store... if we can't find it online, can we get it through you?

I can do it for 17 shipped. Normally run 15. If anyone wants some that is going to be at the dells I can bring them to you for 15 bucks

Edit. I am going to make a new thread about the wizards stuff. And explain them and tell about the ones that I have used.

Ain't **** gonna happen, don't spray directly on headers or at plugs / wires and you'll be good to go. Steam cleaning is the best way to do the engine, when its warm spray degreaser on everything and let it soak. Then rinse, if it ain't steaming then it ain't hot enough.

kornholio788 wrote:

mx107marlin wrote: Korn, what's the price run on it through your store... if we can't find it online, can we get it through you? I can do it for 17 shipped. Normally run 15. If anyone wants some that is going to be at the dells I can bring them to you for 15 bucks Edit. I am going to make a new thread about the wizards stuff. And explain them and tell about the ones that I have used.

Or, you could go to Walmart and get the HUGE bottle of McGuire's Mist n Wipe for less then 10 and it works exactly the same. Smells better too.

Wow. Dang so many choices.lol

Thanks everyone now i can finally be proud of the bay again lol.

pOrk wrote:

kornholio788 wrote: mx107marlin wrote: Korn, what's the price run on it through your store... if we can't find it online, can we get it through you? I can do it for 17 shipped. Normally run 15. If anyone wants some that is going to be at the dells I can bring them to you for 15 bucks Edit. I am going to make a new thread about the wizards stuff. And explain them and tell about the ones that I have used. Or, you could go to Walmart and get the HUGE bottle of McGuire's Mist n Wipe for less then 10 and it works exactly the same. Smells better too.

Meh. I have had people come in that used to use that buy some wizards. ANd come back to buy more wizards. I used to use the meguires. Didn't like it. And i LOVE wizards smell. But to eaches own.

pOrk wrote:

Steam cleaning is the best way to do the engine, when its warm spray degreaser on everything and let it soak. Then rinse, if it ain't steaming then it ain't hot enough.

Agree - IF you have access to a proper steam cleaner, it'll come out great. For home jobbies though, Simple Green os cheap, smells good and de-greases something wonderful.

I used to use a steam cleaner like this, but after I moved I can't find it anymore.


I think my dad stole it to clean his wheels. It does a hell of a job, especially when you clean it with simple green first and get the tough spots with steam.

And yes, Simple Green smells great.

Go to wal-mart and get some "Gunk Engine De greaser" with the Orange cap in the automotive section, and a $60 pressure washer (unless you own one). Their small pressure washer is actually very impressive and I like having it around.

Start the engine and spray it down with the Gunk, this stuff is safe to spray on everything, so spray it everywhere. It's only about $2 a can, and I needed 2, you may get away with 1, may need 3, depends, I usually get about 6 cans and leave them in the garage.

Let the gunk set in for a minute or 2 while you set up the pressure washer and then blast it on the wide setting (not the pin spray setting, that is a lot of concentrated pressure).

Do all this while the engine is running.

Once you're done, shut it down and wipe down all the plastic stuff with a nice plastic/rubber restorer/protectant.

Your belt will probably squeak for a day like mine did from washing it, after that it's fine and looks like a brand new engine, I took this a step further and painted my valve covers and things like that.. I get compliments all the time about how clean my engine is.

djtecthreat wrote:

Go to wal-mart and get some "Gunk Engine De greaser"

Bro that **** is so toxic.. there's like 80 warnings on the can from cancer to birth defects .

Seems like the more warning labels a cleaner has the better it works though, doesn't it ?

I honestly don't care. I was practically eating it the other day while washing my frame and engine for my Golf Cart.

It works great.

I'm not a fan of pressure washers and engines - I've read too many threads on other detailing forums that went something like: "I washed out my engine bay at the coin-op place yesterday, and this morning my car won't start..." Really, if you use a proper degreaser and some elbow grease, you shouldn't need 400psi water to finish the task. The odds are low that you'll have an issue, but still...

