FAQ: Degreasing Engine & Cleaning Under The Hood

Okay, so I've done a few mods to the Riv, spent over $2500.00 in the last 2 months or so....now that the car is running great, I need to save some money for my move back to Montana, then I can really devote myself to the engine...

In the mean time, I'm going to clean her up real good... inside, outside and engine bay....my question is, has any of you taken your car to one of those pull in car washes that have "engine degreaser" on the selector?

Do they work? Are they safe? Anything I need to do as prep before I wash down the engine bay? Why is the sky blue? What's that grey shit in an Etch-a-Sketch?
Can you drink that black shit in the middle of a magic 8-ball?....you can't? well fuck.

Me, I dont wash under the hood of these type vehicles unless I am going to sell the vehicle or unless there is a big mess from a oil leak or something that has to be cleaned up before the vehicle can be worked on...

For spot cleaning I use brake cleaner and a rag.

Too many electrical connections under the hood that dont like water.

My brother detailed vehicles for years. He would mix a commercial degreaser with some " Blue Streak" and use a siphon air gun to blow it under the hood and then use a hot water pressure washer to clean it off. Just dont get the pressure washer very close to the components.
You can buy a few cans of Gunk and hose it down, let it soak a few minutes and then rinse with the pressure washer. After your done drive the car for at least thirty minutes to dry and dry her out good.

My brother also introduced me to the concept of:
Race car spelled backwards is Race car.


Bert

so its a bad thing? okay....I'll just spot clean it like you said then cover with a couple of coats of varnish...

I'm sure lots of people here wash under the hood with no problem. I'm just skeered of wetting all that stuff unless I am going to be showing the car or selling it. Or unless it has had a oil leak or mud splashed up under there.

But on the other hand youse guys have a lot more nasty winters and weather up north which might contribute to needing to clean under there...

Down here, its not really needed.

Bert

I have cleaned my engine with the engine degreaser. I would avoid the alternator but the rest you can douse with water.

oldsman105 wrote:

I have cleaned my engine with the engine degreaser. I would avoid the alternator but the rest you can douse with water.

This works great for me:



I wouldn't use the high pressure at the car wash to spray under the hood for the most part though, I have a hand held wand that hooks to the hose and to my compressor so it isn't a real "high" pressure, just more than a standard hose.

It works for me:

yeah..my engine is pretty grimey in places....oil, salt, gunk, blood, small pieces of bones, hair...

wow....nice!....

so I can spray it down just don't go full metal jacket on it....thanks.

I also use the Gunk engine brite. Let it soak in for 15 minutes, then hose off with gentle water spray. I usually lose my gauges for a half-day after doing this FYI. Somewhere there is an unsealed connector, but everything still works.

The grey shit in an etch a sketch is iron filings, and it draws by dragging a magnetic tip around the static-charged surface. The sky is blue because that is the light frequency we see after the refraction of the sun's rays through the moisture in the atmosphere, and something else about color and crap. Red sky at night, sailor's delight! Red sky at morning, sailors take warning! It's really true, and has to do with barometric pressure and the amount of water in the air and some other crap.

Chicken wrote:

yeah..my engine is pretty grimey in places....oil, salt, gunk, blood, small pieces of bones, hair...

Have they found the mechanic who went missing after he worked on your car yet?

deekster_caddy wrote:

I also use the Gunk engine brite. Let it soak in for 15 minutes, then hose off with gentle water spray. I usually lose my gauges for a half-day after doing this FYI. Somewhere there is an unsealed connector, but everything still works.

The grey shit in an etch a sketch is iron filings, and it draws by dragging a magnetic tip around the static-charged surface. The sky is blue because that is the light frequency we see after the refraction of the sun's rays through the moisture in the atmosphere, and something else about color and crap. Red sky at night, sailor's delight! Red sky at morning, sailors take warning! It's really true, and has to do with barometric pressure and the amount of water in the air and some other crap.

I use this stuff too.I dont think real high pressure is needed or good for the electronic stuff. Thanks deekstercaddy for the other info, you're right and well informed.......

If you're moving to the northern part of Montana, feel free to come have a pint in Moose Jaw some Friday.

so that gunk stuff will make my engine bay look like the one in the pic?

Jason wrote:

If you're moving to the northern part of Montana, feel free to come have a pint in Moose Jaw some Friday.

I'm right below you....Glasgow, Montana

SuperRiv07 wrote:

so that gunk stuff will make my engine bay look like the one in the pic?

Well not exactly...there was some cleaning and scrubbing involved also!

ok kool but the gunk helps right

SuperRiv07 wrote:

ok kool but the gunk helps right

Yes, I used Gunk on this one, around two and a half cans, and a little bit of scrubbing, and this is the difference.

From: 1999 Silver Arrow #10... in the Showroom

99Rivman wrote:

Engine Compartment...BEFORE


Engine Compartment...AFTER

I've also had good luck with this product:



Sprayed on my valve covers and dip-stick, and they looked like new!

wow thats a big difference, Im definitly gonna have to invest in some

Hi all new to rivs but not doing my own work. Anyway, I have quite a few gaskets to replace and really want to decrease the engine and engine compartment before I start.Any info on how to go about that would be much appreciated as I'm I'm a little nervous about hitting it with a pressure washer. Any info would b great. Thanks in advance

Just cover up anything important with a plastic bag (alternator, harnesses, etc.). Then hit it with a light spray of water and degreaser. I actually just did mine this morning. It's easier if you do it on a hill, whatever water doesn't run off will run off if you turn the car around.

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated!!!

There is this stuff called Purple Power which i have found to do a great job. Better than gunk engine degreaser IMO.

Cool. I'll check it out. Gonna bring it by the carwash later today and give it a spray down.

I use Simple Green, less invasive than alot of other degresers

Do you guys in the colder climates spray clean your engine bays in the winter?

It's below freezing, but if I left the engine running, would it be safe to power wash the engine bay clean?