Engine Compartment Cleaning

[HlhnEast]

My '85 coupe was generally neglected under the hood and it is pretty dirty underneath. What is a good general all around spray on and pressure wash off for removing gunk from under the hood, wheel wells and the engine itself? What about shining it up afterwards? I know dealerships and detailers can make one look new and I would like to have it presentable for showing off after I put on my new polished valve covers and redo the plug wires, hoses and other smaller things. Any tips on the procedure? I dont have the Optispark distributor but I know to watch out for all electronics with the pressure wash. Thanks for any input!

[TOGWT]

Article number 85. Engine bay detailing – http://tinyurl.com/kp3jkk

[BarryK]

first of all I recommend NOT using pressure washes for the engine bay. The force will get water into things you don't want.

For engine bays, depending on how dirty they are I use either Megs APC+ cleaner or Megs Super Degreaser.
First thing I do it use aluminum foil to cover items like the alternator, fuseboxes, and other underhood items i want to keep water off of and protect. I than spray down everything under the hood completely with whatever cleaner I'm using, including inner fenders, frame rails, all hoses, etc, etc.
I use various sizes and types of brushes to agitate heavier, dirtier areas to loosen up dirt and grease and than let the cleaner sit 5-10 minutes to do it's job. Than using LOW pressure from a hose I rinse the entire area down and inspect it. If needed i'll go back into any needed areas a second time to get stubborn dirt/grease deposits but usually the first application of cleaner, waiting, and rinsing works completely.
I than use a leaf blower to blow all water out from the engine bay, and apply my choice of dressing.
I prefer Megs Hyper Dressing - I simply spray it on, close the hood, and walk away

Wheel wells are even easier. Spray with APC+ and let sit for a few minutes. Scrub them with a good brush to get all the dirt and grime off, rinse them down with water. They should be nice and clean now. spray with Megs Hyper Dressing and walk away

[Killrwheels@Autogeek]

I agree with above and the use of high pressure water.

1. Wipe down the engine with a highly diluted APC and a rag or two or three. I use Optimums PowerClean as great for many things.

2. Coat all painted parts with Klasse AIO which is a cleaner and protectant in one step.

3. Use Poorboys Trim Restorer on all hard plastic panels. Rebuff 10 minutes later to remove any additional product.

4. Dress all vacuum lines and rubber surrounds with 303 Protectant. Its water based and no silicones to attract more dirt and dust.

Wipe down weekly when washing with a quick detailer, you'll never have a need to do a complete cleaning again. (if you have dirt/dust in cracks use a can of compressed air or vacuum)

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