How to clean my engine bay?

JoeMe

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

I can’t use water and detergent as it would ruin the electricals.

What should I use to clean my engine?
 

Siberian HEAT

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Odd, I use water all the time. The same water gets in when you drive down a wet highway...so I don't worry about the electrical components. However, do not take this as an endorsement to hose it down! Do so at your own risk...and avoid hitting the distributor directly if you can help it.

They also make engine degreasers you can spray all over the inside of the engine compartment and then spray off with water. Those work really well when you have a greasy engine.

Of course, you are in Australia...so I guess you could take it out to the desert and try sand blasting it! :spill:
 

Doggie

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If water would ruin your electricals you need to install new electricals. If your distributor, coil and wires are affected by a little high pressure water, then you need to install new ones. A little degreaser and water to rinse it off shouldn't hurt anything.
 

11b10

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Originally posted by Doggie
If water would ruin your electricals you need to install new electricals. If your distributor, coil and wires are affected by a little high pressure water, then you need to install new ones. A little degreaser and water to rinse it off shouldn't hurt anything.
Yeah..don`t they make those spray sealants for the electrical system ?

Most of the time I do spray down my engine in a car wash... it dosen`t seem to bother it
 

Igotmilk

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Joe, these people are crazy! :crazy:

You use a sandblaster to clean an engine. When you do you should always spend a little extra time around the brake lines cause you do not want them to be covered with that plastic/rubber like covering that seems to cling to them. Sometimes it gets so bad it looks like they are metal encrusted so you have to get rid of that as well. Then you have to take it out and give it a good hard ride after you clean your engine. This is good for the engine. If cleaned properly you should here some sounds you have never heard before.
 

Senior Drill

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Milk's right, Joe. I don't know if you have any steep hills in Sydney, but go to the top of the highest and steepest hill you can find right after sandblasting those brake lines.

Start down hill and give that engine a real work out! :horse:

PS. Ensure that Sue has keys to the safe deposit box, first.
 

Marcks

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What should I use to clean my engine?
A handfull of dollars and a good repair shop. It´s really not worth the hazzles to do it yourself. Well unless you love to fiddle with your car ;)
 

Senior Drill

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Marcks, you know Joe as well as I do. He does not fiddle. With anything.

Oh, all right. He fiddled with the idea of getting married. But once he got over that, or rather once Sue over came that, he has remained the unequivocal, stalwart Joe.

No fiddle.
 

GI_JONZ

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JOE doesn't fiddle?
Excuse me ! He does to.
Your forgetting the time he went on and on about the arrangment of his sock drawer.
Not arranged by color, but by freakin material blends no less.
Me I call that fiddling.
 

Reiryc

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Originally posted by Joe
I want to give my car’s engine and engine bay a thorough clean.

I can’t use water and detergent as it would ruin the electricals.

What should I use to clean my engine?
Buy a new car and voila, clean engine and engine bay. :horse:
 

Marcks

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Originally posted by GI_JONZ
JOE doesn't fiddle?
Excuse me ! He does to.
Your forgetting the time he went on and on about the arrangment of his sock drawer.
Not arranged by color, but by freakin material blends no less.
Me I call that fiddling.
Hehehehehehe
 

JoeMe

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Socks: my current procedure ( which is also the same as the old procedure – only the paragraph number changed in the procedures manual )

To the office I wear black socks. And I work 5 days per week therefore I need 6 pairs ( to allow for rainy days when the laundry doesn’t dry)

I buy 6 pairs exactly the same.

The individual socks are separated and all 12 socks go in one draw.

When I need to, I extract 2 socks at random from the draw knowing they are all exactly the same.

I use the same procedure with:
The sports socks
The skiing socks
The hiking socks

each of which have their own compartment.

I have never lost a sock. Have you?
 

GI_JONZ

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I've lost lots of socks. I blame it on my laundry people ,not my procedure for cataloging them in a drawer.

Two questions about the car engine.
1) How dirty can a bankers engine compartment be?


2) If you have to ask, you shouldn't be cleaning it.

Lots of things can go wrong. Electrical can be damaged immediately, or just set up corrosion for problems later. degreasers are great when used correctly. avoid degreasing anything that is suppose to have grease in it. as in bearings. I have seen a guy degrease his truck engine ,two hours later down the road his alternator pulley is locked up. Washed the grease right out of the bearings.

Rain,driving over and through shallow water, IS far different than hosing down an engine.
I am sure you could find something else to go crazy cleaning. How are your air conditioner duct in the house. Dust mites, toxic mold living there maybe?
 

Siberian HEAT

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Originally posted by GI_JONZ
Rain,driving over and through shallow water, IS far different than hosing down an engine.
I am far more abusive on my Jeep, and that pig has never given me a second of trouble. I have been in water up to the engine block and in TONS of mud. :halo:

Your driving habits may vary ;)
 

GI_JONZ

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I don't own my toyota 4x4 anymore but it once injested a lot of river water down the carberator. Crytalizing the rings and making for an overhaul.
Tough trucks, but not for familys or boats.
 

Marcks

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Originally posted by GI_JONZ
I am sure you could find something else to go crazy cleaning. How are your air conditioner duct in the house. Dust mites, toxic mold living there maybe?
I know a guy that cleans the key hole of his front door :crazy:
 
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