How 2 Clean this dirty engine compartment

QuantumMotorsports · 01-22-2001, 12:28 PM

Anyone have any quick and easy ideas to get my engine compartment clean. I just want it to look nice, not sparkly or anything, but not dirty. I figured I'd do a before and after pic too. Here's the before. Any ideas?

Thanks you guys.

------------------
Michael Black
Quantum Motorsports
Norman, Oklahoma

1988 Merc Cougar 5.0 HO, P&Ped heads, 2.25" custom mandrel bent dual pipes, T5 five speed tranny
15.43 @ 91.08mph (not shabby for a 3600 pound car)
60' 2.453 Street tires suck!!!

Unit 5302 · 01-22-2001, 04:15 PM

Find a drive in, drive out do it yourself high pressure car wash. Blast the engine compartment, although you'll have to be careful since you don't have the distributor cover. Just set her to high pressure soap and blast everything, don't be afraid to stick it in under the intake plenum and clean that stuff out either. Rinse if you like, your engine compartment will take all of 5 minutes, it'll look nice and clean, and it'd be an excellent start to really detailing it if you so choose.

pro88 · 01-26-2001, 10:29 PM

The way I clean my engine bay is: Get some Castrol Super Clean and dilute it 5:1. Go get some Dawn dishwashing liquid and get your 5 gal. bucket good and sudsy. Now soap up your fenders and front end as well as the top of the hood. Spray your super clean all over the inside of your engine bay. Don't let your front end and hood dry though. The reason why you want to soap up your fender is so the super clean doesn't leave streaks down your fenders. Take your Dawn mixture and an old wash mit and clean your engine compartment from the inside of the hood down. You may need and small soft brush to get into tight spots. The dish soap is a degreaser and will get the grime off. Rinse off your motor with your water hose. You'll notice you won't need high pressure to rinse it either. You should only need the super clean 1st time when you wash the engine. It's only to loosen the built up stuff. I can let the engine just air dry and it'll look great.

Dasykopath · 01-27-2001, 12:01 AM

Go to the nearest Jiffy Lube, and buy a bottle of Steam Engine degreaser from them.I work at a Jiffy lube here in Houston, and I use that stuff on my engine and it works great. Use it just like the bottle says. After you spray it all on, get a brush and scrub it w/ soap and water, then hose it down. Spray it down w/ some Armor All or Black Magic, let it run a few minutes, then open it up and look at how great it looks.

Good Luck bro,
Justin

------------------
88 GT Droptop. Not sure about the heads, stocks shaved mebbe. Intake, stock, think there's some work. Flowtech headers, off road h-pipe, flows, 3.55 FoMo., aluminum driveshaft, C-4 trans. w/ B&M shifter, Ram air, and more on the way.

Mont · 01-27-2001, 02:46 AM

SOAP AND WATER

------------------
89 LX Supercharged DSS 357, 11 lbs Powerdyne, Downs Box intake, ported GT-40x heads, lockwired, Crane Cam 1.6 rockers, Crower cam, Oil cooler, Moroso oil evac kit, Taylor 10mm wires, MAC 70mm T/B, 30lb injectors, Vortech fuel rails, Pro M 75mm Mass air, Vortech T-Rex Fuel pump, 255lph intank pump, K&N, Cobra R radiator MSD6-BTM, Lakewood bellhousing, Tremec Trans, Pro 5.0 shifter, MAC headers and X-pipe, Dynomax race mufflers. Dyno at 556hp to the wheels.

Rick 91GT · 01-27-2001, 07:51 AM

Well I use Simple Green Automotive formula, that worked better for me then the Castrol but they are both good products. I take plastic bags and cover the distributer and coil area don't spray that stuff directly on the alternator or electronic stufff either, tps either, and then I spray it on a cool motor, never do it when it's hot, I scrub with a scrub brush or scotch brite pad on all the heavy deposits if any, then wash it off with the hose, I would do like the other guys said put some soapy water on your fenders so the cleaner doesn't strip the wax off the car. After you rinse if you have a air compressor take it and use that to dry/ blow the motor off and then use the standard Auto products to shine it up, Armor All, Formula 2001, etc... Then as long as you get spraying it off with water every once in a while it will stay clean.

------------------
My Ride Check Out My Site 91GT, Holley SysteMAX II Kit-Heads 2.02" x 1.60",Full MAC exhaust 1-5/8" Long tubes, 2-1/2" O.R H-Pipe, 2 1/2" cat back, 12" K&N Filter, RNH PERFORMANCE Ram Air, Ron Davis Radiator, Full Suspension,3:73's, Welds, Best on new motor-12.60 @ 108, no traction 1.98

[This message has been edited by Rick 91GT (edited 01-27-2001).]

rj_stang · 01-27-2001, 02:55 PM

Gunk works well too.

