Engine Detail...No water?

[milkthegoat]

Is there anything that I can use to clean my engine that I don't have to use water. Just a spray on, let dry/ wipe off type of thing.
I am hesitant on using water under my hood.
Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[03mach1]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I am afraid of water too but what I did on my Mach is I took a damp wet rag and started to wipe it down and then go over it with a dry rag to go over any wet spots that the wet rag left behind. It did the trick then as a test, I wanted to try Megs Exterior trim detailer and dressed my motor with that and have had no problems. Still looks nice and black. I think APC you have to spray on then spray it off with water I think. Maybe somebody with more experience will chime in to help you out a bit more.

[milkthegoat]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I have APC, APC+, and Simple Green, just wondering what everyone else uses, and IF i have to use water.

[Murr1525]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

Just have to go with APC on a damp rag if you are nervous of the hose. Then come back and wipe off, then dress if wanted.

[Sal329]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I cleaned the engine on my Accord yesterday.
Sprayed with ONR at QD strength, then sprayed lightly with APC, scrubbed with brushes, towels and sponges, rinsed with ONR again. Used Meguiars NXT all metal polish on the exhaust manifold heat shield. Dried with towels and then let the engine warm up and dressed with Cd-2
Before





After

[ColonelCash]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

There is a YouTube video floating around that shows a "new" Meguiar's product for detailing engines. In the video, they run a hose over the engine twice. Personally, this seems like a bad idea....but the results are nice.

I don't know if the product will make it to the states. There are 2 parts to the process. A degreaser and a shine agent. This could be APC in spray form and maybe a spray of Hyper Dressing? I don't know.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

Your engine compartment looks great. Way to go.

[dragonballz]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

wow your engine bay looks good

Is it bad to get the alternator wet? When i was rinsing my engine bay with a light stream of water, i wet pretty much EVERYTHING except the intake. 2006 Civic

[Skuz]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I still ain't out of Meguiar's Extra, so I use it on the family's engines once a year. The rest is maintenance.

[HK77]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?


Hi, Everyone. I really want to know whether the altenator/distributor is really able to be rinsed down with water. I think the area I highlighted with round red circle is a distributor. I'm really afraid to flush these areas with water as a lot of coils and eletrical parts exposed and I've a problem with my distributor after detailing my engine.
So, please make sure whethere the areas in red circle and rectangular can be hosed down with water. By the way, which one is the intake/inlet that everybody said can't be hosed down with water and should be covered. Please help me.

[milkthegoat]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

The intake is the box all the way on the left side of the picture.

[Sal329]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

If I were to use a hose I would have put foil and a bag over the distributor and alternator and removed the battery as well as cover the battery connections. I only use a hose when I have to. When the engine is full of grease I will use a good degreaser and water. For engines like this and a lot that I see that are just dirty with little to no oil I will use ONR in a pressured sprayer, wet the engine, spray with APC, uses any and every tool I can to scrub then rinse again with ONR and dry with a towel (I personal use our old 100% cotton bath towels). I also use a cleaner wax on all painted areas under the hood.

The red circle aboce is the alternator not the distributor, the distrubtor is to the left of the head where the sprak plug wires are going to. The ait box is all the way to the left, I would have hosed it down I do not see water gettin into it as the top hangsover the bottom portion a lil bit.


And thanks for the compliments guys. I really need to pick up some hyper dressing. The Cd-2 is nice but after using hyper dressing on 2 engines I helped with I like it even more.

[teklein]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

Yes it will be fine.

I degrease and spray mine three to four times a year. Just dont directly blast water into anything like the fuse box.

I always mop up water from the valve cover around the spark plugs, then start the car and let it idle with the hood up for 15 minutes.

You have to remember, everytime it rains water gets in there, its made to stand it.

It will be fine

[Pocket_Aces]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I am afraid of water too but what I did on my Mach is I took a damp wet rag and started to wipe it down and then go over it with a dry rag to go over any wet spots that the wet rag left behind. It did the trick then as a test, I wanted to try Megs Exterior trim detailer and dressed my motor with that and have had no problems. Still looks nice and black. I think APC you have to spray on then spray it off with water I think. Maybe somebody with more experience will chime in to help you out a bit more.

I did the wet rag one time on a car engine. I got shocked from some voltage source and it wasn't the battery . Be careful if you try this.

[Mark2]

Re: Engine Detail...No water?

I have washed alot of different engines during the years and not once had any problems using a hose. A pressure washer might force water into place you don't want it, but a normal hose should be fine.