engine compartment cleaning

[njfzj80]

I know many of you folks strive to see how dirty your truck can get, but what happens when you get home and have to clean it? A couple of weeks ago I practically spit shined my truck. It looked like I just drove out of the show room...and then I popped the hood, and I went back in time. There's years of dirt and debris. What's the safest, most efficient means of cleaning the engine compartment?

Cheers.

 

[Beowulf]

Low pressure water. Toothbrush. Simple Green. Copious attention to detail. Polish with a diaper.





Or....



2-bit car wash with the engine degreaser setting and leave it running while you hose it down. Works for me but several have created problems by soaking the dizzy or getting water in the plugs.

-B-

 

[ultimauk]

You might want to be a lttle careful with the engine degreaser.

On my 93 the firewall soaked the degreaser in and it took months for the fumes to settle down.

 

[hoser]

Cover moisure sensitive electrical connections with foil.

http://autopia.org/kb/index.php?page=index_v2&id=30&c=21

 

[concretejungle]

I know many of you folks strive to see how dirty your truck can get,

Cheers.

I just don't believe you.

 

[atijerino]

Make sure you cover the distributor and other electrical stuff with plastic or some waterproof material. I made the mistake of not using anythign and it took me a while to get the engine started and even after it started, it was running rough for a couple of days.
Learn from other's mistakes!

 

[tarbe]

WD-40 works well, too. Just don't leave a bunch behind...it will attract more dirt

 

[jcolegrove]

just did the engine clean thing... local carwash, leave it running, engine degreaser setting applied carefully so not completely soak electrical parts. rinse with the lower pressure of the 2 settings at carwash-- NOT the high pressure, regular rinse. careful to get all of it off and off the body, since the stuff is powerful. seemed to be fine, next day, slightly weired starting/running just once, but been fine for days...
do NOT use something like gunk degreaser-- it has eaten away at aluminum finishes and leaves a dull/etched surface.

JC

 

[Gold Finger]

I power washed the engine bay of mine a few weeks ago I have usually avoided it to prevent any electric plugs etc giving problems any way I did not heed my own advice, next thing I know is the alarm is going off. It took a while to shut it off and then it would just start again and it went on and off like this for hours.

 

[njfzj80]

Thanks for the suggestions. I thought this kind of thread would be laughed at. It wasn't until I found a wrapper from a stick of butter under the rubber air intake hose that I concluded that something need to be done. And thanks for the link hoser.

Cheers.