Cleaning the engine bay

[pauld]

HI guys,

I wondered what is the best way to protect the electrical areas of the engine bay when cleaning thoroughly. I have bought some engine degreaser and want to give the whole bay a good cleaning but I am concerned about getting the electrical items wet.

What have you guys done to protect during cleaning?



Thanks, Paul.

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

Hi Paul: Your question is an interesting one. I'm assuming you'll be power washing the compartment for best results. The way I've always done it is to cover the cridicial parts with plastic "baggies" & use rubber bands for a tight fit. I'd definately cover the distributor, coil & the air horn of the carb. As for the spark plug wires, don't worry about them getting wet. They're designed to get wet & if they're bad, getting 'em real wet will be a real good way to see if they are bad. As for the starter. No worries about getting that wet also. But don't concentrate on it too much unless it's really dirty & greasy. Same goes for the Alternator (cover that if possible). Also, if your using a aftermarket degreaser, such as "GUNK", be prepared to remove some of the original engine paints, as this sometimes happens. If you degrease while the motor's warm, it'll do a better job. Let the degraeser work (as the motor cools down) & don't spray the engine if it's "Hot": You could risk the possiblity of cracking things as the cooler water, when hitting hotter parts could do damage. After you wash the compartment, dry off as much of the electrical stuff as possible, wires & such. Remove the plastic around the carb, disttributor & coil & make sure they are dry. Then start the car & if it runs ruff, just let it run & it should smooth out. After a good cleaning, you'll now be ready to do some serious detailing. Good Luck!

Dave

 

[SwaveDave]

Daves explanation was pretty good. I would add : Disconnect your battery first then after your done with the water , allow the engine bay to drain and finish by blowing it dry with compressed air. Then reconnect your battery and start it up and run it for a while.

If youre going to use GUNK, be prepared for a white residue to be left behind...in most cases. Id only use GUNK if your engine bay is really thick with grease and crud. Otherwise, id use SIMPLE GREEN which is a milder degreaser that doesnt leave a residue. Whichever you use...id cover up your fenders, nose, and windshield .

After youre done, if you find youve blasted some paint away from any engine parts...prime them with high temp engine primer before starting the painting process of your engine bay.

Dave

 

[pauld]

Thanks guys, will be spending most of the weekend cleaning up the engine bay. Will take your advice and try and seal all those parts, was just really nervous about doing some real damage under there and causing problems, but it sounds like as long as i'm careful, things should be ok.

Thanks again.

 

[Peer81]

I've cleaned my enginebay, when the engine was hot!
Lifted it of the ground so i could walk under it. I've used a steamcleaner (80 degrees celcuis, and 150 bar of boost).
When the engine is hot and the water you use is also hot, the water will not enter (damage) any system but vaporise's almost on contact.

But i was lucky to use that machine if you don't have the change to do the same, the idea of Dave is the best was!
Everything clean is very nice to see!

Greets Peter.

 

[cruisin-davey-g]

I've cleaned my enginebay, when the engine was hot!
Lifted it of the ground so i could walk under it. I've used a steamcleaner (80 degrees celcuis, and 150 bar of boost).
When the engine is hot and the water you use is also hot, the water will not enter (damage) any system but vaporise's almost on contact.

But i was lucky to use that machine if you don't have the change to do the same, the idea of Dave is the best was!
Everything clean is very nice to see!

Greets Peter.

Hi Peter: Welcome to Hey, must be nice to have access to the "high-tech" stuff, but, I think we're talkin' "Quarter-Car-Wash" here. But, "Clean is Cool!"


Dave:

 

[Mike Carter]

be careful with some degreasers, the will discolor aluminum and remove paint, I use Dawn nad a pressure washer. Agrre with all the covering tips.

Mike