Also, washing a RUNNIG engine... can you say "water sucked into the air filter?" Can you say "water sprayed onto hot metal = bad?" Again, it's a low-probability problem, but I'll stick to cleaning warm, switched-off engines only I think...

Do what ever you feel comfortable with. My air intake is properly sealed and fitted, so It's water tight, I go mudding with my truck so a crappy cone filter would definitely be a problem, I like my Vortec's stock cold-air box.

I run my engine because if I spray a plug off or a connector the truck will sputter or the check engine light will come on, something to indicate I screwed up, and I'll know exactly what I did; Not that it's ever happened, I just apply common sense to all projects.

It's worth mentioning that I don't get close up with the pressure washer, and warm water on hot metal is no worse than driving in the rain after the sun's been on a black paint job all day. It's metal not ceramic.

Actually the block is cast iron, or aluminum. Either one can warp and/or split under moderate to severe temperature changes.


Take a cast iron skillet for example. If you put one of them under water after you cook with it, you run a high chance of warping it.

Then it wobbles all over your cook top and gives you uneven cooking! ****!

Meh... DJ is *almost certainly* OK to spray a hot engine (don't want to be alarmist), but I know that there's *zero chance* of damaging only a warm engine - like "I can rest my hand on it as long as I want and not get burned" warm. Zero-chance is better than low-probability in my book.

ImagoX wrote:

Meh... DJ is *almost certainly* OK to spray a hot engine (don't want to be alarmist), but I know that there's *zero chance* of damaging only a warm engine - like "I can rest my hand on it as long as I want and not get burned" warm. Zero-chance is better than low-probability in my book.

Exactly.

i use simple green or castrol engine cleaner it comes in a purple bottle

I would figure in a HOT engine stuff could possibly get warped?

i let the engine run while i'm washing it...let it get hot.
Spray Simple Green let it soak
Scrub down the most you can
Hose it down w/ hot water..( have a separate thing for hot water to clean the engine bay and undercarriage )
spray simple green again let it soak and then hit it w/ the steam cleaner.
Hose it down (w. hot water)
air dry it and then detail it.
Forgot to get before pics but heres an engine bay i did sat.
And it was dirty! guy works in construction and is always driving through mud puddles so you can imagine what a mess it was

DAMN!!! SEXAAAAYYY!!! come do mine. I will def follow those steps when I clean her up for the dells. Looks great duder.

sure! pay for gas or the flight and i'll do it hahaha

ImagoX wrote:

Meh... DJ is *almost certainly* OK to spray a hot engine (don't want to be alarmist), but I know that there's *zero chance* of damaging only a warm engine - like "I can rest my hand on it as long as I want and not get burned" warm. Zero-chance is better than low-probability in my book.

Interesting you guys would argue this... What if you're engine is incredibly hot, and you hit a puddle in the winter time and ice cold water splashes up on the engine block?

Think that over for a second.

Regardless, this is how many detail shops and dealerships do it, it works fine, do what you like, The way I do it hasn't blown any engines, but I don't drive BMW's or Mini's so you may want to be careful.

incredibly hot normally wouldn't happen in winter, but if it did the wheels wells are their to keep the water from splashing onto the block.

The exhaust manifold on my civic has the manifold dump right into the cat, in the center of 2-3 runners is an o2 sensor bung, I've seen two exhaust manifolds from this setup cracked front to back running thru the o2 bung. Now I know anything is possible but on my buddies car the only way for this to happen was somebody sprayed the engine while it was hot (heat shields covered the exhaust manifold and cat but there is an opening for the o2 sensor, shield was intact on his manifold and the other I saw like this).

I personally don't like the idea of pressure washing a hot/warm/cold engine, there are too many connectors that are water resistant but not pressure resistant... but I by no means am saying "my way is the only way", I'm voicing an opinion and in this case it's gonna be a boat of opinions...