How do you clean your engine bay? - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

LucidMomentum · 01-28-2015, 06:53 PM

Hey all,

This weekend I have a cars and coffee meetup and I want to finally give the engine bay a good clean beforehand.

I have a pressure washer and a variety of nozzles, but I'm not sure what I'd need to cover up if I decide to go that route.

Anyone have some advice or a guide on how to make the engine bay look new without messing things up?

chas3wba0 · 01-28-2015, 06:57 PM

Frequently. Then it never really needs cleaning ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LucidMomentum · 01-28-2015, 07:01 PM

My problem is that I drive in the oil fields so it picks up dust like no tomorrow. Which leads to me being too exhausted after weekly washes to want to do the interior or the engine bay.

I should clean it out more often, but I want to know if there are any good methods to deep clean the engine bay when I get lazy for a few weeks.

DAEMANO · 01-28-2015, 07:56 PM

Warm up engine for 5 minutes
Turn off engine
Blast engine with compressed air to remove light dirt
Spray on engine degreaser (do not spray electrical stuff)
Wait 3-5 minutes
Scrub lightly with paint brush (to get in the nooks)
Rinse parts with spray bottle full of H20
Repeat all over engine till sparkling

LucidMomentum · 01-28-2015, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

Warm up engine for 5 minutes
Turn off engine
Blast engine with compressed air to remove light dirt
Spray on engine degreaser (do not spray electrical stuff)
Wait 3-5 minutes
Scrub lightly with paint brush (to get in the nooks)
Rinse parts with spray bottle full of H20
Repeat all over engine till sparkling

Thank you! I never even considered the compressed air method.
I feel stupid now

Jolaessss · 01-28-2015, 08:24 PM

Thank you for asking this! I've been wanting to clean my engine bay for a while now

swarb · 01-28-2015, 09:23 PM

make sure it is engine degreaser and not stuff like "purple power" which is super strong and can damage paint/etc

WesleyG · 01-29-2015, 01:28 AM

When I wash the car, I open up, use a paintbrush for the dust, and then wipe up with the microfibre and a plastic treatment, then if needed I use meguires cleaner wax on the metal sections of the engine bay, It may seem overkill, But im like that, nothing beats the way peoples eyes go when they open the hood and the engine bay is spotless. IF you do this and not let the engine get too dirty, it negates the need to do pressure washed and engine washes etc.

WhiteFRS69 · 01-29-2015, 12:19 PM

Use Adams All Purpose cleaner with an Uber Detail Brush

i try to use very little water as possible

evan · 01-29-2015, 02:19 PM

Turn on the hose and bring out the dawn

tyrantcf · 01-29-2015, 02:25 PM

Simple Green is also your friend, I pretty much do the same as DAEMANO except I use simple green. Engine degreaser is powerful shit.

FRSTRM · 01-29-2015, 02:26 PM

I just pressure wash the damn thing.

LucidMomentum · 01-29-2015, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRSTRM

I just pressure wash the damn thing.

Anything I need to cover up / be concerned about if I do?

FRSTRM · 01-29-2015, 02:52 PM

I don't cover anything, but try not to overdo it on the battery, alternator, etc. (anything electrical). Do try to wipe everything down unless you want water spots. It probably would help to put a cloth and polish out some areas that may need some more attention.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LucidMomentum

Anything I need to cover up / be concerned about if I do?

01-28-2015, 06:53 PM	#1
LucidMomentum No Money, No Problems Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: 2015 Scion FR-S (Halo White) Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 901 Thanks: 740 Thanked 678 Times in 354 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	How do you clean your engine bay? Hey all, This weekend I have a cars and coffee meetup and I want to finally give the engine bay a good clean beforehand. I have a pressure washer and a variety of nozzles, but I'm not sure what I'd need to cover up if I decide to go that route. Anyone have some advice or a guide on how to make the engine bay look new without messing things up? __________________

01-28-2015, 06:57 PM	#2
chas3wba0 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Drives: Yes Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 1,053 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 813 Times in 407 Posts Mentioned: 5 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Frequently. Then it never really needs cleaning ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ __________________ "If thy pleaſure be in Underſteere, thou art Weird." - Distraxi

01-28-2015, 07:01 PM	#3
LucidMomentum No Money, No Problems Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: 2015 Scion FR-S (Halo White) Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 901 Thanks: 740 Thanked 678 Times in 354 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	My problem is that I drive in the oil fields so it picks up dust like no tomorrow. Which leads to me being too exhausted after weekly washes to want to do the interior or the engine bay. I should clean it out more often, but I want to know if there are any good methods to deep clean the engine bay when I get lazy for a few weeks. __________________

01-28-2015, 08:24 PM	#6
Jolaessss Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: SWP FR-S Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 620 Thanks: 346 Thanked 172 Times in 114 Posts Mentioned: 24 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Thank you for asking this! I've been wanting to clean my engine bay for a while now __________________

01-29-2015, 02:25 PM	#11
tyrantcf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Drives: '16 WRX, CBR1000RR Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 560 Thanks: 422 Thanked 369 Times in 213 Posts Mentioned: 18 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Simple Green is also your friend, I pretty much do the same as DAEMANO except I use simple green. Engine degreaser is powerful shit. __________________ Phantom ESC'd Build Thread (Retired):http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75293

01-28-2015, 09:23 PM	#7
swarb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Drives: BRZ Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,052 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,451 Times in 1,271 Posts Mentioned: 79 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	make sure it is engine degreaser and not stuff like "purple power" which is super strong and can damage paint/etc

01-29-2015, 12:19 PM	#9
WhiteFRS69 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Drives: 2014 Scion FRS Location: NNJ Posts: 2,289 Thanks: 1,808 Thanked 1,432 Times in 756 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Use Adams All Purpose cleaner with an Uber Detail Brush i try to use very little water as possible

01-29-2015, 02:19 PM	#10
evan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Drives: fr-s Location: pdx Posts: 546 Thanks: 396 Thanked 202 Times in 129 Posts Mentioned: 30 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Turn on the hose and bring out the dawn

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