I have used Simple Green, and also Simple Green Heavy Duty with great success. Let it soak and spray it off. Like others have said, mind where you spray the water and then start wiping with clean towels.
Then stand back and admire your work!

 

[QUOTE=bwoyat;5297897]I'm with you Dave! I used something called "SuperClean" and a powerwasher.

Looks great. I too used a power washer and lots of green

 

It took me quite a while to get my engine bay up to concours standards (which it really isn't now but thats another story)...I also was afraid to directly spray water on my engine, so I NEVER did....everything I did was with wet rags & simple green.....it takes ALOT longer...but you don't have to worry about shorting things out either....

 

Brain's engine bay would make mine jealous at devek Day gatherings. Mine is 'clean' for a daily driver, but nowhere near as sano as Brian's is. It takes a LOT of work to get it that nice, and a lot of careful contunuous work to keep it up.

For those that prescribe simple green or the Castrol purple degreaser, be careful that you don't get any on the paint. It takes a bit of effort to restore a paint finish after using that stuff on it.

 

With the engine warm but not hot,

Spray liberally with a solution made from diesel (paraffin smells nicer - maybe known as Kero where you live) and gentle detergent - like for washing woolens by hand. Neither will harm anything on the car with the exception of the clutch throw out bearing (Heed the words of advice above) - Pressure wash off.

You may have EPA laws where you live that preclude washing diesel down the drains or into the ground.

 

Brian,

Looks really good!

 

In the US there's a dedicated engine cleaning product or two that offer roughly the same "solution" in a spray can. I like the foamy version of the Gunk 'Engine Brite' product, mostly because it clings to the crud a bit better than the non-foamy version. Both have a strong solvent fragrance that lingers after use, both will leave nice oily stains on the driveway if used carelessly. There are instructions on the can about catching all the drippings and containing them. I'm sure all the backyard mechanics who use this stuff are as diligent about that as I am. Rather than spill it on the driveway, I contain it and suck it up with the shop vac. Add laundry detergent to break down the oil, then send it down the drain. Dilution is the solution to pollution, right?

 

Thanks for this tidbit, Mrmerlin.....I must have got lucky, b/c I had the car hot and left it running while simple greening the dog sh_t out of the engine bay and powerwashing. The PO must have spilled a quart into the engine valley while attempting a oil change and that was the only way I could figure out how to clean effectively. I would also like to see where this water would access the bearing/pilot bearing and plate for future refrence.

Dr. Bob, thanks for this observation, I also had fan issues after my power wash , and the temp switch on top of the intake was the culprit. I guess these cars are somewhat alike.

88s4, 5-speed

 

Be careful with Simple green. Seems to cause premature dry rot on certain rubber parts and it whitens bare aluminum.

Personally if you're trying to maintain and or improve the car there is nothing than doing it the way Brian did. IMHO if you're willing to spend that much time restoring the mechanicals why not also do the same for it's appearance.

I'm going to be doing a throrough engine cleaning on the 90 this summer, I'll post pics and how to's along the way.

 

After the cleaning with the solution of choice, water and then letting it dry, you should spray on some protectant on the newly cleansed parts. Being careful, spray on a tire shine product on the rubber hoses and some plastic parts around the engine bay. The foamy kind and let it sit on for awhile. Then after about an hour, wipe and buff off. Then use WD-40 for most of the metal shiny bits being careful about over spray and spraying too much or on items where WD-40 might not be so good for rubber and plastic or electrical parts. Use rags to protect areas and wipe off excess spray. Then use a spray wax on the rest of the body painted surfaces of the engine bay. Spray a small amount and then buff up to a shine. This should be the last step. Eagle One brand spray wax does not leave a white residue as some others do. Don't forget the painted surfaces of the underside of the hood.

Using small brushes and toothbrushes to work on the small areas during cleaning is a must. Did anyone say this will take a long time?

Have fun,
Constantine
P.S. Beer should be drunk after the cleaning is done, not during.

 

I clean the engine bays on my cars on a fairly frequent bases,

I use the same super clean as Brent used on his, it cuts through the grease like there is no tomorrow, and then I simply pressure wash it off. I normally neave the engine running during the procedure.

I do not hit electrical connectors directly, though I have no problem giving an altenator a good blasting, think about it, when you are driving behind someone in the wet, it gets ALOT of water on it anyways, if you have ever opened one up, you would realise it isnt going to damage it. But as said leave the car running so that it can fling off the water abit quicker, and heat dry itself. I also have never had any issues with the clutch from doing this, though I have never blasted directly in the open hole.

 

a word of warning about washing your car with the engine running.
There is a strong possibility that your engine can catch fire if your using any kind of flammable cleaner like ENGINE GUNK for example to clean the engine . The fumes will light due to a shorted spark plug wire that you have just doused with a flammable liquid.
The only good thing is that you should have the water hose charged and nearby to put out your filet mignon, BTDT

 

Amplifying Stan's warning, even without a spark, spraying petro products on hot exhaust is a no-no. Darn near anything with solvents has a flash point well under the temp that hot headers attain, at least under load. Also, a HOT engine will evaporate solvents abd water-based cleaning solutions before they dissolve or emulsify the crud on the motor. I like the idea of doing the cleaning on a WARM motor, then starting the engine immediately on rinsedown to boil off the water, assuming you don't have another way to dry things out. For me, the shop vac, the blower end of the shop vac, then the air hose, and finally a little roast in the afternoon sun seems to take care of the jobs for me.