[Z06] Engine Cleaning
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 441
From: Arizona
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 454
Likes: 200
From: Chicago
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (stock)
C5 of Year Winner (stock) 2019
I put Saran wrap around the alternator, sprayed the engine with Simple Green, scrubbed a bit, and then hosed it off. It turned out pretty good.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,045
Likes: 275
From: Wichita Falls Texas
You probably will get a lot of sprayers and non-sprayers answering this.
I am a non-sprayer because of personal experience with electronic problems after spraying long ago.
I just take my time and use elbow grease.
My 03 vert was easy and once it's clean it doesn't take much to keep it that way.
Good luck!
I am a non-sprayer because of personal experience with electronic problems after spraying long ago.
I just take my time and use elbow grease.
My 03 vert was easy and once it's clean it doesn't take much to keep it that way.
Good luck!
Pro
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 611
Likes: 184
From: Atlanta GA
I put a plastic grocery back over the alternator, then use simple green and a hose. I like to use compressed air to get that water out of deep areas and out from the injectors and such. Then I close up the hood and let it run to burn any remaining water off 10-15 mins.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 441
From: Arizona
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 8,900
Likes: 1,074
From: Wisconsin
A friend of mine took his Corvette to a car wash and pressure cleaned the engine. It would not start and had to be towed to a dealership where they charged him $350 to find out what got wet and dried it.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
Take off the red fuel rail covers at a high pressure car wash... yes a coin operated high pressure car wash.
Leave the car running. Spray whatever engine degreaser you want and let it drool as long as it takes to get your quarters in the machine.
Blast the ************ with high pressure water, yes high pressure water anywhere you please as long as you please. Put high pressure soap, then high pressure rinse if you’d like. Doesn’t matter.
Put the red covers back on and drive home.
Not kidding. I’ve seen HUNDREDS of C5s and C6s blasted with high pressure steam before sale. Does zero harm.
If you're me with a fully polished engine, you don’t do any of that. Different plan.
Leave the car running. Spray whatever engine degreaser you want and let it drool as long as it takes to get your quarters in the machine.
Blast the ************ with high pressure water, yes high pressure water anywhere you please as long as you please. Put high pressure soap, then high pressure rinse if you’d like. Doesn’t matter.
Put the red covers back on and drive home.
Not kidding. I’ve seen HUNDREDS of C5s and C6s blasted with high pressure steam before sale. Does zero harm.
If you're me with a fully polished engine, you don’t do any of that. Different plan.
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,441
Likes: 2,186
From: Buffalo Texas
one draw back of hose or pressure is if you get near the front of the intake and put a lot of water and pressure there you can get water into the knock sensor cavities and eventually they can corrode and send codes ??? I do avoid those areas except on engines I have had apart to which I have sealed the caps for the sensors !!!!
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,685
Likes: 1,330
From: Machineguns, because I don’t compromise
one draw back of hose or pressure is if you get near the front of the intake and put a lot of water and pressure there you can get water into the knock sensor cavities and eventually they can corrode and send codes ??? I do avoid those areas except on engines I have had apart to which I have sealed the caps for the sensors !!!!
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,441
Likes: 2,186
From: Buffalo Texas
Engine heat will evaporate any water pooled in short order. Corrosion/crust builds up over time under poor conditions daily driven, but in all my time I’ve never heard of a knock sensor stop working due to corrosion externally. Usually when a knock sensor fails (very rare) it’s the sensor itself internally, probably caused by a combination of heat and vibration.
Last edited by Pounder; Jul 22, 2019 at 11:19 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 318
Likes: 29
This video was very helpful to me in my quest to detail engine bays, I hope you find it useful, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFzbOJL7LJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFzbOJL7LJU
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 2,470
Likes: 460
From: East Windsor NJ
