Cleaning engine area and block

[Justadad]

I’m looking to freshen up my engine bay and was wondering the best plan of attack. Would rather not pull it but I’m not totally against it as I may be doing my clutch sooner than later. Just want to clean it in as complete as possible meaning tear down to a minimum. Thank you in advance.

[aklackner]

When I re-did my LS I used a lot of the diluted purple simple green and stiff nylon brushes.

The OEM engine bay is designed to take a good bit of water so rinse well but try to avoid electrical as much as you can. I used a weed sprayer with water so I could easily spray targeted areas.

You can soak most parts in the purple simple green but don’t leave it days it will strip to metal bare which will flash if you don’t rub it down with a protector quick.

[RTW DC2R]

The paint in the engine bay, especially on the firewall side, is pretty weak so be sure not too scrub too hard and rinse thoroughly. I used mostly simple green, and purple power for tough areas.

For the block, dont use a super coarse brush or you will have tons of brush marks. Use a finer tooth brush.

If areas are particularly dirty or caked on grime, soak thoroughly beforehand.

It is definitely easier with the motor out (obviously) but you can do a decent job without removing it. Be sure to remove the battery and battery mount bracket, that area collects a ton of shit.

[Nick MC]

If you clean it with the engine in make sure you keep the VSS somewhat dry when your done. My situation may have been unique because I was OCD about my engine bay, but water can get pushed into the connector. I’m not sure if it was the way it’s positioned on the transmission or from water pressure from the hose.

[Gotin]

I use undiluted simple green in a spray bottle. Coat the entire bay and soak heavy grime spots. A dollar store toilet brush is good for breaking up grime so that the green can penetrate it. Regular hose to rise and a wet towel on the under of the hood and painted parts of the bay. After fixing an oil leak, a pressure washer was used on the front of the block between the header chambers. Battery removed and a bag over the distributor and harness in that area. All this is with the engine in the bay. This is a once a year thing for me.

[Justadad]

Thank you for all the helpful info guys. Will be tackling it very soon.