i have noticed that some of you fellas have some extremely clean engine compartments..... mine is nothing like that how do you do it!!!!!??????

 

I use Simple Green full strength.

I cover the battery terminals, then alt, and any other electrical stuff and then I spray away. It works really good and apparently is safe for the environment so it's a win win.

 

Simplegreen is not good for aluminum parts however, it's quite acidic.

 

Here's what i usually do when my engine bay starts getting crusty:

1. Let engine run a few minutes to warm everything up, then shut it off
2. Soak everything with Simple Green or GUNK Engine Bright Gel(if you have an open element air filter, i recommend tying a plastic bag over the filter, i never have covered the alternator or coil packs/distributor, never had a problem)
3. I take a small nylon brush & scrub everything down, usually doesn't take a lot of elbow grease in this stage
4. Now take a garden hose or pressure washer & spray everything off
5. The easiest way I've found for drying out the engine bay is using an air compressor, spray the water off everything, you don't want water spots on anything.
6. Now you should have a clean engine bay!

***For making everything look a little shinier under the hood, grab a can of foaming tire shine & spray anything plasic or rubber, then take a rag & wipe off the excess. (don't use wd-40 or similar products, they will make things shiny,but they attract dust,and usually aren't good for rubber components)***

 

I've also found that S-100 primarily used on motorcycle engines works extremely well, and it adds a protective coating too. It's expensive, but it works great !!

I didn't know that Simple Green wasn't good for aluminum? Are you sure about that?
I'm not saying that you're wrong, just curious. This is the first time I've ever heard that.

 

im looking at the bottle now and says HEAVY CLEANING : engines , tires , wheels , tools , grease and oil stains , carbon and graphite....says nothing about aluminum....and can be used on automotive surface.. clean bugs and tar maybe ?

 

I've got 2 bottles of Simple. One for full strength, and 1 diluted with water for 1/2 strength. I love the stuff.

 

Ya, I use it on a lot of stuff. Works great in the laundry to remove grease from clothes you had on while working on the truck. I also like this other stuff called Greased Lightning (I think that's what it is called). It is a non flamable engine degreaser. It works really good too.

 

i hate that stuff, i've used it before but i love the engine brite stuff, i think it works amazing

 

its kinda funny how many of these type of threads will pop up during the spring.. man i spend too much time on the net lol

anyway.. ive started to use the simple green a while ago and it does work REALLY well.. never used the engine brite gel tho.. might give it a shot..

i like to use armoral in a garden sprayer and spray everything down to give a nice shiney look.. it does attract dust and dirt more.. but nothign that another simplegreen treatment wont fix!