Hi all,
I have 2006 C6 Z51 with 117K miles (all miles put by me) .Today I decided to do an engine wash for the first time.Was a little nervous about spraying water in the engine bay but decided to go ahead with as the weather here in Cali was quite warm.

Some of the items I had to get before getting started are as below.

Auto parts
Stalwart 75-HT4023B Ratchet, Metric Socket and Bit Set (23 Piece)
Dxg 8.2 Inch Nylon Tube Brush Set Cleaning Brush Set for Drinking Straws, Glasses, Keyboards, Jewelry Cleaning, Set of 10
Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (24-Pack)
Purple Power (4320P) Industrial Strength Cleaner and Degreaser - 1 Gallon
Meguiar's G15812 Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer - 12 oz.
Fitch & Harper – Automotive detail brushes for interior and exterior application, perfect for cleaning wheels and lug nuts, trim, leather, vents, and dashboard - set of 2
Before getting started couple of things that I had to keep in mind
1) The engine should not be very hot.Lightly warmed up engine should be fine.
2) Mix 50% purple power with 50% water in spray bottle.Do not spray this on any aluminium parts and body paint.
3)I covered the alternator ,fuse box ,area exposing air filter with plastic sheet (you could also use grocery bag to wrap around the parts) and engine covers to avoid issue with spark plugs..
3_Disconnect battery.

Once the above steps were completed I did light water spray.There was a coin car wash location near my house where I did the whole engine car wash thing there.

Subsequently lightly sprayed the purple power+water mix on area where there is grime and oil residue.I tried to avoid spraying this on aluminium parts and paint.Let it stay for few minutes and then hose it with light pressure water.I also used nylon tube brush set to clean hard to reach areas.

Then I wiped all the hoses, plastic areas and the hard to reach areas with microfiber cloth.I also removed the plastic sheets and wiped the areas like fuse cover,engine protector cover etc.The warm weather also helped as it was ~95 deg

Once it was completed I applied Meguiars black restorer using fitch and harper detail brush on all the plastic parts and hoses to give the shine.

Reconnect the battery.Started the car and no issues.

This complete process took about 1.5 hrs and it turned out ok (see the pics)

Before starting on this engine car wash process I also checked out the video below to get an idea on how this done the right way.

Just thought of detailing the process out here incase anyone else is thinking about doing it for the first time like me.

 

Nice job and great result.

My son lives in Fremont and told me how warm it has been. We use to live in Dublin 20 years ago.

Jim

 

Thanks Jim.It has been quite hot (110 deg) since the past week.Dublin/Pleasanton is always few deg warmer than Fremont.Hope your son is enjoying living in Fremont.

 

We are sweating it out down in FL and keeping on alert for new Hurricane.

y son is a 5th grade teacher in Fremont . He goes to lake Elizibeth for walks and really enjoys riding his mountain bike in Sunol area.

Jim

 

I hope you and your family in Florida are safe.Lake Elizabeth is a really nice spot.Used to go there all the time.