Engine Bay

[canadian]

I have the engine out of my car.

Is it safe to wash down the engine bay with water and a cleaner to get rid of the grease and dirt? As long as I don't directly wash any of the electrial stuff?

On my older trucks I wash them out all the time because there are only a few wires inside the engine bay, but with these cars there are all kinds of wiring and electrical devices.

So this is why I am asking if it is safe, I don't want to wreck anything...

Sorry for the dumb question.

 

[Doward]

If the engine (and altenator/battery) are out of the car, then go wild cleaning it all - just be sure to let it dry very well, and if I were you, I'd unplug ALL electrical connectors (after the wash/dry) and repack them with some dielectric grease.

 

[starscream5000]

Yes, dielectric grease is a must.

 

[Boost Lee]

Half way off topic, but this is another reason why I refuse to buy an older car from a used car lot.

They take the easy way out and soak the engine bay down with water/cleaner to make it look 'better'...with the engine STILL in.

+1 for dielectric grease.

 

[Poodles]

if the wiring isn't hacked, you're not going to do any damage with water or cleaners...

but DO NOT use a pressure washer as it will defeat the seals on the connectors...

I wash my engine all the time with it in the car, just be careful of the plug valley... any hacked wiring and after market intakes...

I have zero hacked wiring (no, really, I spent tons to make it this way), and I have a stock intake, so no issues.

 

[canadian]

Can every connector take dielectric grease?
Thanks, I'll pick some up tomorrow

 

[tlo86]

:word8kn:

If the engine (and altenator/battery) are out of the car, then go wild cleaning it all - just be sure to let it dry very well, and if I were you, I'd unplug ALL electrical connectors (after the wash/dry) and repack them with some dielectric grease.

 

[tissimo]

i did this on my white 87.. omg what a pain in the ass.. white sucks! but look 5000x better.. It too me a good 3-4 hours of scrubing to get most of the crap off..

 

[canadian]

i did this on my white 87.. omg what a pain in the ass.. white sucks! but look 5000x better.. It too me a good 3-4 hours of scrubing to get most of the crap off..

Same car I have: white '87. I guess thats what I will be doing for the next 4 hours then! :aigo:

 

[The Reaper]

yea its definitely fine....i went hog wild with mine.

here's before

and here's after purple power, and some gunmetal wheel paint for touching up scratches.

definitely worth it!!!

 

[tissimo]

werd..

my before wash
http://home.cfl.rr.com/tissimo/bare_sig.jpg

and after wash
http://home.cfl.rr.com/tissimo/bare-paint.JPG

lol j/p.. but yea I'll find my old before pics of my white car and take some afters.. night and day!

 

[DaSuprawolf]

^^ wow, i need some of that soap!! lol

 

[Poodles]

*grumble*

don't use castrol super clean or purple power on anything painted or aluminum...

it WILL strip paint, and I've use it such! it likes to eat aluminum as well...

Use simple green if you're being cheap (though it tends to suck the oils out of rubber parts and makes them look dull), but I highly recommend a dedicated engine degreaser as it will cut the grime the best, not eat the paint, not destroy plastic or rubber, and the good ones will even leave things shiney afterwards...