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Engine bay cleaning
- Thread starter TTA984
- Start date
72firebird
Super Moderator
What extent are you wanting to go to?
To start get some Meguiars super degreaser
and dilute it to close to the heavy strength. Spray it on everything and use a parts cleaning brush similar to this one
to agitate the grease and grime off. Then hose it all of and dry what you can. Then for the plastic and rubber parts I have started using Meguiars Hyper Dressing diluted to it's weakest suggested on the bottle, or I've used Meguiars Natural Shine and liked that as well. If you're going to try cleaning your AC lines and other aluminum lines I normally use Mothers metal polish, if you want to polish them use a mixture of sandpaper and steel wool to get the finish you like. Use a heavy rubbing compound like Meguiars Professional Swirl Remover or something similar on the paint for any rust stains or yellowing, and then coat with wax of your choice.
If there's some more specific areas that you're looking to clean post up and ask, chances are Jim and I have cleaned them at some point.
Disclaimer: The alternator looks much better now than it did then.
To start get some Meguiars super degreaser
and dilute it to close to the heavy strength. Spray it on everything and use a parts cleaning brush similar to this one
to agitate the grease and grime off. Then hose it all of and dry what you can. Then for the plastic and rubber parts I have started using Meguiars Hyper Dressing diluted to it's weakest suggested on the bottle, or I've used Meguiars Natural Shine and liked that as well. If you're going to try cleaning your AC lines and other aluminum lines I normally use Mothers metal polish, if you want to polish them use a mixture of sandpaper and steel wool to get the finish you like. Use a heavy rubbing compound like Meguiars Professional Swirl Remover or something similar on the paint for any rust stains or yellowing, and then coat with wax of your choice.
If there's some more specific areas that you're looking to clean post up and ask, chances are Jim and I have cleaned them at some point.
Disclaimer: The alternator looks much better now than it did then.
Jared covered it well. I like to take the power washer to them for the first time to really blast things off. If you have a low mile car and your worried about stickers and such that can usually blow all those off so you don't want to go there. I also pop the hood liner out and power wash that. They come up pretty nice with just a power wash and sitting out in the sun for a few days. They sell a tool to pop out the plastic push buttons that hold it on so you can reuse them.
I'll cover the MAF, Coil pack, and anything else that don't like water and blast the frame rails and just dust over the engine a few times with the power washer to knock the heavy stuff off. Then you can use Jared's method for a really nice clean engine bay! I actually do this process with my daily drivers once a year to keep them clean and to get off any salt from the winter that may have gotten in the engine bay.
I've also taken some detail spray and some microfiber rags and soaked down the engine bay and wiped things off after all those above processes. That gets a little wax on things like the inner fenders, firewall, and other parts with a nice finish on it already and shines them up a little and can help keeping grease and grime down going forward.
Do it heavy and hard first time around and if you don't daily drive it in winter salt it should stay nice. Just be careful around the MAF, electrical connectors, and bulkhead connector. If you have a K&N open style air filter and your going to power wash just make sure all that is covered up real well.
When I got my Chevy truck the engine bay looked like crap and I used that engine gunk stuff. Soaked the engine bay down and power washed the hell out of. I didn't care because it's a daily driver and I just wanted it clean but when I was all done it fired right up fine. Anyplace the oil goes in like the fill and breathers you have to be careful around as well. Just make sure you change the oil when your done to be safe if you go that route
I'll cover the MAF, Coil pack, and anything else that don't like water and blast the frame rails and just dust over the engine a few times with the power washer to knock the heavy stuff off. Then you can use Jared's method for a really nice clean engine bay! I actually do this process with my daily drivers once a year to keep them clean and to get off any salt from the winter that may have gotten in the engine bay.
I've also taken some detail spray and some microfiber rags and soaked down the engine bay and wiped things off after all those above processes. That gets a little wax on things like the inner fenders, firewall, and other parts with a nice finish on it already and shines them up a little and can help keeping grease and grime down going forward.
Do it heavy and hard first time around and if you don't daily drive it in winter salt it should stay nice. Just be careful around the MAF, electrical connectors, and bulkhead connector. If you have a K&N open style air filter and your going to power wash just make sure all that is covered up real well.
When I got my Chevy truck the engine bay looked like crap and I used that engine gunk stuff. Soaked the engine bay down and power washed the hell out of. I didn't care because it's a daily driver and I just wanted it clean but when I was all done it fired right up fine. Anyplace the oil goes in like the fill and breathers you have to be careful around as well. Just make sure you change the oil when your done to be safe if you go that route
TTA984
Gold Member
Big help Jared and Philly, my engine has some chrome like the intake from the air filter and it also has K and N chrome housing also, as far as cleaning the motor it could use it I am lucky It does not leak very little oil and it runs good for stock it hardly every misses and starts every time. I bought the car in May in tennessee, it was my girl friends dads car it had it since 93, he passed away in february. He also had a white typhoon and a 87 grand national that the family sold. The grand national was a one owner. He also had a low #GNX he bought new. They still have a Lesabre Grand National for sale, but they are non turbo only 112 or 117 were made. I will get some Mcguairs and go to work.What extent are you wanting to go to?
To start get some Meguiars super degreaser
and dilute it to close to the heavy strength. Spray it on everything and use a parts cleaning brush similar to this one
to agitate the grease and grime off. Then hose it all of and dry what you can. Then for the plastic and rubber parts I have started using Meguiars Hyper Dressing diluted to it's weakest suggested on the bottle, or I've used Meguiars Natural Shine and liked that as well. If you're going to try cleaning your AC lines and other aluminum lines I normally use Mothers metal polish, if you want to polish them use a mixture of sandpaper and steel wool to get the finish you like. Use a heavy rubbing compound like Meguiars Professional Swirl Remover or something similar on the paint for any rust stains or yellowing, and then coat with wax of your choice.
If there's some more specific areas that you're looking to clean post up and ask, chances are Jim and I have cleaned them at some point.
Disclaimer: The alternator looks much better now than it did then.
72firebird
Super Moderator
If this is the first time you've really cleaned it and you want it to be spotless I'd suggest pulling the intake pipes and then you can get down on the pulleys and hoses really well.
There are some subtle things that you can do as well. Something that I did on mine that I really like is re-running my wiring harness on the passenger side to clean it up. The one that runs up over the fender is easy since you can tuck it up into the fender liner and you don't even have to modify anything.
There are some subtle things that you can do as well. Something that I did on mine that I really like is re-running my wiring harness on the passenger side to clean it up. The one that runs up over the fender is easy since you can tuck it up into the fender liner and you don't even have to modify anything.
Mike Arrigo
Well-Known Member
FYI: DO NOT SPRAY THE COOLANT BOTTLE (SILVER) HEAT COVER! Clean them by hand only. That is how they get ruined by getting them wet.
