Engine Cleaning how to

[imprezaowner27]

How do you wash the engine? im pretty sure a pressure washer under there would hurt more than help

[Matt_H]

http://autopia.org/forum/guide-detai...detailing.html

[nightcrawler60]

Takes only a few minutes.


1. Make sure engine is cool
2. Spray Engine Gunk (if you have an intake cover it up)
3. Take a 10-15 minute cell phone brake or smoke a cigarette.
4. I did this at a car wash, select the spot free option rinse off. Don't use high pressure or else you interccoler fins will bend.
5. Start car and let sit for a few minutes.
6 Drive home and admire. I couldn't find it. But Engine Gunk makes a light sheen spray you can use after the engine has dried

[imprezaowner27]

cool thanks, no intercooler fins to worry about, im more worried about water+electrical

[MDBlackWRX]

cover up ur alternator if ur worried, but you shouldnt have any issue really

[shakur45]

I've used my pressure washer on the "car-wash" setting Not a super powerful spray but does the job.

[rodder]

umm yeah cover your alternator. Who knows, maybe it was just coincidence but I cleaned under my hood once and my alternator died the next day.

[WRB_in_my_veins]

I have pressure washed every single engine bay I've ever had...7 cars and counting. I've never experience any kind of problem.

Your best bet once cleaning it is keeping it clean. Then you don't need a pressure washer/car wash. A damp rag should take care of everything. I use a 1 gallon bucket and some Simple Green followed up with 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Originally Posted by nightcrawler60

Don't use high pressure or else you interccoler fins will bend.

Oh, and this^^^ is ridiculous. I have never bent my intercooler (or radiator fins for that matter) with a car wash pressure washer.

[jetskibucky]

Originally Posted by imprezaowner27

How do you wash the engine? im pretty sure a pressure washer under there would hurt more than help

I've pressure washed my engine 2 or 3 times with no issues. I must admit, at least one time, the turbo was hot enough to steam The only thing that did happen was one time, my check engine light came on immediately after. I just reset it with Cobb AP. The car is not that fragile

[tux2122]

Originally Posted by nightcrawler60

Takes only a few minutes.


1. Make sure engine is cool
2. Spray Engine Gunk (if you have an intake cover it up)
3. Take a 10-15 minute cell phone brake or smoke a cigarette.
4. I did this at a car wash, select the spot free option rinse off. Don't use high pressure or else you interccoler fins will bend.
5. Start car and let sit for a few minutes.
6 Drive home and admire. I couldn't find it. But Engine Gunk makes a light sheen spray you can use after the engine has dried

if you need to do it on the cheap, wal mart sells "Super Tech Engine degreaser" for like a buck a can. Same ingredients and stuff as most of the more expensive ones without the name brand. Does the job just as well I have found.

[2k2BlackWRX]

If you want to save more money, if you have simple green around just spray that all over.

Simple steps:

1. Wet engine down
2. Spray simple green LIBERALLY all over
3. Brush any parts that you can get to and look super dirty (hint, look up your hood usually looks like crap on the underside)
4. Spray the whole thing down with a pressure washer or water if you don't have one, you don't need to be super close, a broad spray will work well and get into the gaps well.
5. After drying use your favorite spray shine to shine up your engine. I have used stoners trim shine with success.

This was a while back, I havn't taken any new pictures:



Oh and I have never covered my alternator nor have I covered one ever at a detailing shop I worked at and we have done hundreds of cars over the years. Only 1 ever had a problem and it was a 190,000 mile lexus.

[wrx_dad]

Ditto to all ^.

I did this last night to my used legacy which I just purchased.

I went o AutoZone, got 1-can of gunk.

Took it to the car wash. Since the motor is suppose to be cool before applying. I just sprayed the motor down to cool it.

I then sprayed GUNK all over. I was little worried about using it around the spark plug area (it was fine started up w/ no issue. Unlike my Mazda6)

I then let it soak for about 7 minutes (it was cold outside )
Since my motor was hella dirty nasty. I used the degreaser option at the car wash to get double dosage. I then sprayed it off and WOO-LAA!!
Looks great. I then took it home, sparyed some Black magic shine (for plastic) and went downtown w/ the product on all the hoses and anything plasitc under the hood. Looks wonderful now.

[DerrickRH]

that "engine gunk" remover sure seems like a quick way to eat away at any exposed gaskets.

[eastcoastbumps]

Originally Posted by wrx_dad

... WOO-LAA!!

VOILA!! Its French for 'see there.'

[thunder_lizard_1976]

------I put some Simple Green MAX in a small garden sprayer.. and wet down the whole engine compartment..
Let it sit 10-15 minutes.. then hose off with a light but thorough spray from a garden hose.. blow dry with a leaf blower/ shop vac.. then towel off the details... looks like it just came off the showroom floor...

