engine cleaner

[goose]

anyone recomend a good engine cleaner mine is gettin all grimy and i want to keep it clean. also i heard you have to wrap certain parts of the engine (computer box, fuse box etc.) with tin foil is this true. i have no experience with this because the titan is my first vehicle worth keeping clean. any suggestions are appreciated btw the easier the better something like a spray on hose off kind of thing

[Sammy Sandbag]

I just use Simple Green, spray it on, let it sit a bit, then hose it off. You shouldn't have to worry about covering anything up as you are just giving a quick hose down. I believe the ecu is in the passenger compartment under the dash anyways.

[GETSOMZ28]

Ditto on the simple green here.

[MikeZ]

If you want a super clean looking engine compartment thats real easy, do this. I done it to several vehicles and the engines honestly look better then new.

With a luke warm engine (not hot) spray degreaser all over. Let sit about 5-10 minutes, then hose it off. While still wet, take armor all and spray it all over engine compartment, hoses, everything. Close the hood and start engine and let run for about 10 minutes (normal running temp). Thats it. When you open hood back up, you won't believe your eyes.

[JetTech]

simple green is a must, great stuff. What I do after the engine is dry is spray on No-Touch Tire shine (satin) and let it evaporate all on its own.....Just a little tip I learned from my Mercedes days.....

[JetTech]

it just so happens while I was writing my prior post I was waiting on my engine to dry because I hosed it down this afternoon with simple green. Here it is now that I've sprayed it with No-Touch Tire Shine...

[Slurppie]

Originally Posted by JetTech

it just so happens while I was writing my prior post I was waiting on my engine to dry because I hosed it down this afternoon with simple green. Here it is now that I've sprayed it with No-Touch Tire Shine...

So do you cover anything up when spraying Simple Green on and hosing it down?

[JetTech]

Originally Posted by Slurppie

So do you cover anything up when spraying Simple Green on and hosing it down?

No, just spray the simple green on, let it sit for a couple of minutes then hose it off. This is probably the 6th time I've done this engine. I did it fairly often this past winter and spring while I had it in Maine to get all the dirt off it and to keep it as salt free as I could.

Blast away.......

Just as an added note, it's good practice to use some sort of shine on your engine after you clean it. The polymers and silicones used today help keep your wires and hoses from becoming brittle. Shine away....

[goose]

looks great im definetely gonna try it tommorow i have eagle one tire shine is that ok to use after the simple green?

[MikeZ]

tire shine, armor all any kind of "protectant" will work.

[JetTech]

Originally Posted by goose

looks great im definetely gonna try it tommorow i have eagle one tire shine is that ok to use after the simple green?

Some of the tire shines attract dirt so it's kind of trial and error. I've never tried the eagle one so let me know how it works. I do wipe off any excess after the No Touch has been on there a while, it seems to cut down on dirt attraction and makes the shine more even. Good luck....

[goose]

Originally Posted by MikeZ

tire shine, armor all any kind of "protectant" will work.

thanks alot ill try tommorow do you have to have the engine running while hosing it off? also better to do it before or after washing the body?

[goose]

Originally Posted by JetTech

Some of the tire shines attract dirt so it's kind of trial and error. I've never tried the eagle one so let me know how it works. I do wipe off any excess after the No Touch has been on there a while, it seems to cut down on dirt attraction and makes the shine more even. Good luck....

ill let you knwo how it goes i absolutely love eagle one on my tires so i hope it looks as good on the engine thanks for the help

[JetTech]

Originally Posted by goose

thanks alot ill try tommorow do you have to have the engine running while hosing it off? also better to do it before or after washing the body?

Cool engine, some like to warm it up a bit but I do the cool engine cleaning ONLY. No need in spraying cool water on a hot engine, imagine all the things that could happen. And yes it's a good idea to do it before you wash your truck.....

[MikeZ]

Originally Posted by goose

thanks alot ill try tommorow do you have to have the engine running while hosing it off? also better to do it before or after washing the body?

I warm up engine and then let it cool until luke warm (you can hold your hand on it) before I nail it with degreaser. Let it sit for a little while and then wash it off. No need for engine to run. After hose it off, spray your protectant on (all over) and shut hood and restart engine and let it come up to operating temp. Thats it