Engine Cleaning

The Brush Off
For the elbow grease part of engine cleanups, an old flathead screwdriver works well as a small scraper that can reach into tight corners and recesses. Also, a small toothbrush-sized wire brush will fit nicely into tight quarters and scrub away the toughest stuff.


If you do not have compressed air, consider buying a special misting nozzle for the end of your garden hose. These blow a fine spray of water out in very low volume, and not at a high pressure. It is important to avoid high pressures and large volumes of water. Steam cleaners and pressure washers are the opposite of what we want, because they can blow out gaskets, push water past seals into the engine, and force water right through all-weather electrical connectors. Be careful to use these type of washing methods only on non-vulnerable components because they can damage your engine.


How is the actual cleaning accomplished? The first thing to do is prepare the engine compartment for the treatment. This involves covering everything that should not come into contact with water, such as air filters and air inlet holes, breather caps on valve covers and oil filler caps. The dipstick tubes for engine oil and transmission fluid also need covering. Parts of the ignition should be covered, including the distributor and coil or coils. Other electronic parts that should be covered and avoided are fuse and relay boxes, wire connectors, and sensors.

Tool Time
Use plastic grocery bags with tape or rubber bands to secure them tightly. Do your very best in covering and sealing off these items from any and all water contamination. If they get even a small amount of moisture inside them, your car might run poorly, or perhaps not at all. If any of these items are dirty and you feel they need to be cleaned, then use a rag and carefully wipe them clean, rather than spraying and scrubbing.


Now you are ready to start scraping away the large chunks of grime, so that the degreaser can soak down to the engine when it is sprayed. Place a large drip pan underneath the area to be cleaned. All of the dirt and degreaser will fall into this, instead of on your driveway. After everything has been scraped, then it is time to apply the degreaser.


You can apply it in any way you see fit, but a spray bottle seems to be the easiest. Don't be stingy, Use enough to really wet down the dirty areas. You can let it soak for a few minutes, but it is a good idea to start scrubbing while things are still wet. It will be a slow and dirty process, but the end results will be surprising. This really is the only way to get the dirt out of every crevice.