Yeah i need to clean it before i sell the car, for a better and cleaner engine visual. Do you guys have any clue on how to clean engines mine is all filled with gunk and crap i want to clean out. Is the any local shops that clean them? I have no clue, Steam Clean?

 

A full service detail should be able to do it. If you want to try it yourself, just use a mix of diluted Simple Green and a small amount of dishsoap. This should clean up just about anything in the engine bay. Don't use a direct spray of water to rinse it off though. Use a light mist if possible or a low pressure shower. Some people have suggested covering the distributor, spark plug holes, and other important wiring/electrical components to keep water away from them.

 

Get a big bottle of Simple Green (or the new Simple Green Automotive) and spray liberally all over (underside of hood, and all over the inside of the bay). This should be done when the engine is slightly warm........not hot, but not cold either. Wait for it to "work" then spray it off with a hose. Pay attention to where you are spraying, you don't want to shot the hose full power at the fuses, connections, etc. If you get some light water/mist on it, I don't worry about it, but don't shoot the spray directly at it. After it is all rinsed off, see what you are working with. If it is still dirty, you may need to follow this process again, or you may have to go at some of the really dirtly parts by hand (again with simple green).........once you are satisfied and the engine is rinsed off, turn the car on and let it run for a while to get rid of all the water. Then, you may choose to put something on the black rubber/plastic to clean it and make it look new again, but that is up to you.

I know there are other ways to do it, many of which may produce a minimally better result, but if you just want to clean it up to sell (no auto shows), this should serve your purpose just fine, and it will be a lot cheaper than a steam clean.

I have been doing it this way for years, and have had zero issues.

 

i heard that for older car you might want to keep the engine running while doing this whole process or else water will get in and the car won't start. i don't know if that's true or not. when i clean my 93 accord with this stuff call engine brite (i think) from autozone, it work great. and i do leave the car running when doing this.

 

id rather use engine brite than diluted simple green.

and actually id leave it off, would rather not have it start than shorting an electrical accessory

 

I did mine when it was off and pulled the battery, and wrapped the dist. alt. and fuse box.

 

i kind of cleaned my engine bay once. nothin serious, jus took a couple wet paper towels and cleaned the head, and the intake. looks good to me

 

I'd do what pnthr30 said because you'll get the best results if you just spend some time and just spray and wipe away. It's like getting your car washed. You could just go to a car wash and spend a few bucks to have it look ok or you could get it detailed and have it look awesome. Same is true with the engine bay. Spend some time and elbow "grease" then you'll be rewarded.

 

I learned a quick tip from a car dealer friend of mine regarding how to make your engine look awesome, for sale or otherwise... After you clean the engine compartment with the Simple Green, let it dry, then spray on TIRE DRESSING. Any kind will work fine... Just makes everything shiny and new looking... If you want to do a quick job, and don't have a lot of time to clean first, spray on the FOAMING TIRE CLEANER... Accomplishes the same overall effect, just not quite as well.

 

Here's my engine bay about a week after I cleaned it.

I havent been able to get the firewall clean, but I picked up some new cleaners to help me do the job. I used multi-purpose cleaner that we use with our pressure washer. I just put some in a bucket along with water, and used an old paint brush, nail brush, and other misc. bits to get in the small areas.