I went to visit my FD at the body shop yesterday and noticed how awful it looked under the hood. I mean, there's dirt and **** every where.. I was wondering if anyone had any tips to cleaning the engine bay..? Like what materials I should use in the cleaning process.. don't want hurt my engine or anything.. to make it nice and shiny. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png No chroming yet.. I'm just wanting it cleaned up a bit. Does anyone have any reccomendations to products, etc. I should use on it? Thanks alot. I should be getting her back next week. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683329.gif https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683473.gif

i wanna know too........ i never cleaned mine thinking im gunna mess something up in there

Well you guys have seen mine, I have spent alot of time under there keepin my **** clean.

You can do this nad get good results.

CRC brake clean. 2 cans spray it down really well. Geta few rags and start wiping with denatured alcohol when the brake clean dries up. They make brake clean that is electronics safe. I wouldnt worry about it to much. Just start wiping that is really all there is to it. I keep mine pretty damn clean. So you should take my word for it that it isnt hard just something that you need to jumo right into.

Good luck..

yeah dave, i've seen pics of your engine bay........ my monitor couldnt handle the bling bling

I bust rikki out all the time for the dirty/oily bay that is in his ride.

He sprays his down every once in a while and Im telling you it works like a champ https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bling.gif https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...>/bubbrubb.gif

I heard that using something like that as a cleaning agent could cause "pitting" of the UIM. Apparently this is not true?

Well you shouldnt need to spary the UIM but it wont hurt it if you do at all.

That is what every engine builder sprays your parts with before assembling it.

pitting will not occur!

Yea, Dave, the pics I've seen of your engine bay are killer. CRC brake clean.. I haven't heard of them before. Where's the cheapest place to get it from? Advance or something? UIM? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif So, should I just spray the manifold, ic pipes, etc. or all non-electric peices? Sorry for the dumbass Q's.. but I've never cleaned the engine before.. thanks

They're NOT dumbass questions. If you don't know something, it's not stupid to ask. Remember that, I'm glad this topic was brought up. I've never done any engine bay cleaning and this is good info too. Maybe we can pin it or put it in the archives?

does the CRC brake clean work okay on the black plastic stock parts/pipes too?

I'm doing it the cheater way. Guy in my car club had his car in our display at a show. He drives it everyday year round, never cleaned under the hood. Took it to a detailing shop, they charge $30 for an engine shampoo. It looks so clean I asked him where he bought his nice silicon rad hoses (thought they were new). They missed one tiny spot you can't see unless you are really looking. It was black with crud like the rest of the engine had been the day before. This engine bay looked like a new car.



I would spend $15 on the chemicals and a whole afternoon trying to get mine that clean, so mine is going there as soon as it is rolling. $50 to shampoo and detail the engine bay and shampoo the underside of the car on a hoist. In and out in an hour while I'm at my gym next door. Goodbye turbo oil! Not only that, but you better believe they'll be paying for any repairs caused by water in the electronics. I'd be screwed if I fucked something up doing it myself.

Thanks man. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683473.gif

Humm.. not sure.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif Dave.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

Yea, the other day I asked my friend about cleanging the engine bay.. and he mentioned taking it to some guy and getting it detailed. That's cool and all but it would be kinda cool to know how to do it myself. Then it would be clean 24/7. But if I don't think I can do it, I just may take it to an engine detailer..

rx7machine,

read that you'll be getting your car back soon (that was you, right?)..time to have fun again! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

I have seen a camaro owner use a pressure washer and then go over the engine bay with one of those leaf blowers which go 250 mph hehe



he does it like ever other week. His engine bay is very clean https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

hmmm, i never would have thought of that

Damn right. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683329.gif I went to look at the paint job yesterday. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/boink.gif my '99 spoiler and front lip weren't mounted yet.. but she's looking bad. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png The body shop guy said they fixed every dent and every scratch on the entire car. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bigok.gif I'm so excited!! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683473.gif https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683329.gif He's gotta order a pass. side mirror and antena then I'll be set to go. I just need a digital camera now, so I can post some pics..

Yea, I've thought about pressure washing.. but wasn't sure about any side effects.. leaf blower? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/dunno.gif

I Have a leave blower to. It also works really good for when you wash the exterior of your car.

