DEtailing the engine bay.

[08TacomaKRV]

I got my Taco back from the body shop yesterday after they fixed the damage done from the bug shield. They removed the hood for the repair. There is quite a bit of body shop dust all over the top of the engine and throughout the engine bay.

What can I do to wash all that crap away without causing any problems to the engine? Can I hose it off or steam it maybe? Or should I just get a wet towel and bucket of water and wipe it all off by hand as best I can?

Brandon, buddy, any suggestions?

[kaleo]

I would say that if you have access to an air compressor then you can just shoot off what you can of the dust, then follow up with a wipe down.

When I do my engine bay on my tundra, I would spray p21s auto wash or cd2 engine detailer in my bay and give a gentle scrub on the engine and all the other components like the air tubing and box etc...with the engine turned on I would turn on my hose and give quick spurts of water to help wash off the solution. With the vehicle on, it creates a vacuum in the seals to help prevent water from going inside vital parts. The key is to not use strong jets of water.

after the rinse down, I turn off the truck and use my blower to help blow away as much water as I can before wiping down and apply some dressing.

Hope this helps

[Tundraman10]

1- bottle of engine degreaser
1- soft bristle brush
1- air compressor.
1- belt dressing Optional.
1- garden hose

1. Spray engine bay with degreaser. Try not to get it on electrical components.
2. Take the soft bristle brush and away dirt and dust.
3. Rinse motor off with medium to light sprays. Do not do a full spray Spurts of water. You do not need to have the engine running but that is optional. If you feel more safe then let the engine run. I just prefer to leave the engine off.
4. When rinsing off the engine bay make sure to hose the fenders really good otherwise you'll see water beading up from the degreaser getting on the paint.
5. Take a towel and wipe engine down.
6. Use air compressor to blow out any remaining water.
7. Start engine up and check for belt squealing. You may have to apply belt dressing. The newer toyotas have a lot more plastic covering the engine than what they used to. So I think that you'll be fine.

Chris

[Jumbo Jet]

Ditto on the P21S. A new Tacoma should'nt need any more harsh of a cleaner than that. Degreasers are good for lawn mower engines, but I dont care for them in a cars engine bay, they are too harsh and can stain plastics and cause problems with clear coats if not rinsed off immediately.

A light shower of water is all thats needed to remove cleaners. I wash, rinse and then blow off with the blower, then start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Then do a final dry with a towel and then a light dressing with Stoners Trim Shine.

I like P21S/ S100 Total Auto Wash diluted 5:1, thats always been more than enough for just about any engine bay short of a farm tractor. Its non-acidic too so it wont fade plastics.

[PowerHogger]

Would you guys use simple green for the engine bay?

[Jumbo Jet]

Sure, SG works great. I like to dilute it though, about 5:1 and then an old brush to loosen things up, and an old tooth brush for the tight spots.

[benbeaux]

I use a 14 degree or larger nozzle in my electric pressure washer & no soap. Give it a good wash & mostly dry with the electric leaf blower on high. With the big puddles of water gone, spritz everything lightly with 303 protectant. Let the 303 set up a few minutes, then disperse with the leaf blower on low, this time drying all the water & dispersing the 303 until it's in tiny droplets. I blow everything down so as to keep it off the shiny paint.

No need to worry about the belts or the water since 303 is water based.

Done.