Chimbo

Man! i've seen some pics of some nice looking engines with the valve covers all polished and other parts looking so clean.

How would i go about cleaning my dirty engine bay to look like that??

I did a search but didnt find any relevant information on how to do it.

I want my engine bay looking so clean

Thanks

TheOtherDave™

I'm a fan of Gunk's "Foamy Engine Bright".

It's an aerosol can like WD-40, but as the name implies it produces a foam that lifts the road tar and other gorp.

Follow the instructions religiously. Be sure to waterproof your electrical connections, the fuse / relay box and most importantly, the spark plug cavities.

Moved to Detailing forum.

Detailed Image

First thing you want to do is warm up the engine slightly, this will aid in easier removal of grease and other contamination build up. Once it is warmed up, shut the engine off.

Next, cover all exposed electronics, intakes, and any other part that should not be flooded with water with aluminum foil. The reason for this is you can easily mold it around what you want to cover. (Just make sure you remember to remove it all before starting the engine again!)

Then you'll need a degreaser. We've had good luck with Poorboy's APC Bio-degradable degreaser and 303's Cleaner & Spot Remover or the more concentrated version 303 Fabric Cleaner (which you want to dillute according to what you plan on cleaning, usually 8:1 or 6:1 works well 303:water). Best thing about these products is that also work great as interior cleaners for carpets, vinyl, rubber, plastic and more. If you are looking for something locally, I'd probably suggest Simple Green. Wet the engine bay, including painted areas, to prep it for degreasing, then mist the degreaser starting from the bottom areas of the engine bay and working up to the top. Let the degreaser sit for a minute or two before proceeding to the next step.

Hose off the engine bay to remove the degreaser, this will remove a good deal of contamination and build up. To clean stubborn stains, take a rag or brush with the degreaser and attack an area specifically. When satisfied, remove the aluminum foil.

Start the car at this point to let the engine bay self dry. This will also ensure you did not screw anything up and you vehicle still turns over :naughty:.

Take a drying towel and blot dry remaining water. Next you will want to properly dress the engine bay. For the painted areas, treat it like your exterior paint. Feel free to polish, seal, wax, etc. We suggest using a water based vinyl & rubber dressing. Noticed I said water based, these are non-silicone products that do not attract dust, dirt and other contamination. Our favorite dressing is 303 Aerospace Protectant. Best thing about the Aerospace Protectant is that it doubles up as a perfect product for your dash and console areas, leaving you with a beautiful matte finish.

Others will suggest using a can of WD-40. The reason we do not suggest this is over time it can damage hoses, clamps, etc. (plastics and rubber).

Hope this helps, if you have any other questions about cleaning engine bays do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

George @ Detailed Image

H-Accord-22

can you like disconnect the battery terminals, and clean them, then leave it off a a long while to dry without covering up electrical components (well, except for the Distributor area of course).