How to clean? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

curt · 11-04-2003, 20:39

Ok my engine and its bay is looking pretty greazy and dirty at the moment and I was just wondering the best way to clean it...

What are the exact steps to go through, is it ok just to hose down your engine, what about all those electricals??? Do you spary it with degreaser first???

Help me please...

juarez · 11-04-2003, 21:44

My friends girlfriends dad uses steam to clean the bay out, but I think he charges a fair bit to clean your engine bay.. you could always try to borrow one of those cheaper ones from a friend or something - might not have enough pressure behind the steam to remove all the oil/dirt though.

Then theres de-greaser, petrol, boiling water and some old rags. But you probably dont want to leave excess liquid sitting around on some of the electricals - I know they're all (sort've) insulated, but still not a good idea.

theman · 11-04-2003, 22:05

Try some ovan cleaner to get rid of the grease and shit from the bay area (afterall it does get rid of grease from ovans). Try doing it when the donk is cold and hasnt been driven, and its not good to just wack a hose under their and just water everything willy nilly, clean shit which only needs to be.

89F150 · 11-04-2003, 22:16

Has any one heard of simple green? can you get it here in Australia? Ive heard most people recommend simple green in the US but i havnt seen it here.

cArSiK · 11-04-2003, 23:17

i just put a plactic bag over the dizzy , coat the entire engine in degreser , leave for 5 mins and rinse off with a hose. MAKE SURE ENGINE IS COLD or you will crack your cam cover.dry the engine with a towel and apply silicone spray to the rocker cover and all plactic bits rub autosol on the fule rail.....should look good!

EA falcon man · 11-05-2003, 02:22

just use a strong degreaser, be careful not to get it on the paintwork or it might harm it. ur better off not using a pressure cleaner as it can force water into places you dont want it. if you cant get any strong stuff, just use that $2 a can stuff or kero and a paint brush.

XplodEd EA · 11-05-2003, 02:57

You dont need to use a strong degreaser, I just use whatever supercheap has goin cheap, your less likely to damage your paintwork and get funny looken ugly marks in the alloy components on the engine

Just spray it on, usually the high pressure of it will remove all the grease and grime, if your really fussy you cant get an old paintbrush, rinse the degreaser off really well otherwise it will stink for ages. It doesnt matter too much if you get water everywhere (except around the battery) just as long as you give it sufficient time for the water to evaporate before you start the car again. Alternatively if you have an air compressor you can just blow dry the engine bay.

Using pressure cleaners isnt a bad thing either, you go to any detailing service and guaranteed it's what they use to clean engine bays, unless they got a steam cleaner, which in my opinion is worse than water, the heat created by the things surely cant be good for components and sensors around the engine.

old_mate · 11-05-2003, 04:27

I use degreaser on all the really dirty stuff, and normal carwash on all the other parts, but im REALLY fussy when I do it (like, i go nuts cleaning everything) when I get a chance im going to smooth the intake and fuel rail and polish them so it all looks really nice under there (will need a coolant tank too)

But anyway, here is my EL's bay

http://www.fordgallery.com/showphoto...cat=500&page=1

Aaron_EF8 · 11-05-2003, 11:46

I normally buy a tin or 2 of that $2 desgreaser Super cheap sell, then go to a self-serve carwash, wash my car, then do the engine, gives it a bit of time to cool down. Spray the degreaser over everything (go troppo with it, it's $2 a tin) let it sit for a few mins, then spray it over everything, i've sprayed the dizzy, injector rails, coil, thermos, ABS stuff and it all stayed fine.

YOOT · 11-05-2003, 14:19

Yeah don't stress about the electrics, they get wet when you drive around in the rain. Just don't hit em hard and close with a gerny.

I use cheap degreaser on mine and covered mainly the block, power steering, intake manifold, head and rocker cover.

Sprayed it off with the gerny from a distance (80% less water this way).

Then I went of the black plastic and hoses with somethign to make them appear newer.

Video of clean engine idling