Redrag

Excellent advice. You can also use Scrubbing Bubbles instead of Mean Green and used compressed air to dry the engine before starting.

BucketList

During the degrease and subsequent hosing off, some of the oil/water/soap infiltrated the timing belt and pulleys under the cover and the belt would intermittently slip a tooth and strand me. It didn't happen right away so the troubleshooting took a while. We are talking replacing the belt 2 different times by both indy's and dealers, replacing tensioners, overtightening the belt, etc... One time the car stranded me in 29 deg snow in Reno on the highway. Fun times. I finally got so irritatted I took the entire thing apart myself and washed all 3 pulleys and the belt with denatured alchohol solvent. It never happend again after that. Learned my lesson.
Oh and I would NEVER use compressed air after washing. I have had compressed air blow stuff into unbelievable places. IMHO you are inviting stress inducing issues for a cosmetic issue that you cannot see when the deck is closed.

Sylverlee

__—

linderpat

Just a note on simple Green - it is an excellent degreaser, and I've used it extensively on all of my Porsches and other cars over the years. However - it does not like aluminum - it will quickly "corrode" it. Also, it wreaks havoc on things like your ground points. It is not good for electrical connections. I found this out the hard way 10 years ago with a non-start that turned out to be ground wire related, in the engine bay after a good Simple Green clean with inadequate rinse.

So use it, (and I usually go full strength), but rinse with water very thoroughly when done. That is critical! It does a great job - better than anything else I've tried (forget the purple stuff - garbage IMHO), but RINSE. Low pressure garden hose is fine (avoid a high pressure hose in the engine bay).

One other PSA - Bruce suggested sticking a wheel detailing long tool in the engine bay and going to town with it. Be careful there are things that can get dislodged, like the engine bay temp sensor that sits on a little plastic "U" insert in between two of the plenums (if it pops off, your engine bay fan runs and runs long after the car is turned off because the sensor is laying on the engine thinking it's all still too hot). Lots of little connectors in there that with age start to get brittle.

Dubber

Spray it down with a diluted de-greaser, agitate with a wheel brush, light rinse, blow dry it and apply something like Carpro Perl to add the OEM finish back to all pipes you can see/reach.

mundo-kombi

Do a search in your area for Detailers using dry ice cleaning. No chemicals, no abrasion, no damage to rubber, plastics, paint nor electrics and no water. You'll be amazed by the results. And it will be better than new. The equipment these guys use costs ten of thousands of dollars so the process isn't cheap - $250 to $350 per hour, but what they can do in 4 hours would take you forever. And if you get under there with chemicals and a power washer, or even a brush, you don't know what can of worms you could be opening. YouTube has penty of videos showing the tech. at work.

linderpat

Dry ice is great and results are amazing. However I would not use it in the engine bay for fear of damaging brittle plastic sensors and plug connections. It is great for the underside, and removes the unsightly cosmoline that Porsche bathes these cars in.

mundo-kombi

I disagree with regards to not using dry ice in the engine bay. But of course, you, or the Detailer, should apply some common sense. The Detailer should know to use a lower pressure for these more intricate or delicate areas. Even covering up the connectors if he's concerned about their condtion. But that's the good thing about it, you can clean very small specific areas - it's not like using a pressure washer wand which covers everything at once.

If any electrical connectors are that fragile through age you may want to consider updating them anyway. Better that they get changed out whilst the car's in the shop.

Dry ice cleaning is used extensively in the electronics industry as it leaves no conductive residue. No drying time needed either. It's perfect for this application if done properly and with caution.

voiceprint1

After seeing a car done with the dry ice, it basically looks factory new, however the cosmoline has a purpose, so I am not sure what removing it does?

nwGTS

This is the way.

Jaws1

Makes it not smell like a Porsche anymore

gutenfreibier

I have also had good luck with a bit of laundry soap in a spray bottle in lieu of, or in conjunction with 25/75 diluted simple green. 2 spray bottles, one in each hand. coat everything, and rinse just before either product dries.

RatherJaded

The 997.2 owner’s manual advises against cleaning the engine compartment as it is treated with a rust inhibitor at the factory. I would reference the page number in the manual, but we are currently on vacation. I will update when we return home.

LauernTeile

+1 for Dry Ice, or gentle on some simple green and very low PSI pressure wash. Just be mindful to not go absolutely nuts.

mundo-kombi

Yes, it will remove the cosmoline. Giving you the option to apply a fresh coat of the same, or maybe an updated, more effective alternative. Depends on the use of the car. So many these days are museum pieces or are used so infrequently that it's probably not necessary. With cosmoline Porsche needed to apply something to protect in even the most extreme conditions. Extreme conditions that few people take their car out in.