01-22-2001, 12:28 PM	#1
QuantumMotorsports Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Norman, Oklahoma, USA Posts: 597	How 2 Clean this dirty engine compartment Anyone have any quick and easy ideas to get my engine compartment clean. I just want it to look nice, not sparkly or anything, but not dirty. I figured I'd do a before and after pic too. Here's the before. Any ideas? Thanks you guys. ------------------ Michael Black Quantum Motorsports Norman, Oklahoma 1988 Merc Cougar 5.0 HO, P&Ped heads, 2.25" custom mandrel bent dual pipes, T5 five speed tranny 15.43 @ 91.08mph (not shabby for a 3600 pound car) 60' 2.453 Street tires suck!!!

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01-22-2001, 04:15 PM	#2
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Find a drive in, drive out do it yourself high pressure car wash. Blast the engine compartment, although you'll have to be careful since you don't have the distributor cover. Just set her to high pressure soap and blast everything, don't be afraid to stick it in under the intake plenum and clean that stuff out either. Rinse if you like, your engine compartment will take all of 5 minutes, it'll look nice and clean, and it'd be an excellent start to really detailing it if you so choose.

01-26-2001, 10:29 PM	#3
pro88 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: roseburg, oregon Posts: 87	The way I clean my engine bay is: Get some Castrol Super Clean and dilute it 5:1. Go get some Dawn dishwashing liquid and get your 5 gal. bucket good and sudsy. Now soap up your fenders and front end as well as the top of the hood. Spray your super clean all over the inside of your engine bay. Don't let your front end and hood dry though. The reason why you want to soap up your fender is so the super clean doesn't leave streaks down your fenders. Take your Dawn mixture and an old wash mit and clean your engine compartment from the inside of the hood down. You may need and small soft brush to get into tight spots. The dish soap is a degreaser and will get the grime off. Rinse off your motor with your water hose. You'll notice you won't need high pressure to rinse it either. You should only need the super clean 1st time when you wash the engine. It's only to loosen the built up stuff. I can let the engine just air dry and it'll look great.

01-27-2001, 12:01 AM	#4
Dasykopath Registered Member Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 6	Go to the nearest Jiffy Lube, and buy a bottle of Steam Engine degreaser from them.I work at a Jiffy lube here in Houston, and I use that stuff on my engine and it works great. Use it just like the bottle says. After you spray it all on, get a brush and scrub it w/ soap and water, then hose it down. Spray it down w/ some Armor All or Black Magic, let it run a few minutes, then open it up and look at how great it looks. Good Luck bro, Justin ------------------ 88 GT Droptop. Not sure about the heads, stocks shaved mebbe. Intake, stock, think there's some work. Flowtech headers, off road h-pipe, flows, 3.55 FoMo., aluminum driveshaft, C-4 trans. w/ B&M shifter, Ram air, and more on the way.

01-27-2001, 02:46 AM	#5
Mont Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bountiful, UT Posts: 91	SOAP AND WATER ------------------ 89 LX Supercharged DSS 357, 11 lbs Powerdyne, Downs Box intake, ported GT-40x heads, lockwired, Crane Cam 1.6 rockers, Crower cam, Oil cooler, Moroso oil evac kit, Taylor 10mm wires, MAC 70mm T/B, 30lb injectors, Vortech fuel rails, Pro M 75mm Mass air, Vortech T-Rex Fuel pump, 255lph intank pump, K&N, Cobra R radiator MSD6-BTM, Lakewood bellhousing, Tremec Trans, Pro 5.0 shifter, MAC headers and X-pipe, Dynomax race mufflers. Dyno at 556hp to the wheels.

01-27-2001, 07:51 AM	#6
Rick 91GT Procharged! Join Date: May 1999 Location: Hanover, PA Posts: 1,539	Well I use Simple Green Automotive formula, that worked better for me then the Castrol but they are both good products. I take plastic bags and cover the distributer and coil area don't spray that stuff directly on the alternator or electronic stufff either, tps either, and then I spray it on a cool motor, never do it when it's hot, I scrub with a scrub brush or scotch brite pad on all the heavy deposits if any, then wash it off with the hose, I would do like the other guys said put some soapy water on your fenders so the cleaner doesn't strip the wax off the car. After you rinse if you have a air compressor take it and use that to dry/ blow the motor off and then use the standard Auto products to shine it up, Armor All, Formula 2001, etc... Then as long as you get spraying it off with water every once in a while it will stay clean. ------------------ My Ride Check Out My Site 91GT, Holley SysteMAX II Kit-Heads 2.02" x 1.60",Full MAC exhaust 1-5/8" Long tubes, 2-1/2" O.R H-Pipe, 2 1/2" cat back, 12" K&N Filter, RNH PERFORMANCE Ram Air, Ron Davis Radiator, Full Suspension,3:73's, Welds, Best on new motor-12.60 @ 108, no traction 1.98 [This message has been edited by Rick 91GT (edited 01-27-2001).]

01-27-2001, 02:55 PM	#7
rj_stang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Villa Park, IL Posts: 36	Gunk works well too.