engine detailing/cleaning?

J

jpieps

New member
Hello



I would sure like to clean my engine, but I have heard different things about the affect. I've read some books and other articles on the web that say you should not clean it with water because it might harm the electrical systems, but some people seem to think its ok. I am not sure what to do.:think: Any suggestions? Just so you all know I'm not interested in a multi day process-award winning engine detail, I would just like to clean it so that I don't cringe every time I pop the hood.

Ideally I would like to be able to clean the engine on the same day as I wash and wax, not have to spend an entire other afternoon for it. If this is not possible give me ideas for the most basic job possible.



Thanks everyone!
 
I do about 150 engine bays a year. Just cover the electrical components.



Here's what I do....
  1. Spray engine bay down with Zep's Industrial Purple.
  2. Let dwell for 5 minutes.
  3. Pressure wash. No hose. Pressure washing uses more air than water.
  4. While wet, take a can of Armor All Tire foam and coat the bay.
  5. Close hood and start engine.
  6. Let the engine run while cleaning the rest of the exterior.
  7. Open bay and wipe up any puddling.
That's it. I do not put any extra dressing on.





Befores....

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Afters....

Pictures011Medium.jpg


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Full detail....

Detailed: 2003 F-150 XL - Auto Geek Online Auto Detailing Forum
 
I'm confused in this post you dais you used zep degreaser on the motor but then I read the full write up you said you used DP degreaser which one was it? lol
 
bufferbarry said:
I'm confused in this post you dais you used zep degreaser on the motor but then I read the full write up you said you used DP degreaser which one was it? lol
Click to expand...

I use ZEP now. I used DP's in the posted detail. I've never really seen any difference with what degreaser I use. The one thing that I never change is Armor All Tire Foam and the steps in the process.
 
justin30513 said:
Just cover the electrical components.
Click to expand...



Would someone who has a lot of experience with this mind giving a quick list of the "typical" major electrical components that need to be covered?



I have often seen statements like the above mentioned when folks give advice for cleaning engine bays. Although it is good advice, it isn't all that helpful to me without more info as I am not really an expert with engines, especially modern engines. To me it seems that there are wires everywhere.



I actually have a pretty clean bay as I have pretty much cleaned it by hand with wet towels etc, because I am afraid of spraying water. But I dream of spraying it with p21S, taking a brush to it and spraying it down with water to get all the crevices....just too afraid to do so. Without more info I would rather be safe than sorry.



So is there a list of common engine parts on new cars that folks would recommend covering? :



Alternator

Battery terminals

Fuse boxes?? (maybe)
 
I would cover the alternator. That's about it. I only do it if its on top. Some may look at me as crazy but this is all I do. I have never had a problem. It might be due to the fact that I start the engine soon after wetting it and this dries anything out.



Everyone can do what they want. I'm not telling you my way is the best or convince you to do something that you don't want to. This is just how I do it everyday.
 
Oh yeah....

The above engine process takes me 15 minutes work time plus letting the engine run for 15 while continuing on the rest of the vehicle's exterior.
 
Thanks justin30513, but i don't have access to a pressure washer. Can you (or anyone else ) telll me how to do it without a pressure washer?
 
jpieps said:
Thanks justin30513, but i don't have access to a pressure washer. Can you (or anyone else ) telll me how to do it without a pressure washer?
Click to expand...

Can you go to a coin op self serv car wash?

You're only gonna need to do this 1-2 times a year unless you live in really harsh conditions. You can simply wipe your bay down with a dressing when you wash if needed to tidy it up.
 
I personally have never covered anything in the engine bay, but like someone else said, i have the engine running while i am spraying it..
 
I did my 4 cars engines never covered anything. Sprayed simple green let it soak for 2-3 minutes and hosed down. I never had a problem. I use the fireman"s nozzle
 
I'd be careful with any car with a Cold Air Intake or a Short Ram Intake, or a airbox that's not sealed properly. You get water in through that, you'll hydrolock and engine, and it's not pretty (rebuild anyone). There's a kid on one of the Honda sites I frequent that did the same thing, and well now he's having to rebuild his engine.



I'd suggest a good mix of some kind of degreaser (I use ZEP Citrus Degreaser at 3:1), clean with my knock off Swisswax brush, my EZ Wheel Brush, and numerous nasty MF towels, then wipe up with ONR and dry. Good to go. If you like a coating of CD2 Engine detailer is nice too.
 
thanks for the tips justin. The APC thing and pressure washer method for cleaning the engine bay works really well! I have been doing that for years.



I do remember reading once about spraying the plastic pieces and hoses in the bay while wet and starting the engine to allow it to dry but that i have never tried. Trying to dress things by hand is a pain so next time i'm going to give your method a shot!



I haven't had issues yet from pressuring washing a engine bay and as justin stated a pressure washer uses more air to pressurize a mist then a hose does water.
 
