I've never cleaned a car engine before, and I can pretty much figure out what I need to do as far as cleaning my WRX engine, but need some peace of mind.

I'll be putting baggies over the intake, filters, battery, caps, etc., and I'll be using a citrus-based degreaser, and low-pressure hose.

What other precautions are necessary (if any), with the turbo, intercooler, etc.?

Any other tips on cleaning an engine?
What about using a silicone spray afterward on the cables and hinges? Should I fully disconnect the battery?

Originally posted by simwahWRX
I've never cleaned a car engine before, and I can pretty much figure out what I need to do as far as cleaning my WRX engine, but need some peace of mind.

I'll be putting baggies over the intake, filters, battery, caps, etc., and I'll be using a citrus-based degreaser, and low-pressure hose.

What other precautions are necessary (if any), with the turbo, intercooler, etc.?

Any other tips on cleaning an engine?
What about using a silicone spray afterward on the cables and hinges? Should I fully disconnect the battery?

Peace of mind you may want to cover the alternator as well....... you don't HAVE to do this....... but I know I would if/when I do clean my engine. Also, MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS COLD. No sense in having a cracked, yet pretty engine/block.

Turbo is fine, Intercooler is made to get wet. If you have a Atmosphere BOV, you may want to cover up the opening. The battery I believe can be left connected.

Blue

Never work under the hood with the battery connected. Your chanes of shorting the battery with water may be slim, but why take the chance to save 30 secs unhooking the neg terminal?

FWIW, P21S Total Auto Wash is the best thing I've found for removing anything from bugs to grease that is completely clear coat safe (used by BMW and Mercedes).

VV

Originally posted by BlueDemon


Peace of mind you may want to cover the alternator as well....... you don't HAVE to do this....... but I know I would if/when I do clean my engine. Also, MAKE SURE THE ENGINE IS COLD. No sense in having a cracked, yet pretty engine/block.

Turbo is fine, Intercooler is made to get wet. If you have a Atmosphere BOV, you may want to cover up the opening. The battery I believe can be left connected.

Blue

I've done a search on this. Apparently you really don't need to cover ANYTHING under the hood. Water splashes into the engine bay whenever you go through puddles, the water enters the hood scoop as well.

Do a search, you'll find the same info... and pics too.

MSD

Look on the directions of the bottle you get. Most of them tell you things need to be covered. Mostly the electrical stuff.

The pressure and amount of water you would be using cannot compare to typical splashing from wet roads with the hood closed.

Originally posted by sleeperrex
Look on the directions of the bottle you get. Most of them tell you things need to be covered. Mostly the electrical stuff.

The pressure and amount of water you would be using cannot compare to typical splashing from wet roads with the hood closed.

Yes, this is true. And as has been stated before, what's the harm in covering a few things, and disconnecting the neg. battery?

Blue

using low pressure on the hose is a wise idea too, those aluminum fins on the intercooler are easy to bend.

High pressure is a no no. Get some Simple Green and use the hose nozzle to make a "mist" to get things wet. Then, use a shop rag to wipe the grease away with some Simple Green. Finish up by using the hose w/o the sprayer and allow the water to dribble away the dirty water. Dry what you can with a towel and let the engine dry for a while before you go out driving- water on the pulleys may make the belts squeak but it'll go away. Lastly, avoid Armor All- it can attract dust,etc. And if you must use Armor All, use a rag to apply it and only on parts you know won't be bothered by a little slippery stuff. I've been detailing cars for almost 15 years and never had a problem with this method. Battery disconnect is not necessary- remember, you're not soaking the engine bay, just misting it and hosing it off.

Every time I wash my TS I clean the motor. I spray it with water first, spray on a lot of 409 and let sit. I wash the rest of the car and go back and rinse the motor. I don't disconnect or cover anything. Do you disconnect the battery when it rains? Try stopping after a heavy rain and pop the hood, see how wet everything is.

IMO, it isn't the water that makes me say to disconnect the battery...it the simple fact you are under the hood of your car. Anything metal you have on, or use to clean with, can short the battery. Have you ever seen someone get popped? Didn't think so. Otherwise you would say to disconnect it... Common? no Big PITA when it does? YES

VV

Originally posted by STEALTHBMBR
Every time I wash my TS I clean the motor. I spray it with water first, spray on a lot of 409 and let sit. I wash the rest of the car and go back and rinse the motor. I don't disconnect or cover anything. Do you disconnect the battery when it rains? Try stopping after a heavy rain and pop the hood, see how wet everything is.

"popped"?

Grip a wrench tightly and lay it across the terminals. Same effect if you ground it (or a hot power line) in any way.

VV

P.S. When I was in high school I watched my dad catch a terminal with his watch band while wrenching a bolt. He now has a quarter sized scar on his wrist that took 4 months or more to heal. It is amps that will get you, not volts...the most touted feature of a car battery.

Originally posted by jedimaster71472
"popped"?

Gotcha- fried an alternator that way once.

Originally posted by VetteVert
IMO, it isn't the water that makes me say to disconnect the battery...it the simple fact you are under the hood of your car. Anything metal you have on, or use to clean with, can short the battery. Have you ever seen someone get popped? Didn't think so. Otherwise you would say to disconnect it... Common? no Big PITA when it does? YES

VV



Yes I have. I work on cars for a living. I install auto glass during the day and build and work on racecars at night. I wouldn't disconnect it to clean it unless you need to scrub and wipe stuff down. The biggest problem is rings and watches. Nothing like a red, glowing wedding ring. I NEVER lay anything on a battery when I work on a car, but accidents do happen. As for cleaning it, how dirty can it be? For degreasing a leaking ass motor, I use easy off oven cleaner with NO lye.(blue can) Spray it on a cold motor and let it sit overnight. Spray down with a garden hose the next day and presto, even the crudiest engine will be clean again. But beware of paint on cast iron blocks. It has a tendency to remove it if it is old and flaking.