FastFox

How do you guys keep your 5.0 engines so clean? What are the tricks of the trade to getting to the hard spots? Do you steam clean it, hose it, or just use like a can of engine brite cleaner? The bottom of my engine is extremely dirty with lots of oil buildup gunk from over the years. I don't think it has ever been cleaned. How do you reccomend me to clean this, or should I? Even after I clean my engine fairly well, it seems to be dirty the very next day. What do you guys do?

NegadivOne

i never used engine cleaner on it cuz it says to avoid getting it on rubber and electrical parts. i just use soap and water.

sgt_pepper17

I have a polished carb and intake and chrome valve covers, and a chrome air cleaner.... I hate chrome too but the parts came with the car so I kept them on there. Anywho, I just accept that it's gonna get dirty and look like crap, but I didn't buy a v8 to look good now did I? I'ld use chrome polish on anything chrome and steam clean the rest. The thing you need to be careful about is using a high pressure washer if you have a painted engine. Sometimes it can blow the paint right off the motor if it's not on there well, like say if you painted over a section that had a bit of oil on it. Here's an old secret.... Wesley's Whitewall Wash. Works wonders but can bleach out some paints....

Erik

FastFox

So exactly what is steam cleaning an engine? Can I just use a pressure washer? Does it have to be hot water??

vfast

I use simple green...now the caked on stuff needs to be scraped off...put a plastic bay over the dist and the alt..when spraying water

Derf00

It's usually a combo of hot water and engine cleaner/degreaser with pressure behind it. I wouldn't use a pressure washer as it will force water into places it's not meant to go.

I just use diluted simple green. If the stuff is caked on then I spray it directly on the area, let it soak, take a brush to give it a quick scrub and rinse it off.

MikeHawke

i just say fu*k it and never open my hood in front of people.