Cleaning Under the Hood

[Blazing_Firebird]

Ok, this isn't a big deal, but it's a little thing I would like to do to please myself.

One of my friend's dad who works at a auto store cleaned the underhood/engine area of my 97 Dodge Intrepid, and it was amazing. It sparkled, it shined, and it's STILL practically clean, even after a winter.

My Firebird's underhood area doesn't seem to have ever been cleaned.

I know he used water on it, and it took about 5 minutes tops, and I never had any problems.

How would I go about cleaning under the Firebird hood/engine area? I'm worried about the metal and electrical pieces, yet it never affected my Intrepid?

[hockeyman]

I always clean mine when the engine is cold. Although there are alot of members here that clean their engine when it's hot.
I spray water on it first, pour soap/water mixed in a 5 gal bucket all over the engine, wait about 5 or 10 minutes, then rinse. Leave the hood up after I'm done rinsing for approximately 5 minutes to drip-dry, then start engine and let it get up to operating temperature to steam-off at the excess (with the hood still up).
I pour soap/water everywhere and anywhere. Yes, I get it on the alternator too, but I rinse it thoroughly with water.

[pontiac nino]

Originally posted by hockeyman:
Yes, I get it on the alternator too, but I rinse it thoroughly with water.

Whoa! [img]graemlins/omg.gif[/img]

Eh sounds dangerous to me, maybe im just a chicken sh!t. Haven't you had problem from doing that before?

[916Topherv6]

anyone ever clean with a steam cleaner?

[Loochy88]

steamcleaners are the best, but if you cant do that just get out the degreaser and let it sit on everything dirty. then take the hose and just let it flow over everything. make sure you cover electric devices with a plastic bag. ive been doing this forever and ive never had a problem. most things on the car should be watersafe, but be weary of aftermarket electric devices.

[sac2165]

If your engine was'nt meant to get wet it would'nt be exposed to the road.

I have best luck when I use a rag or a sponge + soapy water & scrub everything I can get at. I rinse everything pretty good, trying not to water log the alternator or computer. Next dry & hit everything w/ detail spray.

If you clean it pretty good once, its relatively easy to maintain.

[hockeyman]

Originally posted by pontiac nino:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by hockeyman:
Yes, I get it on the alternator too, but I rinse it thoroughly with water.

Whoa! [img]graemlins/omg.gif[/img]

Eh sounds dangerous to me, maybe im just a chicken sh!t. Haven't you had problem from doing that before? </font>[/QUOTE]Strangely enough...no problems whatsoever. Still the original alt since feb of 97 when I got the car.

Lemme guess, now it's gonna burn out because I said it's still in great condition...CRAP!

[94PontV6]

Most of the those places clear coat your engine once they've cleaned them. To make them keep that shine that you're talkin about.

[F1GT]

I used a can from BlackMagic called cleaner and shiner, two in one kind of thing. Works Great!! [img]graemlins/rock.gif[/img]

[BIG8]

Originally posted by F1GT:
I used a can from BlackMagic called cleaner and shiner, two in one kind of thing. Works Great!! [img]graemlins/rock.gif[/img]

What ever you use stay away from the product that CD2 makes, yeah lets just say it very corrosive. This stuff above is what a few people I know are using and everytime I look under their hood everything looks so brand new still. I've also heard that if you use something like Simple Green (basic degreaser) a wet sponge like Sac2165 mentioned and rince and allow to drip dray and then idle to to allow the engine heatt to dry the rest as mentioned by Hockeyman and use of a simple tire shine would bring the engine bay alive. Just remeber it would look as good in comparison to how much work you put into it, have plenty rags and about 15-30 min of time ready. once you get the initial detail done, about every 2-3 car washes you'd have to just hose it good and reaply the shine if needed.

NO CD2 Engine Cleaner!!!! Very Bad

[ August 26, 2004, 04:36 AM: Message edited by: BIG8 ]

[916Topherv6]

Originally posted by Loochy88:
steamcleaners are the best, but if you cant do that just get out the degreaser and let it sit on everything dirty. then take the hose and just let it flow over everything. make sure you cover electric devices with a plastic bag. ive been doing this forever and ive never had a problem. most things on the car should be watersafe, but be weary of aftermarket electric devices.

is there a place i can buy a steam cleaner?

[hockeyman]

Originally posted by 916Topherv6:
is there a place i can buy a steam cleaner?

Target, info-mercials (all over the place on late night TV), K-Mart, Wallmart, etc.

[916Topherv6]

oh ok just didnt know if those would do the job, any idea on how much i might have to spend

[hockeyman]

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B00008J4C8

This is just an idea of what they cost. If you shop around a bit, you can (most likely) find them cheaper.

[Dan Vincent]

I use Greased Lightning degreaser, a wire brush (for the tuff stuff on cast iron) and lots of rags. After putting plastic bags over the coils and alternator, I spray the degreaser all over the engine. Once you soak the degreaser, rub it down real good (use a toothbrush to get into those crevices you can't get your rags into) and then rinse off the engine bay. Run the engine to heat it up, and after five minutes or running, turn it off and wait 10 minutes or so. Come back with a bottle of engine bay detailer or spritz-bottle tire shine (Black Magic works good) and spray the hoses (AVOID THE BELT) and black trim in the bay with it.

I did this last month and my bay is still looking as spiffy as when I did it. The underside might be a different story, though. ;)