Detailing/Cleaning Engine Bay
 

All

I was browsing the Cosmetic Maintenance threads but couldnt find a topic on detailing/washing your engine bay for our FRS/BRZ's. If there is i apologize. Ive washed the engine bay of my 94 honda accord but was wondering:

1. if there is anyhting in specific that i need to cover for the FRS/BRZ?
2. what kind of product should i use post wash to preserve the hoses and any weather seals and rubber parts?

i plan on using simple green to spray down the engine bay, FYI.

how bad is it in there? not the biggest fan of simple green. I've found it can discolor some black plastics

if its gross you'll need some type of degreaser. saran wrap or zip loc bags or tin foil around any obvious electrical connections as well as the alternator and battery.

LOW PRESSURE rinse (you don't want water blasting into any of the electrical components), spray degreaser, agitate the tight areas (I like the daytona mini speed brush for engine work), car wash soap and sponge on the large areas, low pressure rinse, leaf blow it dry, then towel the remaining wet areas

thats the hard way. On a car less than a year old you could probably go with :

Diluted Optimum No Rinse (ONR) in a spray bottle. Spray it all over and wipe down anywhere you can reach with crappy microfiber towels that will never touch your paint again. I'd be less concerned about ziploc bags around the electrical stuff but to play it safe I'd still do it.

Using ONR is a much quicker and less messy way to get the job done. If you did this every month or two the cleanup is easy


for protecting the plastic and rubber under the hood, I like 303 aerospace protectant

It was raining in palo alto and there was this huge muddy pool of water on the off ramp and it was at night and I drove through it at probably 60mph, muddy water everywhere! Good thing no dents or chips! Whew! Just gave it a nice exterior wash day after, but the engine bay got all this mud residue. And mentally is getting to me haha.

Thanks for the input! Maybe some degreaser or just car wash soap in a spray bottle will do.

should make me a video of your process =D
Everyone should be wondering by now how to properly clean our engine bay without killing something off

I've been keeping mine up with simple green, no problems yet with discolouration but i will look into it. I have used Fantastik (yes the kitchen degreaser) in the past for grime clean up again with no adverse effects. Use at your own risk but I have never had an issue. Do sections at a time and be thorough, its worth it!

Agree 100%, also great for tires and interior trim as well. No greasy shine, just maintains a like-new finish and has great UV protection. I buy this stuff by the gallon, use it on all my cars and have for years.

If you look at the thread for the RX-7 detail it shows the detailer using an all purpose cleaner for the engine bay. Came out amazing. Plan on doing this once it gets warmer

Scrubbing Bubbles on everything (I didn't cover anything on my STI or RX300 when I had it) + wheel/tire bristle brush (not boars hair) + low pressure "shower" setting on hose.


Yes, Scrubbing Bubbles.

Simple green will oxidate any alum in the bay, other strong cleaners might do the same. you need to becareful of electronics. I personally like Optimum Power Clean, strong cleaner but pH neutral. My favorite dressing for engines is CD2 engine dressing, then 303. CD2 like to leave a dry surface that "shilacs" the plastics. Spray it on turn on the engine, run it for 15min while detailing the rest of the car, allow bay to cool, and wipe off excess. No oily residue and a damp towel in the future is all you really need.

Cheers,
GREG

Adams all purpose cleaner is good stuff.

^THIS

I'll use the all purpose cleaner in my engine bay if its beyond dirty. if i tjust needs a wipe down of dust and stuff ill use either the waterless wash or detail spray that adams has. To dress it ill use the Adams SVRT on the bigger plastic areas and the In & Out spray in the tighter spots i cant get to.

Not a fan of taking a hose to the engine bay...

Will have to do a write up the next time my engine bay is nasty..

Also a fan of Adam's APC! I would go with Adam's or Optimum Power Clean as stated above! When it comes to engine bays, common sense is key...if you don't think something should get wet, it probably shouldn't. If you keep up on maintenance then you shouldn't have to worry too much. I usually touch up my engine bay every other wash or so with some ONR diluted a detail spray. Only about once or twice a year do I really bother spending an hour or so cleaning and detailing the engine bay.

cleaning engine bay that has sand
 

Anyone have experience cleaning the engine bay that's covered in sand? Because it's sand, i can't just do the wipe down that some of you suggested, and i can't pressure wash the engine bay. What should i do? Also, I don't have a leaf blower or any sort of air blower. How do you recommend me drying it?

My area is having some construction for the past couple of month and i've been daily driven my car so the engine bay has a fair amount of sand. And today in Toronto there was huge wind so the 30km drive back home on the highway was like driving through sand storm.

Edit: i should mention that the engine bay is not greasy. It's only a 4 months old car. I just need to get rid of the sand. Can spray with normal car wash soap?

I just follow this !

[ame]http://youtu.be/JdHX_wPUKZI[/ame]