I just bought a 98 Z-28 and the engine is really dusty, actually everything underneath the hood is really dusty. So I wanted to get some opinions on what is the best way to clean the engine, and what to use to clean it. Thanks in advance.

 

I use Simple Green on my underhood on all my cars. Start the car, let it run, hose everything down, spray simple green on EVERYTHING and let sit for a minute, then just hose off and it takes pretty much everything off. I've only had to scrub a few things with brushes, but those were the really dirty/greasy things.

Mike

 

Ya might wanna get a towel and dry things off too. I've waterspotted mine before and it looks almost as bad as the engine bay in a hunting truck does. Damn I hate waterspots....

 

im jealous! it seems like if i even sneeze near my engine, my opti dies!!

cody

 

I was thinking the same thing slocody. Wouldn't that kill the opti you better be careful hosing everything like that. You might get lucky and nothing happen but i've heard way to many horror stories about that. Good Luck

 

Well, I've done it about every other weekend for the past 2 years and never had a problem unless I didn't have the car running. I just don't spray directly onto the Opti, but I hit everything else. I think by running the motor it helps a ton because of the vented opti, the vacuum from the engine sucks any water that gets into it out right away.

Mike

 

Other things to keep dry are the throttle position sensor and alternator. I hose down my 89 T/A engine now and then and the only time I had a problem was when I hit the alternator directly with a strong stream of water.

Have plenty of rags. Some old toothbrushes will help you get into tight areas. I found wearing some rubber kitchen gloves not only keeps my hands clean, they offer some protection from all the sharp things around the engine that like to cut you.

 

You've already got some good replies here. I'll move this over to the Show And Shine forum.

This is the "Appearance" section but it is more for Appearance modifications

 

I've got the simple green, but I'm a little tentative to hosing the engine down as I don't have a vented opti. Also, would it be safe to use a car wash thingy to hose the engine off, if I use the low pressure mode?

 

I use CD2, and it works great!!

 

What is CD2?

 

LOL, CD2 is an INTERNAL engine cleaner. And it works.

 

O.K. laugh at me - What's an "opti" ?

 

Where and what is the "Opti"? I to want to clean my engine bay but I'm sorta scared..... I might f___ things up.

 

The opti is the distributor on the LT1 engine used from '93 -'97 on F-bodies. It mounts below the water pump on the front of the engine. Susceptible to failure under moist conditions.