Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics Cleaning Engine

This is a question for all of you with spotless bays, how do you clean them so perfectly?? My main question is about pressure washing the engine, do you apply water directly into the bay, does this affect electrical components or engine parts?? If I were to hose down my engine would i risk ruining anything??

If you have an open filter, it would probably be a good idea to cover it with a pastic bag or something (I don't)... I just take the power washer, spray liberaly into the engine back to get off any dust or anything (avoid direct spray to the coil pack, Intake ETC..) then I take the brush and mop down the manifold. Spray everything again.. take a towel and dry everything off. You can use engine degreaser to get the REALLY BAD areas (highly adivsed) after that take some silcone tire spray (I use maguiars) and liberaly spray everything down, let it sit for a minute, wipe up any excess.... results, gorgeous.

Hope that helps

Kev

Another piece of advice I have for you is to not have the motor piping hot... just warm will do. As was stated before, don't get water in the intake, and do not pressure spray any electrical connections or components. For the electrical connections, I read somewhere that tin foil is good to mask these places to avoid accidentally hosing them down. These electrical connections are made to withstand water splashes, etc. but not a direct stream of water under pressure. This is why they have to be masked off but when they are unmasked you can clean them with a damp rag, etc.

Any other questions, consult this website:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/ende.html

and don't do it when it is particulary cold. The shop that did my clutch thought it was a nice thing to powerhose my engine bay down for me.... until I got into the car and it didn't start .. the water actually froze and didn't allow the car to start, we had to push it back in the bay and use heaters to thaw it out, I HATE THAT PLACE!!

What most wash bays and engine detail places do is turn up the burner on their pressure washer, then spray down the bay, and it basically steam cleans the engine bay. We did this on my mom's minivan and it looked brand new. HTH

One thing... keep the enigne clean. The more you clean the less you have to do next time.
I just use a hand towel with some (i forget what its called "2000", the green bottle) and hand clean the engine.

My bay was quite filthsome and I never knew what to do to clean it. Some local CEGers suggested some fomay engine cleaner stuff. I forget what it's called but it was in the wash/wax/cleaning section at Pep Boys. A couple bucks for a can, you spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash it off with a garden hose. It took care of the majority of the grunge that had built up for three years.

I use Simple Green to get the dirt off, then Tire Foam on everything and it looks great.

The foamy engine brite is great. I usually will apply it to a cold engine then drive it to the nearest carwash and hose it down while it is still running, then i spray it down with tire foam.