Clean that greasy engine compartment!
Cleaning your engine makes it easier to work on, gives it higher resale, and keeps your engine looking and working like new!
Cleaning your engine has many benefits, and it only needs to be done about 3-4 times a year (every 3-4 months) to keep it looking really good. How do you clean it? Well, don't just dump water all over it, because it may not start for a while. You may even damage some parts of the car by just random spraying.
Before you spray anything under the hood, look closely at the car. Make sure the car is shut off and the key is not in the ON position! If there are any openings in the air intake or in other areas, be sure they are 100% sealed before continuing. The last thing you want is water to get into your engine somehow. It may never run again! Also, if you have a distributor or carbuerator, it's a REAL good idea to wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or something similar to keep them dry. Also, the engine should be warm, but not hot for optimal grease removal and cleaning.
First of all, wash the underside of the hood with soapy water (car wash soap) and a sponge. Also use this sponge to clean other painted metal under the hood such as fender wells, firewall, rain sills, and the top of your headlights and grill. Also wash the valve/cam cover. Rinse each part off after it's washed, since the heat of a warm engine can dry the soap on the painted surface. Also, wash plastic parts like the intake hose, air filter housing, and fan shroud with the soapy water.
Now use a heavy duty degreaser (as necessary) and spray down the block and headers. It will clean most of the grease, and you just hose it off a couple minutes later. Once the engine is degreased, clean any remaining parts with a cleaner like Formula 409 (or equivalent). Use this on things like spark plug wires, intakes, battery, etc.
Dry the engine as well as possible (painted surfaces and plastic parts, primarily). Use a rubber protectant (such as Tire Wet or Armor All) on all the rubber and platic under the hood (vacuum lines, wire looms, radiator hoses, etc. This makes them look good, but also keeps them from wearing excessively from the outside. Don't apply anything to the belts of the car though. Just rinse them off or wash them. Rubber protectants may make a belt slip.
For the cleanest engine, use the following list as a checklist, and make sure each part is cleaned. When you've checked off the entire list, your car should be ready for a show!
- Injection system
- Intake manifold
- Cam/valve cover and exhaust manifold
- Front and rear of engine block
- Engine mounts
- Alternator casing and bracket
- Air conditioning condensor, bracket, and lines
- Power steering pump, bracket, and lines
- Fan shroud
- Fan blades
- All wires, looms, and hoses
- Ignition leads, coil, and plug wires
- Distributor cap
- Master cylinder and clutch reservoir (if not automatic trans)
- ABS core box (if ABS brakes)
- Fuse box
- Battery
- Firewall
- Fender wells
- Underside of hood
- Shock towers and strut housings
- Radiator
- Top of head light and grill assembly
- Hood latch (just keep it greased!)
- Rain sills
- Front rain sill
- Thorough rinse and dry of engine