was wondering what you guys use to clean up the engine bay? and what steps do you take to do it. i recently had the car painted and hate to get something on the paint.....

 

I purchased a 2000 mustang for my daughter. (I know its a ford) But it was the original owner mint cond, and cheap! The engine compartment was never cleaned and it was filthy. I had some stuff I bought from the dollar store=called "awesome" I sprayed the whole compartment in the driveway. Let it sit a GOOD 15 minutes then sprayed off with the hose. The motor and everything else looked like it just came from the factory!! There were stickers on the valve covers that I didn't even know was there, The heads came out shiny as anything. Didn't hurt the paint, and when I hosed it off the driveway, it cleaned that too! For a buck it's worth it. I now use it on everything. Stains in carpet come right out, Cleaned the front door of the house, It works great!!

 

simple green or tornado and a pressure washer or garden hose

careful with the tornado seems to like to eat laquer

 

You can add Gunk and elbow grease.

 

Simple Green and a toothbrush. I also have another spraybottle of regular water I use to spray the simple green away from the tight or delicate areas so I'm not dousing the entire bay with a hose. Works good.

 

I have 2-1 gallon pump sprayers, a large bottle of Dawn dish detergent, and an assortment of brushes, my favorite being a twisted wire toilet brush. I can bend it to get into the grooves and crevasses around the engine bay.

Put a strong solution of Dawn and water in 1 bottle, and straight water in the other. Spray the area to be cleaned with soap as you are scrubbing it, then rinse the area clean with the water. Dawn neutralizes the grease and grime great and the water rinses it away.

If its gentle enough to clean the crude oil off of the animals from the Exxon and BP spills, it should be gentle enough for our Vetts.

 

SUPER CLEAN .....comes in a purple gallon jug from Wallyworld, autozone,orielly, etc.It will take the oil/grease/grime away in seconds. Mix 1/2 with water in garden sprayer. Let stand for 15 minutes then wash away with hose.
BEWARE- it will damage painted surfaces. I used a plastic sheet to cover the fenders,etc.
Also, dont get it in your eyes or on skin.

 

Sorry to say this...but you should have degreased the engine compartment, undercarriage, et al before getting the car painted. You can do it now, but you risk some paint damage unless you are very careful.

My choice was to get the undercarriage and engine compartment steam cleaned to remove all the accumulated grease, road grime, and 'gunk' from the car. Experienced steam cleaning operations know how to reduce their pressure around sensitive areas/wiring. But, it would not hurt to discuss that a bit with the actual worker doing the cleaning before he/she starts working on it.

If the car is not that grimy, Simple Green is less toxic, but SuperClean (Wal-Mart biodegradable cleaner) is more powerful. SuperClean should not be allowed to remain on soft metal (aluminum, zinc, copper, etc) bare metal for very long or it will start to 'eat' at it and turn it dark.

If it just needs a 'clean-up', you can go to a quarter-car wash and shoot some of their wheel/tire cleaner in the engine area, let it soak for a while, then rinse off with clear water pressure spray and, finally, a spot-free rinse.