How do you do it? I was told before you can use a pressure washer but you will want to cover up some things. If this is correct, besides the battery and air filter what should I cover?

Any better ways to do it?

Dont use a pressure washer... thats asking for trouble. Use a solvent or a "engine cleaner" with a brush and lighlty rinse it off with water.

Cover the TPS for sure and all electrical. I really only wash the paint around the engine and get the sand out.

There is no point in washing it during the winter because the sand and salt get in under the hood real fast.

I use simple green and my hand for most of it all year round.

Or you could do it like we did on Terina's engine. About 2 months ago (or more) we did hers and it still looks like it rolled off the showroom floor.

First, after you've driven it for a little while (maybe a half an hour or so) bring it home (or the self serve car wash) and shut it off. Next, put some Simple Green into a spray bottle and spray the hell out of the engine while it is still warm (but not running). Squirt a little extra in those really greasy spots. Let it sit for about 10 minutes or so. Then get the garden hose out and hose it down. Warm water works the best but you can use cold as well. Hose down the engine to get all the stuff off. If you want to you cover your alternator, tps sensor, etc. you can but not always necessary when you use a garden hose as opposed to using a pressure washer.

After that's all done, let it sit for a while to dry. Once it's done, mix up a mixture of half Armor All and half water in another spray bottle. Spray it over the engine (try to avoid spraying directly into the alternator and such) and you're done. The Armor All mixture will give it a beautiful shine and will resist getting dirty. It also helps protect your hoses from the elements.

If you want to know how well it works, just ask Jana, Allan, Blake or anyone that was at the cookout that we had a while back. I think Allan still has some pics somewhere of it. It's easier than hell this way and it lasts for quite a long time.

If you get the tps sensor wet.... your fucked... It wont work with any moisture inside of it.

What does Terrinas car look like? I was at the mitsu cookout and didnt see it. Maytbe i did just didnt know...

I got this engine detailer kit and its pretty sweet. Basically the second step is what Erik mixed up... armor all. It makes all the rubber all shiny and pretty.

I like to use the engine degreaser like the "foamy brite" stuff. I prefer to spray it on a luke warm engine, not a hot one. Let it sit for a few minutes and gentle spray it off with a hose. I cover the coils and the K&N with tin foil. Let it dry and then wipe all the rubber and plastic pieces with tire black stuff. Thats my recipe. ;)

later,
Curt
http://www.mn3s.org

Not the mitsu cookout, a cookout at our place this fall. She has a burgandy 1G. It's beautiful!!! :drool:

I just go full blast with a pressure washer. I leave it running and will go rinse/soap/rinse. Then I go drive it around a little to let it dry. It doesn't get it all pretty but I get out most of the big stuff.

I still have the factory aircan and I spray my TPS and coil pack. Only problem this ever had to was forgetting to latch my hood pins. I like to run the dry cycle at about 85 for 5-10 minutes, it gets the job done. Not latching the pins at about 85 will lead to the new paint, new hood, new winshield, dented roof mod which I high DO NOT recomend. :razz2:

Here's a pic of terina's engine bay.

It looks nearly the same now as it did that day that the pic was taken. Sorry it's taken a while to get a photo up. I just found it in the galleries from our little cookout back in the fall.

looks nice. Quite the opposite of your car the last time I saw it.

Yeah. 3 rallies plus 9 rallycrosses and god knows how many road mileage checking in the woods days will get your engine quite dirty.

I still have some LSPR dirt under there.

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

I am looking to clean my car's engine bay is their any new products that are better then the ones listed 1+yrs ago: engine degreaser foamy bright and simple green?

Also I need to get grease off the interior carpeting & headliner any suggestions?

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

I would highly recommend Simple Green for most everything to start. Wax the engine bay of the car as well. That's about all I used, and you can see from my profile pic, I did quite well.

As for interior, I use some woolite product for cleaning the car matts, as they get pretty nasty in the winter. Works really good.

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

I wish it was the matts - the spots are on the carpeting & headliner. I had a greasy guy help me with some stuff and he left his mark.
Thank you very much!

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

Good luck - let me know if you need any help. I miss doing that stuff. My prizm is no where near as fun to detail. ;)

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

Use a engine cleaner degreaser instead of Simple Green, SG is corrosive to aluminum and can make it look bad in time. After cleaning/degreasing, there is this engine detailer stuff that comes in a black aerosol can that you just spray on everything and it leaves a nice and glossy finish that will last much longer than the Armor All type mixtures.

Re: Detailing An Enginebay
 

How would you clean the alternator. The alternator, steering pump side of my car is full of oil. The dip stick shot out and dumped oil. Would you use degreaser and then just lightly wash it with a garden hose?