well i was checkin out my engine today and i noticed how dirty it was..lol
i was wonderin what i could use to clean the motor and bay??
i was thinkin bout power washing but im pretty sure that would damage something..lol
and someone told me some carborator cleaner spray (somethin like that) would work..but idk
any info/advice is appreciated..thank you

 

Your instincts are good. Don't power wash it. Ever. The pressure is high enough to force water past the seals on electrical connectors, into places that never usually see water, etc. Once the water gets in, there isn't any way for it to get out, and now you have corrosion, or displaced grease, etc.

So please don't pressure wash your engine.

 

hahah, yea, thats what i figured...

 

I'll let other people chime in with recommendations on cleaning products, etc. I hate engine detailing and avoid it like the plague. I just do frequent maintenance cleaning at the car wash so it doesn't get very dirty except in the winter.

 

Lots of things work, a engine degreaser buy the spray bottles at any retail store, or just use brake cleaner that shit takes off gunk and oil in a matter of seconds and leaving it looking like new

 

I use this stuff:


Just make sure to do it when the car is cold, and wrap up the distributor, fuse box, etc.Like this:

 

be careful with some of those engine cleaners. ive seen it turn black plastic parts white.

 

Really? Ive used it on probably 30-40 cars and never ever ever had a issue.

 

Leave the engine running, spray down with degreaser, use a brush if you want to scrub, spray off with hose. Take towel and wipe dry big parts. I did this everyday when I worked in the reconditioning dept of the dealer I work for with no issues. Most of the time I didn't even leave engine running, but I have seen others get water in the plug cylinders and cause a misfire. This is an easy fix though as the water can simply be blown out. Only takes about 5 minutes too and cleans it very thoroughly.

 

If you know what you're doing, you can use high pressure.

I usually either remove the air filter or wrap it. I use everything from foaming degreaser to brakleen.

Simple green is safe on paint, and I use it to clean the areas around the engine, paint etc.

A toothbrush, a shower brush, anything like that works good to scrub!