[dryvby]

Hood closed, apply wax to fender areas where hood meets fender on both sides and front bumper top, leave wax on. Open hood, cut otc degreaser 50:50 water, spray all over engine standing in front, move to passenger side spray everything, move to drivers side, spray everything. Soap and water and wash mit everything (you dont need to "baggie" up the alternator unless you plan to dump water on it continuosly.) With soap and water still on, use air tool to blow away suds to clean in between everything. Next pressure wash in same fashion degreaser was applied. Let dry, spray silicone dressing from a spray bottle in same fashion as degreasing application. Wipe down with air tool in hand to blow dressing into all spots. Close hood, wipe wax off, clean outside...Tits.

[dryvby]

2k2black is right, alternator will be fine even in direct contact with pressure washer.

[510ken]

A word of warning to everyone. When you wash down a dirty engine, you can get into trouble if the water used to hose down the engine goes into the storm drain and contains trace amounts of oil and grease. I once sprayed a can of GUNK on a dirty rear differential, before performing some repairs. A couple that lived down the street were out for an evening walk. They passed in front of my house and the vehicle was up on jack stands in my driveway. I had finished spraying the GUNK and was nearly finished hosing it down. 10 minutes later, the driveway was completely dry, and the local Fire Department was slowly moving down the street and stopped at my house. They told me that it was my lucky day. They were able to dam the gutter right before the water reached and went into the storm drain. They informed me that if the rinse water had gone into the storm drain, they would have collected a sample of the standing water in the gutter and issued me a situation for introducing a hazardous chemical into the storm drain system. They gave me a choice regarding clean up of the standing water in the gutter. They said we (Fire Department) could do the clean up. If the Fire Department did, the clean up I was going to have to pay for this service. The other option was they could take down my personal information and leave the clean up to me. I do not recall how much the Fire Department was going to charge but it was high. I chose to do the clean up myself. They collected my personal information and provided me with 5 or 6 40-lbs. bags of Absorb All. They instructed me to pour the Absorb All into the gutter from my house to the storm drain (approximately 600 feet). Then sweep out the gutter and remove the Absorb All. Place the now hazardous material into plastic garbage bags. When finished, return to the fire station and bring any unused Absorb All. I complied with his directions. When I arrived at the fire station and returned 1 bag of Absorb All, they then informed me that I needed to properly dispose of the hazardous chemical within 10 days or face receiving a citation. In addition, be sure to get a receipt form the disposal center and then return to the fire station with receipt in hand. Upon showing the proof of properly, disposing of the hazardous material the whole matter would then be put to rest.

So, be careful with the rinse water.

[Destined2race]

I own an automotive detail shop, and have done detailing for over 10 years.... Ive pressure washed over a 1000 engines...literally. The only ones ive EVER seen have any problems were old beater cars that got flooded out from probably having loose parts somewhere. That has happened to me probably 3 or 4 times out of a 1000. And your intercooler fins shouldnt bend unless your 2 inches away from them. Cover your open filter if have one and just give a quick check around the engine bay. We soak them with a degreaser and them blast them out with hi-pressure hot water. Youll be fine...

[ab0z]

Originally Posted by 510ken

So, be careful with the rinse water.

Definitely a concern, depending on the rules in your area.
You can minimize the environmental impact by using simple green, it is biodegradable.

[vecdran]

Don't think it's the cleaner that's the problem, but the contaminants it's removing from the engine...

[EsTeaEye]

When some people say cover the intake if you happen to have it. What do you cover it with? Just a simple Microfiber Rag? Or something along the lines of a bag? Thanks.

[ab0z]

Originally Posted by vecdran

Don't think it's the cleaner that's the problem, but the contaminants it's removing from the engine...

Good point.
The only solution is to keep your engine spotless so there is virtually nothing to clean off

[kike_ej20]

Originally Posted by Destined2race

I own an automotive detail shop, and have done detailing for over 10 years.... Ive pressure washed over a 1000 engines...literally. The only ones ive EVER seen have any problems were old beater cars that got flooded out from probably having loose parts somewhere. That has happened to me probably 3 or 4 times out of a 1000. And your intercooler fins shouldnt bend unless your 2 inches away from them. Cover your open filter if have one and just give a quick check around the engine bay. We soak them with a degreaser and them blast them out with hi-pressure hot water. Youll be fine...

Just making sure:

Is that with a cold engine? How long do you wait for it to cool down?
You dont cover anything,right?
What kind of degreaser do you use?
Do you use anything afterwards to keep the moisture away from the electrical system? like wd-40,silicone spray etc?

[Rodwrx23]

I cleaned my engine on Tuesday, got 2 CEL's on Wed. and cleared them, then I got 2 different ones last night and cleared them also. I'm sure it's just coincidence but I'm starting to wish I would have just left my engine dirty but happy.