Cleaning the Engine Compartment Bay NEED HELP>>

[Jeff02GAGT]

I'm thinking about cleaning the engine bay on my 2004 WRX Imprezza STI. I stopped into Autozone today to ask them about Engine Degreasers. The guy there that I usually deal with recommended a product called "SIMPLE GREEN". He said it works really well, and is non abrasive... Therefore if some lands on the paint, it won't ruin the clear coat and chip paint, etc. Is this stuff pretty non abrasive like it says and won't cause any harm to the paint if any overspray occurs? Also, where exactly do I want to spray this stuff on the engine? Also, do you spray a lot, or just a little? And lastly, where do I want to spray the water? I know people say that you want to avoid things like the alternator/spark plugs, but how is that really possible if you're going to power wash it? I was thinking about maybe using my garden hose instead, but I honestly DON'T have ANY CLUE what to use, or how to do it. If anyone could shed a little light on this for me, it would be great!

Thanks,
Jeff

[wolfdogs]

i clean mine using toothbrushes and small amounts of simple green placed sparsely and cleaned off imediately. there are too many electrical connections under there that all it would take is a drop of water and zap...............

sure..its time consuming.........but so's a breakdown.

[JeffY]

The way we used to clean the cars at SLp was to spray the engine compartment with a spray bottle of Simple Green to whatever was dirty per the directions on the bottle, or just use a regular bottle of SG that you buy, scrub parts that were really dirty with a soft brush and then just spray with a hose. All of the connections are sealed with weather-tight connectors - its expected that cars are driven in the rain, despite what most F-car owners think!

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Just don't spray near the OPTI (93-97). Oh wait, you're not talking F-body. Nevermind

Speaking of driving in the rain, back in the spring, it rained like every day in Atlanta. I went through a puddle that I believe got the OPTI wet. It spuddered for about 5 miles after that.

[Injuneer]

Just curious.... how did the engine in a 2004 model get dirty enough to require cleaning? Does it leak a lot of oil? Was it dirty when it came from the factory? Seems odd????

If it is just "dust", blow it off with a gentle air spray from a compressor. Then use a clean, dry rag to wipe away anything sticky. Finally, use a metal polish on all "bright" or smooth metal surfaces, and also polish any painted finished. That will limit the future accumulation of dirt.

I would avoid large quantities of water, or any sort of pressure washing. One drop of water in a critical harness connector or sensor, and the corrosion can cause big problems. For problem "greasy" areas, "brake cleaner" works well, because it does not leave any sort of oily residue.

[JeffY]

Oops-jusr reread the ? - not F-car. Don't know what kind of weather packs they use - Injumeer is right - becareful of any high pressure water.

[wolfdogs]

Originally posted by JeffY
The way we used to clean the cars at SLp was to spray the engine compartment with a spray bottle of Simple Green to whatever was dirty per the directions on the bottle, or just use a regular bottle of SG that you buy, scrub parts that were really dirty with a soft brush and then just spray with a hose. All of the connections are sealed with weather-tight connectors - its expected that cars are driven in the rain, despite what most F-car owners think!

yes..but there is stuff under that that is not happy about "forced spray" water........... i know a certain compta owner that had major probs because of that......and its not me......

[JeffY]

We never used any pressure - there wasn't any nozzle on the end of the hose - just the plain stream of water - and we only did LS1's, not those flimsy LT1's!!





D&R....

[wolfdogs]

Originally posted by JeffY
We never used any pressure - there wasn't any nozzle on the end of the hose - just the plain stream of water - and we only did LS1's, not those flimsy LT1's!!





D&R....

im sure you did ls1's!!! they are nothing but a pump anyway......... the way its been raining lately..i might install one in my basement for a sump pump................



only trouble is... its uglier than my sump pump i have now........



hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[00 Ragtop Z]

each time this comes up, I add my $.02 worth. I have had a 92 RS for 8 years (184,000 miles now) and my 2000 Z-28 (53,000 miles) and I have always used teh engine cleaner and high pressure spray at the local car wash. I know, I know, certain models of f-bodies you take a big risk doing this, but I have only had a problem one time and that was when I had a cracked distributor cap on teh 92 RS.

I think if you use common sense and don't try to drown the alternator or specific electircal components, you will have few problems with most of teh newer cars. And, I have had many commetns about how clean the engine compartmetn is form lookers and mechanics alike for both cars.

No warranty offered however. hahaha

[Jeff02GAGT]

Well guys >>

I sprayed down the Engine Compartment of my 04 Subaru Imprezza WRX STI. I only have about 5,000 miles on it.. THe reason why I cleaned the bay is because it was starting to get a little dirty. I wanted to make the engine bay look brand new. Anyways, what I did was goto Autozone, buy some simple green and some "Engine Detailer Spray" I sprayed the simple green on, let it sit, then power washed the engine bay. I was careful around the Alt/sparkplugs, and turbo area. I then let it dry and sprayed a crap load of the engine detailer spray on the hoses, compartment, plastic pieces etc. Engine bay looks great, everything runs great and most of all, I'm still BOOSTING BIG TIME Thanks for all your comments!

Jeff

[Joe 1320]

That engine detailer spray is what I use. Awesome results. It used to be available in a two step form, a degreaser and the detailer. They have recently done away with the degreaser portion. Glad that stuff is still on the market. It works wonders on older cars too.

[SS_CarGuy]

This is the way I have always cleaned my engine and the engine compartment.

If your engine is just dusty, use compressed air and blow it clean. If it's dirty, use simple green and just a garden hose. Spray the simple green on the engine (either a warm or cold engine, but never a hot engine). If you have an especially dirty area, use a rag or small brush to scrub it down. Avoid directly spraying water near electrical components as much as possible. There never is a good reason to use a pressure washer unless your engine is CAKED with grime. You are just asking for trouble with a pressure washer unless you know what you are doing. After you have finished washing, use compressed air to blow as much of the water off the engine and surrounding areas as possible. Then just towel dry the rest. Start the engine and let it run until hot. That will dry off the rest of the block.