Thanks Justin,

I never thought of a self serve car wash. I guess I will try that now. I hope nothing gets wet that shouldn't, I guess running the engine would be key here though. Anyone else who wants to give ideas is still welcome, I would like to hear how more than one person does it, it might be interesting.
 
dnadrifter said:
Would someone who has a lot of experience with this mind giving a quick list of the "typical" major electrical components that need to be covered?

..So is there a list of common engine parts on new cars that folks would recommend covering? :



Alternator

Battery terminals

Fuse boxes?? (maybe)
Click to expand...



I don't worry much about the alternator, but I don't spray water into it either.



You seem to have the right idea about the intuitively obvious stuff, but I'd also add:



-The distributer, esp. the optispark system on older GMs like the LT1 family. Optis are more sensitive than most such systems and you can't always just open them up and blow things dry if there's a problem.



-The "coil on plug systems" (COPS). I'm only familiar with the Ford and Audi ones, but both of those need to be kept dry.



I cover such stuff with aluminum foil (the "heavy duty"/thick kind).



Other than that, I just never worry much about getting things wet. I don't blast electrical components with a stream of water, but there's no reason to do that anyhow ;)



Since my last Karcher died, I haven't had a pressure washer, yet I've cleaned up never-cleaned-before engine compartments without any real problems. Try to let the degreasers/etc. do the work (looong dwell times help), and use brushes whenever possible. Natural-bristle brushes (e.g., Boar's Hair Brushes) are good because they rinse clean no matter *what* awful stuff you get on them.



Steamers can be *very* helpful and they're "dryer" than non-vaporized water.



For things you don't want to get wet, I'd just use a solvent on rags or swabs.



IF you run into some *really* thick, greasy [stuff], I'd try to scrape most it off with a piece of plastic or wood before using a degreaser or solvent. A light mist of degreaser, allowed to dwell for while, would be helpful to first soften things up a bit though.



Give some thought to the runoff...



Once you get things clean it oughta be simple and easy to keep 'em that way. I do a quick, cursory cleanup of the engine compartments at every wash, using regular wash solution and small BHBs. Good opportunity to look for leaks/etc., which are a lot easier to spot when everything's nice and clean.
 
Personally, I've never had any issues with using water to rinse the engine bays on any of my own vehicles (or those of friends/family) for the past 25+ years. Most of the sensitive areas/components are water resistant and are generally protected by design, gaskets, etc. Just use a little common sense when rinsing (i.e. don't shoot a strong stream of water into sensitive looking areas, etc. and use only as much as needed). In my case, the nozzle I use for this task has a variety of selections. I find the "shower" setting provides enough pressure and volume to rinse away any soap/cleaner while keeping the risk low for water seeping into areas I don’t want it to go. ....keep in mind however that vehicle age, particular layouts, modifications, etc. may be factors in whether or not you decide to cover certain areas (as Accumulator pointed out). Also, there is nothing wrong with taking extra precautions. If you feel the need to do so (or are unsure), then don’t hesitate to cover the sensitive areas. ….better safe than sorry.



Below are a couple shots of my '03 WRX. Because of my location and the fact I regularly maintain my engine bay, I find car wash soap is usually adequate. For tough spots/jobs, I will typically grab my spray bottle of Meguiars APC+. Echoing Accumulator’s points, I use a variety of detail brushes (incld. BRB’s) I have on hand to agitate the soap/APC. After a final rinse I use a leaf blower (again, using a little common sense & caution) to help chase off some of the standing water followed by a towel to wick up whatever is left (to prevent water spots). My last step is to dress the plastics, hoses and rubber trim pieces with something that leaves a matte finish (like 303). It only takes me and additional 15 minutes or so and I prefer the look over the typical “spray on, walk away” products/methods that leave the bay looking greasy (sorry for the bad pics):

IMG_0038.jpg


IMG_0037.jpg
 
jpieps said:
Thanks justin30513, but i don't have access to a pressure washer. Can you (or anyone else ) telll me how to do it without a pressure washer?
Click to expand...



A pressure washer is not necessary. The same method mentioned before works well with a garden hose........



Try it out and post your results......:xyxthumbs
 
Kean said:
.. My last step is to dress the plastics, hoses and rubber trim pieces with something that leaves a matte finish (like 303). It only takes me and additional 15 minutes or so and I prefer the look over the typical “spray on, walk away” products/methods that leave the bay looking greasy...
Click to expand...



I seldom dress much of anything in my engine compartments, but yeah, 303 is a *VERY* good product for that. Not nearly as greasy as one might expect. You can even use it on non-plastic/rubber surfaces without them subsequently attracting a lot of dust/grime.



Ditto for Autoglym Bumper Care, which I've even used on alternators/etc. with great results.
 
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