What is good to use? And what is the safest way to do this process.

 

dont know much about the pro way to do it, but Ill lend what I do - and bump this ttt
never work on a very cold or hot engine.
turn on car and let idle for 2 minutes, then begin ...
first, cover all of your important areas with foil or saran wrap.
spray liberally with degreaser and let sit for prescribed time on cleaner label. hose down and admire. on any tough areas, scrub before hosing down.
then cover with 303 protectant or other fine product.

 

use dry brush first to get junk out of crevices first, Simple Green and soft damp towel works great fo rwet cleaning an duse clean water towel only to rinse an ddry again with soft cloth being aware of sharp objects which are easy to cut hands on...trust me I know about those...

 

I use simple green automotive. dont use any kind of armor all after degreasing your engine

 

APC+ also works well. I have Meg's engine kote, but haven't tested it out yet...anyone have experience with this?

 

I have heard good things about Engine Kote. In fact, you can also use it for the wheel wells.

 

how long do you guys let the simple green sit before spraying it off?

 

When I clean my engine with simple green I spray and wipe right off. Simple Green works better than anything else I've used...

 

what about the places you can't reach, like the top & sides of the trans. should i leave it for 10mins?

 

on a cool engine about 5 minutes

 

thanks, i'll try it this weekend if i get a chance and it doesn't rain.

 

Thanks guys. I never thought of covering the important things.like electrical stuff I thought it was just spray the whole engine and spray off.Ive used simple green for lots of things never thought of the engine though. I will use your tactics. But how can I make all my plastic black plastic rubber parts nice and new or shiny looking without having the effect of armor all and over time it cracking?

 

take some pics when youre done. I did mine 2 weeks ago and it still looks showroom fresh - ill try to take some pics tonight if I can remember...

Jonathan

 

be careful

 

what exactly do u keep from getting wet? I was about to clean the engine but i got a lil scared...anyone? advice please

 

Simple Green or Castrol Super Clean work well. As for what to keep dry, I just don't spray a full stream of water on stuff like the alternator, starter, electrical connections, etc... A little misting won't hurt them. I also try to dry the majority of the engine off with an old towel, and then take it for a drive to fully dry it.
For hoses and plastic, Lexol Vinylex works well. Armor All type products attract way too much dust, and the silicone content in most isn't good for rubber.
Once you have it detailed, it is easy to keep it clean if you put just a little time in to it every once in a while.
Some of the benefits of having a clean engine are 1) spot leaks faster, 2) mechanics (if you let them work on it) will do a better job on a clean engine because they see the pride you have in it, 3) easier for you to work on it, and 4) a clean engine gains atleast 10 hp (my theory atleast).

Dave

 

The Simple Green makes everything you clean have a nice shine and it lasts for a while. I spray everything in my engine other than the filter. Nothing else I really worry about.

 

I work at a body shop washing cars. My boss tells me to spray down engines all the time if they are dirty. He tells me that I don't have to cover anything up because everything is made to hold up to water.
When I degrease my engine bay, I try not to spray degreaser on electrical parts and such. But when I rinse it with water on a light spray, it hasn't shown any harm to anything.
As long as you don't spray the water with too much force, there shouldn't be any problems. If you want to cover up electrical parts as a precaution, at the very least it will give you peace of mind.

 

So. Simple Green works the best right?

 

Simple green and some tire shine: http://maxima.cardomain.com/id/cincy94max

 

By the way, engine bay is much cleaner now after a few more nights and bottles of simple green. I find the hardest parts to clean are the painted body parts in the engine bay that have 9 years of dirt, sand (originally a florida car), grease, and grim all over them.

 

i have to say simple green worked very good on top of my trans. got all the dirt off.