After your done lathering your baby up, and rinsing her down, take the blower to all the body seams and folds . bumper lines etc. Any place that you might think is holding some water.

Blow that water out and there you have it. No more dryed up water streaks all over your car,when you go for that first drive after your wash.



cheers

Shawn

Damn, I need to clean my engine bay too.

I hate how body shops leave your damn hood up when your car is sitting in there. Even when there are not even working on it. Dust gets all over the place!

You know, I've never even thought about doing that.. I may have to try that sometime..

Yea, thats exactly what they did.. I hate that **** too..

Yea, the other day I asked my friend about cleanging the engine bay.. and he mentioned taking it to some guy and getting it detailed. That's cool and all but it would be kinda cool to know how to do it myself. Then it would be clean 24/7. But if I don't think I can do it, I just may take it to an engine detailer.. [/quote]

Kepping it clean is a lot easier than getting it clean the first time. If you have a major mess on your hands, get it done professionally, then buy the engine degreaser from the store and use it occasionally to keep things clean. If you have polished bits, get the polish compound stuff. I have nearly every Mothers product there is.



As for the pressure washer. I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your under hood electrical components are sealed only against low pressure or splash exposure to water. A 3000 psi jet of water can penetrate past rubber seals and damage electrical components. If you do it yourself you will be fooked. I fried my alternator at the car wash and I didn't even use the high pressure, only the lower pressure that comes out when you don't push the lever. It drained my battery right there in the bay.



The leaf blower is an excellent way to dry your car and prevent streaks. Throw in the fact it takes only a couple minutes compared to 15 with the chamois and you're laughing.

Just be care full when using the leaf blower. Make sure your drive way is clean from sand, dirt etc. The blower will stir that **** up all into the air, and we dont want to be scratching the car now, do we!

Just give the driveway a quick sweep, or blow with the machine first. Then pull your car up after for the wash.

Also once done, a good idea is to just lightly run some water all on the driveway around the area of the car. This will keep dust down.



cheers

Shawn

I don't guess my engine bay's not a mess or anything.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif but it certainly doesn't look good at all.. Yea, I wasn't planning on using a pressure water no matter what anyone said.. I have a gravel drive way.. so I don't know if I'm going to want to risk my brand new paint job (scratches from leaf blower) to simply get rid of some streaks..

Ouch!!! stone drive way. No I would'nt be using that leaf blower then. Not that it will acctualy blow rocks, but there is all kinds of other crap down there.

hurry up and get that thing paved....

Yea I know it.. we're building a new garage, for the 7's and should be doing some paving.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

You can get crc brake clean at any auto parts store.

I would only spray it on the heavily oily and dirty parts.

I would clean the UIM with denatured alcohol and a brillo pad.

What about just using Simple Green.

Thats what I used on my bike. Its safe on everything so you dont have to worry about acid marks or anything.

simple green is sweet.



regarding the blower, I have a blower nozzle attachment for my air compressor, works great and is alot more controllable than a leaf blower, if you have an air compressor it might work better for you.

Simple green is good too.

What is the UIM? Sorry I still don't know.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683561.gif

UIM == upper intake manifold

Simple Green is nice to maintain...a steam clean job is best, they can be rented. Pressure washing can work to but most are 2000+ p.s.i if it's a good one so you have to be VERY careful, also a commercial degreaser works well with the pressue washer, simple green is great but there are better, concentrated products avlailable.

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...1047683664.gif thanks.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

I would be careful with simple green. The compound in it does not like aluminum, which basically everything is mad of in our engine. After i get her all washed, all it takes is a rag for me to keep mine clean.

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/boink.gif **** pic didnt work let me try again

HMMMM. I Have not heard of that one. My bike is also full aluminum including the frame. I have never had a problem with it doing any harm.

Rx7machine you might like this link.. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png click here

I knew just about all of them, but thanks man. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bigok.gif

pressure washing an engine is not a problem. just do not literally soak up the alternator and directly shoot the water into an electrical connector.



i wash my car roughly 3 times a week, and one of them is under the hood with a pressure washer as well. i have never experienced any adverse reactions from useing the pressure washer....i also, as dave said, use "brake cleen" on some of the more grimy areas, as teh everyday use tends to gather road grime quite rapidly....