cleaning engine bay
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,641
Likes: 392
From: cookeville, TN
cleaning engine bay ive lurked around for a while now just kinda gathering info and looking at my sig this post will make sense
i finally pulled the 6er getting ready for the swap
but now that i have it out for a while i find a great opportunity to clean up some stuff. the fenders and engine bay besdes the hood cable and the wire mod i plan to relocate a few ground posts but what are some other things i can do to clean up the engine bay and also what is a good thing to use to clean it out with.
next what is good for cleaning inside the fenders??
from the years of abbuse its all browned and nasty i was wanting to bring back some of that new car look to the under carrige since when i get done it will be pretty much new aside from the age of the body.
so give me some ideas guys
i finally pulled the 6er getting ready for the swap
but now that i have it out for a while i find a great opportunity to clean up some stuff. the fenders and engine bay besdes the hood cable and the wire mod i plan to relocate a few ground posts but what are some other things i can do to clean up the engine bay and also what is a good thing to use to clean it out with.
next what is good for cleaning inside the fenders??
from the years of abbuse its all browned and nasty i was wanting to bring back some of that new car look to the under carrige since when i get done it will be pretty much new aside from the age of the body.
so give me some ideas guys
I don't know if anyone wants to correct me, and I'd definately see if someone had experience with it or be VERY CAREFUL trying it in a hidden place first, but I used some "super goop off" in a rattle can for the fiberglass edges where you get the nasty tar. It doesn't wipe right off, but with it you can get ALL the tar off with a good scrub job. Most people don't care or some (like enthusiasts like us) don't let it get to that point. But I used it on my underbody when I bought my car from the last guy and it worked great!
ive heard pressure washer,simple green, and your gun hand and your good... i havnt tried it yet but plan to this weekend on mine because my engine bay looks like someone dumped a pile of dirt in it
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 720
Likes: 1
From: THE BANDIT'S LAIR in Louisiana
Too keep mine looking new this is what I do about every 6 months.
I cover some of the electronics with aluminum foil to keep them dry. Usually just cover the PCM and coils.
Using a selectable spray nozzle, I put it on drizzle/shower for a low pressure rinse. Rinse the entire engine bay getting it initially wet and helping to loosen any dirt. Then use a 50/50 mixture of Simple Green in a spray bottle and spray the entire engine bay with that. Let soak for 5 minutes. Then use a brush (toilet brush works great) to loosen the dirt in hard to reach areas and all around the engine bay. Rinse the engine bay fully with water on the same setting as before. If your engine bay is really dirty you may want to repeat that procedure a few times to get it real clean.
Once you are to the point you think it is clean enough use a towel to soak up any collected puddles of water and then leave the hood open to air dry for 30 minutes. Go back and towel dry any areas that might still be wet.
If you want your black wire loom/hoses/intake to look nice and shiny. Spray on some original formula Armor All and let sit for a minute then wipe dry.
If you want to skip the armor all, then the best way to get your hoses black and nice again is to use a cleaner wax on them. Just follow the directions of the cleaner wax.
For the wheel wells its pretty much the same thing. You are going to want to remove your wheel to really be able to get in there and clean. Just use the water and simple green with a good bristle brush to get it real clean. Use some shop towels to wipe down everything between rinses. If you want the black plastic on the front wheel wells to look new again, try the cleaner wax. It works well on that plastic too.
I cover some of the electronics with aluminum foil to keep them dry. Usually just cover the PCM and coils.
Using a selectable spray nozzle, I put it on drizzle/shower for a low pressure rinse. Rinse the entire engine bay getting it initially wet and helping to loosen any dirt. Then use a 50/50 mixture of Simple Green in a spray bottle and spray the entire engine bay with that. Let soak for 5 minutes. Then use a brush (toilet brush works great) to loosen the dirt in hard to reach areas and all around the engine bay. Rinse the engine bay fully with water on the same setting as before. If your engine bay is really dirty you may want to repeat that procedure a few times to get it real clean.
Once you are to the point you think it is clean enough use a towel to soak up any collected puddles of water and then leave the hood open to air dry for 30 minutes. Go back and towel dry any areas that might still be wet.
If you want your black wire loom/hoses/intake to look nice and shiny. Spray on some original formula Armor All and let sit for a minute then wipe dry.
If you want to skip the armor all, then the best way to get your hoses black and nice again is to use a cleaner wax on them. Just follow the directions of the cleaner wax.
For the wheel wells its pretty much the same thing. You are going to want to remove your wheel to really be able to get in there and clean. Just use the water and simple green with a good bristle brush to get it real clean. Use some shop towels to wipe down everything between rinses. If you want the black plastic on the front wheel wells to look new again, try the cleaner wax. It works well on that plastic too.
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Troy, MI
+1 on the simple green although I didnt dilute it because my engine bay was pretty filthy. Just drizzle water over the bay, spray down with simple green, and rise after about 5 minutes, don't use high pressure and tough spots may require the elbow grease. However I am not an Armorall fan, while it will give a shine, but it doesn't moisturize well so if you dont use it often your stuff will dry out and crack.
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I use greased lightining. I don't like spraying that crap on painted parts, so it only gets sprayed on the engine. I use car wash soap and a small sponge to clean the painted parts and the engine. Spray it off. Looks good enough for my daily driver, but this definetly isn't a show quality job, more like a quick 15 minute routine I do every month. And I get out the leaf blower to dry it, then go over it with a towel.
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,641
Likes: 392
From: cookeville, TN
tough spots should be a problem the engine and trans are out of it while i get the rest of my parts for the swap. suspension and all is out to. i dropped her out the bottom cause i thought it would be easier and i think it was considering what im replacing most of if had to go anyway.
since all that is left is the ac and brakes and wanted to take this time to clean it up seeing as how after this it will only see good weather.
thanks for all the info guys i appreciate it
my only problem is going to be getting water out there. ill figure somthing out thanks guys
since all that is left is the ac and brakes and wanted to take this time to clean it up seeing as how after this it will only see good weather.
thanks for all the info guys i appreciate it
my only problem is going to be getting water out there. ill figure somthing out thanks guys