Cleaning Engine Bay - Hints, Tips, Products?

[vin corolla]

Oh! Thanks guys :) lucky I don't have money to buy the CAI for mine yet..hehe....so no need to worry...I am thinking of just getting the K&N air panel that just fit into the original air box, what do you think?....Sorry off subject....

[CORZZA]

thats fine! its a better flowing filter than the stock one!

[blue_rolla]

a mate of mine bought a K&N panel filter for his 323 astina. its the only performance/engine mod he's done, and its definately more powerful and it has that cool sound you get with a higher flow filter...

[CORZZA]

a mate of mine bought a K&N panel filter for his 323 astina. its the only performance/engine mod he's done, and its definately more powerful and it has that cool sound you get with a higher flow filter...

yeah not as loud unless you cut a hole under the box

[SILVABULLIT]

Being that I'm a car detailer and have prolly cleaned more engine bays than some of have had birthdays here's how to do it.

Wrap up your alarm speaker. (if you don't then it'll prolly never work again :P )

If you have a CAI then it's up to you whether you wrap it up(I've done my car heaps and never had a problem). Just don't deliberately hit the pod with the pressure cleaner.

Start your engine and let it warm up a little. Gets everything hot and the heat tends to keep moisture out of where it's not meant to be.

Never get the pressure cleaner too close to anything in the engine bay. Don't go blasting electrical connections but instead keep a good distance between the surface your trying to clean. I find that the $2 degreaser from Autobarn to be pretty good for removing most grease,grime or oil.

Spray dirty areas with degreaser as necessary but don't drown anything electrical.

When you're finished start the engine and close the bonnet as the heat will then dry it out if you don't have compressed air.

This is what I do and have never had any probs :D

[CORZZA]

Nice straight from the pro!!

[vin corolla]

Thanks :) isn't TOCAU nice? we have all sort of profession sharing the same interest "corolla" :)

Too bad i still can't find a job, otherwise, my rolla won't be so stock.. :(

Should give my engine a good clean, the car is 3 years old, but i still don't dare to do it......

[blue_rolla]

yeah that sounds like an easy method too...

i saw silvas post and started freaking out that effective engine cleaning would takes hours with some crazy products you can only get imported from europe for $100 per tub or something...

[vin corolla]

hours to clean the engine? oh wow....better wait until 200,000k....and when my 1zzfe need to be rebuild, i'll ask my mechanic to do it at the same time..haha...

[RME1]

Cheers SilvaBUllet :D Just the advice i was looking for! ;) Case closed?

[CORZZA]

Thanks :) isn't TOCAU nice? we have all sort of profession sharing the same interest "corolla" :)

Too bad i still can't find a job, otherwise, my rolla won't be so stock.. :(

Should give my engine a good clean, the car is 3 years old, but i still don't dare to do it......

whats your profession?

[vin corolla]

Thanks :) isn't TOCAU nice? we have all sort of profession sharing the same interest "corolla" :)

Too bad i still can't find a job, otherwise, my rolla won't be so stock.. :(

Should give my engine a good clean, the car is 3 years old, but i still don't dare to do it......

whats your profession?

I used to sell Lexus and Toyota in Australia & Hong Kong a few years ago....That's why i bought my corolla, because I knew it's good and reliable. :) Wish I could afford the Lexus though....haha :)

Edited May 23, 2006 by vin corolla

[MotoMan]

On older cars you cover the Distributor with a plastic bag...

I never saw the need to clean my engine bay... it never got dirty

[[ekkY]]

what you need to do is cover all the important bits in your engine bay

and if the stuff that can be taken off easily do so

but its more easier and convient that you do it @ home.

just spray all these degreaser all over your car and spray down and you have brand spanking new engine :P

:o make sure your engine is cold aswell and make sure the engine is dry enough so that you start your car.

[selyaT]

Oh good... I just found this thread and now I'm glad I'm not the only one whose engine bay gets caked with sh!t.

....New Thread button avoided :P

[CAP]

On my old car I've used that in conjunction with the traditional degreaser, just need to stay clear of the coil and distributor.

On the new one. What works best is a large and small paint brush compressed air and a few old rags.

[1zzfewagon]

Being that I'm a car detailer and have prolly cleaned more engine bays than some of have had birthdays here's how to do it.

Wrap up your alarm speaker. (if you don't then it'll prolly never work again :P )

If you have a CAI then it's up to you whether you wrap it up(I've done my car heaps and never had a problem). Just don't deliberately hit the pod with the pressure cleaner.

Start your engine and let it warm up a little. Gets everything hot and the heat tends to keep moisture out of where it's not meant to be.

Never get the pressure cleaner too close to anything in the engine bay. Don't go blasting electrical connections but instead keep a good distance between the surface your trying to clean. I find that the $2 degreaser from Autobarn to be pretty good for removing most grease,grime or oil.

Spray dirty areas with degreaser as necessary but don't drown anything electrical.

When you're finished start the engine and close the bonnet as the heat will then dry it out if you don't have compressed air.

This is what I do and have never had any probs :D

Follow the instruction above...and get a cooling panel from silva FTW

[ASG14]

I use Simple Green (Degreaser) and a garden hose. And paper towels where necessary to get the tuff stuff off.

[dimsim8]

i think they wrap the fuse box with plastic bag coz water is not good for the fuse box

[ASG14]

Yeah, I wrapped the 2 fuse boxes and Alternator with a plastic bag, that was it. I do not have a distributor, but that should be wrapped as well if you do.

[yoshi]

Time to look over what I can do to get my engine bay looking a bit better, without spending lots of money, cause I know adding a supercharger, etc would make the engine bay look a whole let better.

Wanting cleaner and possibly some minor mods or painting to finish it off.

Been looking through some old pics of peoples engine bays and there is some really good ideas in there which I might borrow.

[selyaT]

Here you go bud http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/inde...t=0&start=0

[yoshi]

I searched "cleaning engine bay" and could not see this in the list. ><

Thanks :D

[selyaT]

Lol one would imagine it would come up first seeing as it's the EXACT same title

I'm gonna bump it because I think the search function is time related

Edited May 15, 2008 by Tayles

[selyaT]