Cleaning engine bay

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I never detailed an engine before. It seems like most people are covering the sensitive components with plastic and then taking a hose, or worse a pressure washer to wash things down. To me even if everything is covered properly, it seems like a very bad idea.

Wouldn't it be better to hand wipe everything down? What cleaner would be safe for rubber/plastic components?
 
I've used Simple Green before with good results. Gunk makes a specific product for this, can't remember if I've ever used it.

But yeah, I just put plastic bags over the sensitive parts and just spray it on liberally, wait 30 minutes or so and rinse it off. You can get things pretty clean this way, but usually you still need to take a rag and wipe some areas.
 
Originally Posted By: maz3
To me even if everything is covered properly, it seems like a very bad idea.

Why?

Quote:
Wouldn't it be better to hand wipe everything down?

How could you possibly manage?

Quote:
What cleaner would be safe for rubber/plastic components?

Engine degreaser/cleaner.

The biggest issues is moisture getting into electric connectors and causing corrosion. Better cars have sealed connectors with rubber boots. Never had a problem caused by washing an engine. I degrease the engine at least twice a year.
 
Covering sensitive parts is a good idea. Many people including myself have washed engines w/o covering parts and had no problems. The one time you have a problem you'll wish you covered sensitive parts.
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My buddy asked to borrow my power washer a few years back to wash his patio. He got carried away and decided to wash his engine. He claims he used little to no power, needless to say he found out what happens when you water board a distributor cap that wasn't covered.
 
6 cars that I wash the engine compartment yearly. I use either Awesome that u find at the dollar store, purple power, simple green or any decent degreaser.I do not like gunk engine brite. too caustic.
Use a spray bottle and liberally spray everything but the plug wires and coils. Keep it off the finished paint if possible but with awesome or simple green it doesnt matter. Scrub the heads with a brush .I use a pressure washer and green tip to wash the rest , even underneath. Keep it away from the oil filler cap and the intake sensors but even they can take it.
I never cover a thing. Let the motor dry a bit before starting.
 
I don't cover anything either. I'm careful not to aim the water at the alternator or distributor. Yes those items get some splashed onto them but not the full force of the hose. Never had a problem.
 
I've never had a problem with washing out an engine bay with a hose. I prefer not to use a pressure washer unless something is being very stubborn or I can get a brush to it. I simply stay away from directly spraying electrical connections.

I use Meguiar's Super Degreaser. The best engine degreaser I have found so far.
 
I've used LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Degreaser (dollartree.com; yes, I buy it by the case...lol. Not just for the car, but granted, the car does get a lot of it) to manually clean around the dirty parts.

And I will just say this, it's soooo much easier working on a clean engine bay
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If you want to really get your clean on, get some ramps, and put the vehicle on ramps and get the undercarriage
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As with any "Degreaser" you gotta be careful, don't let the solution sit for a long period (or worse, dry out/evaporate...) on the aluminum parts, as some of these commercial "Degreasers" are known to cause etching/corrosion on metal parts.

If I recall, Simple Green was the "most popular" among that category.




I can't see much harm in soaking under the hood, my local car wash actually has an "Engine Degreaser" option on their self-serve stations, it brings the hose pressure down to a near "trickle", to dribble around the real dirty areas, then let it soak a little bit (go ahead and clean the wheels and rims), then come back and hose off the degreaser with the rinse.

Just stay away from the "spot free rinse" - a friend of mine does this car wash engine degreaser about every 6 months, and he said the one time he used the "spot free rinse" it left a strange "film" all under the hood.....almost like a wax...
 
Simple Green comes up often in these discussions. If you go to their website faq, it states that it should be used "carefully" around aluminum, rinsed VERY thoroughly from all crevices, and suggested applying a sealant to the aluminum afterwards:

http://www.simplegreen.com/solutions_faqs.php?search_query=aluminum&search=Ask

Instead, they recommend using their Extreme Simple Green or Simple Green Pro HD which are metal safe and, it appears, also rubber and plastic safe:
"Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances."

The PRO HD is available at Home Depot for about $14 per gallon. This seems MUCH safer.
 
Hi ltslimjim,

I have no experience with this stuff, but was concerned about rumors of using regular Simple Green on aluminum, as well as other materials. From what I have learned, I would NOT use it, period.

Regarding the Extreme Simple Green and Pro HD, the quote above implies they are the same product for the industrial/retail markets. This requires an e-mail to them for confirmation.

I suggest googling "Simple Green Pro HD Aluminum". This thread contains an e-mail response from SG:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f441/info-on-washing-with-simple-green-40879.html

"Thank you for contacting Simple Green and for your interest in Simple Green products. The best product available for cleaning aluminum trailers would be Simple Green Pro HD. This is a product that was initially developed for the aircraft industry, to clean aluminum surfaces, high tech alloys, plastic and rubber parts. It has been tested, thoroughly and has proven to be non-corrosive to aluminum.

The original Simple Green product that you are obviously familiar with has been used to clean aluminum for many years. If used according to directions it is safe for use on aluminum. It is used at a high dilution ratio, combined with long contact times, the product can be corrosive to aluminum. The recommended dilution ratio for cleaning aluminum trailers is 1:30 with a contact time of 5 minutes or less. Of course it is never a good idea to allow any cleaning product dry onto a surface."

I also suggest studying some of the airplane threads. The airplane industry is concerned about both aluminum corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. It seems that these products are approved for aluminum.

But, again, I am only sharing info available on the net and I have no personal experience. For now, I have decided against the regular formula, but am considering the HD formula. I will e-mail them for some answers.
 
super clean, or like, garden hose. I never cover anything, usually have the engine running when I hose it off and have never had a problem.
 
^I had a friend do this for me, and when I was trying to pass emissions the next week my mechanic replaces the distributor cap/rotor only to find water inside!
 
carwash full pressure wash. dont cover anything. once i had the alternator go out from it but im sure it was nearly there anyway. have not had any problems doing it with my fords.
 
Originally Posted By: electrolover
carwash full pressure wash. dont cover anything.


I trust that your statement is only an expression of your experience, not a recommendation to all.
 
Depends on the age and condition of the vehicle. On my 03 Ford, I cover the alternator, and nothing else. I use a multi-purpose degreaser, on the top side, and a gunk heavy duty on the bottom side. Let sit for 15-20min on a cool engine, and break out my pressure washer to rinse. I do tend to avoid constant spray on areas with lots of electrical connections, but otherwise I go to town on it. Once rinsed, I start the car and let it idle for about 5 minutes to get things warmed up for a bit and to check for any issues.
I've done this numerous times, and never problem.
 
For the final finishing touch to dislodge fine sediment (e.g. sand, etc. in those hard to reach crevices) and gently dry everything to avoid water staining, use compressed air or a leafblower to dry the engine bay.
 
Here's a follow up reply from Simple Green. I asked about using their cleaners for grounds care/ag. equipment and vehicle engine areas that have aluminum, plastic, and rubber parts.

"Simple Green Pro HD is near identical in formulation to the Extreme Simple Green Aviation Cleaner – the only difference being that there is an added colorant to the Pro HD. Pro HD will be a suitable and more readily available product for you to use in your cleaning applications.

Both formulations are safe for paint, although they will remove any oxidized paint which, while beneficial, may cause a surface to look uneven."
 
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