Engine bay cleaning

[eejay56]

I don't have a pressure washer so I need to clean the engine bay up the hard way, scrub brush and elbow grease. Any recommendations for cleaning products?

 

[Norton47]

Simple Green or ZEP garage floor degreaser. (Available at Home Depot). Both will work well on grease. You may want to try and wipe the areas down with a wax and degrease solvent like a painter would use before painting also. It helps remove grease stains and shouldn,t affect the paint. You of course will want to try it in an area out of sight to make sure. I sometimes use brake cleaner, I get mine from Tacoma Screw. But there are so many types that this can be risky in regards to affects on paint.

 

[NutmegCT]

Eric - are you doing this with engine in, or engine out?

If in, wrap aluminum foil tightly around all the things (distributor, etc.) you want to keep dry. Other than the top of the battery, of course .

Tom

 

[kodanja]

Purple cleaner works well with a tooth brush, but as said be careful not to get it on painted surfaces!

 

[eejay56]

The engine and tranny are out. I'm probably not going to paint just get things a little nicer in the nether regions.

 

[Don Elliott]

About 3 times a summer, usually the day before a TRA or VTR concours event, I pay my quarters in a self clean car wash and wash the car including everything in the engine compartment. I use the soapy product on everything and then the high pressure spray to rinse it off, I do everything except the top of the battery. I have never covered anything and it always started on the first shot. Except once when I found that the high pressure spray had blown the high tension cable out the top of my coil. Five seconds later, it started.

 

[NutmegCT]

Don - that is *fantastic*. Really looks excellent. Bravo.

Tom

 

[philman]

I use Harbor Freight's degreaser and a cheap garden sprayer.

 

[swift6]

I like Gunk's "Foamy Engine Cleaner". The foam lets it work on vertical surfaces (in this case your firewall etc...) instead of just running off and attacks the grease over a period of time beofre extra scrubbing and/or rinsing.

 

[71tr]

I've used simple denatured alcohol on a blue shop towel with good results.

 

[guzzul]

What does this stuff do to the driveway? I have an asphalt drive, and I've been reluctant to try any of these cleaners in case they dissolve the surface. SWMBO would be *very* upset.

 

[Jerseygirl]

I have used Griot's Garage's engine cleaner with good results on my MINI, with no adverse effects to my asphalt driveway.

 

[guzzul]

Thanks Robyn. I'll give it a try when the Spit is out of storage. Good to see you making progress again with Baldrick.

 

[Jerseygirl]

Thanks Ross. Hoping he'll be ready for the road in a couple weeks.