Engine bay steam clean??? Risky but I'm lazy!

[Smokey Joe]

Recently purchased an 04 WRX, in need of a serious clean on the engine bay....and have heard horror stories about problems after steam cleaning.... Any suggestions???

[quit]

I covered the Battery up , coil pack then my oil sensor connection

Sprayed some tfr on , then jet washed

[BoozyDave]

would I risk it? not a flippin' chance

 

a lad on one of the forums I go on does engine cleaning. he spent 3 hours with a toothbrush cleaning mine and when he had done, the engine looked like new, he only charged me £40 too

[Smokey Joe]

Now that seems like the laziest way to get the job done!

Where's this guy based?? I'm in Cardiff.

[BoozyDave]

He's up in Sheffield, so a bit far away from you.

He mainly used engine degreaser and wd40, then nail scrubbing brush and toothbrush, and a bucket full of patience [emoji1]

[quit]

That spray gunk is good ! Used to use that on my v6

[Smokey Joe]

Looks like there's loads locally that do steam / jet wash.... But not so keen on that. Just see a whole load of ball ache coming the second water or steam gets in there!

Think it's gonna have to be toothbrush and degreaser... And bust up knuckles!

Should be worth it though.

[Smokey Joe]

Cheers for the advice gents. Will let you know how I get on

[BoozyDave]

you could use a handheld steam cleaner on some areas though, something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230839991912 could be useful

[Scooby Pete]

Heres mine just after cleaning it elbow grease no steam :)

Good tip clean the engine before the body!!!

Products used:

R222 Total auto wash (Non-toxic) & 303 Aerospace Protectant

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/r222-total-auto-wash-cat2.html

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/303-aerospace-protectant-cat19.html

Shop around can be got cheaper than links

R222 Total auto wash. 1. apply this liberally to your engine compartment, ensuring anything sensitive to liquid is covered obviously (cone air filters etc) -

Leave for 5 mins after spraying (do not allow to dry) then agitate with a brush/sponge etc while removing with a light water spray.

2. Leave engine bay to dry, or dry manually with a soft cloth.

303 Aerospace Protectant

3. Apply this liberally to all surfaces within the engine bay, plastics, metals, the lot -

Allow to dry - 1-4 hours. Ignore what the product labelling says about wiping on with a cloth and polishing off...just spray ensuring a good coverage and leave.

4. Cup of tea.

5. remove any overspray on non-engine bay paintwork, or windscreen with a soft cloth.

6. Another Cup of tea cos you're done.

Start with a warm engine as it helps the 303 to dry quicker.

Try not to get too much oversrpay on exterior paint, as it will remove most polish systems also. Won't harm the paint though.

Here's some links to previous threads and tips.

http://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/6846-get-your-engine-bays-out-for-the-ladsgirls/?hl=%2Bengine+%2Bclean

http://uk.subaruownersclub.com/forums/topic/9179-engine-bay-cleaning/?hl=%2Bengine+%2Bclean

[stants]

I find that brake cleaner is useful to clean ally bits you can't get at easily . Not had any adverse effects yet [emoji55]

[quit]

Get a bottle of traffic film remover and spray it everywhere ? Then just wipe off