I almost have 6500 miles on my truck and noticing the engine bay is getting a little dirty. I'd like to clean it before I install my CAI any pointers or advice? I'm aware put a trash bag or plastic bag over the electronics, alternator, Distributoar Cap, and some other parts. Anything else I should make note of? Oh and I heard Simple Green was amazing for cleaning under the hood.

 

If you find a distributor cap, let me know

I just use a pressure washer with the lowest psi tip without covering anything up.

 

i have never covered anything up on my vehicles. just use low pressure at the car wash or water hose. I usually go to the hand car wash, spray down with the engine cleaner use the foaming brush some then rinse with the spot free. quick and easy.

 

I've always sprayed everything down with simple green, after a good soak i rinse off with a pressure washer/ low pressure..

 

Do what I do get your wife to handle the job, she just wipes down under the hood with a damp rag after drying the truck, Once in a while she will just wa**** down with the washmitt we use on the tires and wheel wells. LOL I am paraplegic, love playing that card when I can as a joke. I help her, I open the window and tell to hurry cuz its getting dark, or man it looks cold out there I can see you breath. She likes to do it since she drives it most of the time and well she pays for it too, we do but it comes out of her expense account for her business. I like that, then I don't have to pay, oh I pay the insurance.
New cars are sealed good don't go hosin' under there with the pressure washer on the hardest setting in fact a garden hose on mist is good enough unless its real dirty then pay some place 30 bucks to clean it the first time then just keep it clean when you wash it.
I am pissed now winter is here and unless we get a nice day I am gonna have topay someone towax my truck dam it. We got so busy kinda forgot that part.

 

here is what I found from a guy at the car wash a long time ago, you have to get the green bottle of Finish 2001, or what ever its called now, at Walmart or other places,(its like armor all but better, you can use armoer all ,I tried it) when you are in the bay at the car wash, shut off the engine ,spray LIBERLY that stuff all over the engine and hoses , start the engine and close the hood, let the engine get hot while you are washing the truck, pull over to the drying spot, and let it run, after about 10 minutes, stop the engine and look under the hood, I couldnt believe it when i first tried it, but maybe the steam and heat ,cause it to spread out and get in all the cracks and nooks, it looks great for me, I still do this on my 99, and people think I clean every part all the time.....it doesnt cost a lot, and people will ask you how you did it.

 

I spray mine with the garden hose with the shower setting on the sprayer and have had no issuse's, engine bay gets dusty here in Oklahoma.

 

i used BYPASS on my engines it works great(full strength) and is non corrosive
to all the componants and rinses clean but my garden hose is run from the hot water line on the house that helps a bit

 

I'll have to try one of these ideas. Unfortunately Houston is a dirty city and it didn't take long for my truck to get dirty under the hood. I'll have to figure a way to cover my CAI though. It doesn't have a top on it and I think water could pool in the box.

 

I've power sprayed lots of them (used to detail cars for a dealership), but when I saw how much visible/unshielded wiring and harnesses there was around the fuse box on my '09, I decided against it. Never seen anything quite as exposed looking as that. It may be perfectly fine, but it just makes me nervous. I'd cover up that electrical section before rinsing it down just to be safe. Couldn't hurt.