How to clean my engine bay?

[hogdriver]

Clean engine

Quoting Joe:

I want to give my car’s engine and engine bay a thorough clean.

From my recollection, there is a solvent specially designed for cleaning the engine, some sort of degreaser, I expect

 

[Senior Drill]

Your are correct, Hogdriver. There are spray on products from many companies for cleaning the engine. But they have to be hosed off with water.

This could be a problem if the run off goes into your own septic system, and could be illegal if it runs into the storm drains or sewer system of your municipality. It varies from city to city, not to mention county. Best to check with the Environmental agency to see if there are restirctions on using de-greasers.

Then, also, there is the potential to use a de-greaser in the wrong places and not use it enough in the built up places. Followed by the need to use water flush it, one can easily soak something that shouldn't get wet. Especially high pressure hot water from a car washing place.

If the car is worth more than a couple hundred dollars, it is best to take it to a garage and have the mechanics clean it and check things out. If they screw up the job, they have to fix it.

 

[Abu Boy]

I am not sure how much of car guys you people are, but you have some wacky ideas. If you choose to hose down your engine, do stay away from distributor, coil, battery, fuse boxes (if any), so on and so forth. You might just cover all that stuff up with plastic bags and go at it. If you do get water in your distributer, or anywhere else, and believe be you will know, use some WD-40 to get it out. Thus the name, WD=water displacement. My suggestion is, take it to a shop, and have it steam cleaned. Cleaning an engine can be very very tedious job. If you got the money, let someone else do it. That is what the profesional guys do with them.

 

[GhostSoldier]

Cleaning your Engine.

Yeah, I was gonna say plastic. When you buy a can of engine cleaner, it tells you on the side to cover your vital electronics/ ignition components with plastic wrap, and avoid direct pressure on these areas. Go to a car wash (self-service) and use the high pressure water. Hot, high pressure water with degreaser works good. Wha? EPA? But let's say you do get water in say the ignition system, and your car won't start. Give it a few minutes and try again. Just don't go poking the nozzle of your water spray all in the air intake and stuff like that, or trying to get in those crooks and crannies too bad. Besides you ain't gonna get but so clean, I'm mean you're just trying to sell it right, not enter it in a car show? GS.