Clean my engine?
 

What do you use to clean the motor. mine is all covered with like a white powder. I guess it is ocsidized (sp) Aluminum. Hoe do i clean up the other parts?

You can wash it. Use aluminum polish on the aluminum parts. I used it on my AC lines and they look nice and shiny. I know you want to see my car. I'll have to find some time so you can come and see it.

What town do you live in?

simple green works pretty well to get grime off.

Unless Simple Green has changed, I would not recommend it - it attacks aluminum and discolors it.

I use any of the degreasers in a spray can to start to initially get the engine clean (could take some scrubing as well) and then use regular carwash detergent. I usually wash the engine ever other car wash ......

Harry

I used engine degreaser as well as very fine steel wool on the intake manifold, valve covers,ac hoses, etc and my engine almost looks new.

I find using the SOS steel wool pads meant for washing dishes work very well for cleaning the aluminum. On my intake I found that they actually smooth the rough surface down, so be careful not to go crazy on the not so sturdy pieces.

I use parts cleaner on grease and aluminum cleaner else where. Mostly water from a hose works well and then Armoral on all the plastic hoses and rubber and aluminum when done. I got a stainless brush duct taped to on a long dowel for reaching down under the intake manifold, I use the hose water when the engine is cold, spray off the water with compressed air. Also I used Lestoil the last time to get all the oil/dirt grime out of the engine bay. Simple green sort of dulls the aluminum in my opinon. I am more concerned about getting all the salt off the engine and hoses as this will eat thru the hoses.

Take care of that SVX,

John

Yes, John. That was what I was talking about with Simple Green "attacking" the aluminum. Over time, it really does dull the surface.

Harry

If the engine is REALLY greasy you could use some Castrol Super Clean.
Just remember that the model building community swears by this as a paint remover. If you use CSC OR simple green, be pepared to rinse for several minutes.
My 2cents is to just use a mild detergent in a pressure washer. Dawn dish soap usually works for me. Then a silicone based cleaner for the hoses ETC.

hmm - I didn't know that. I've been using it for a long time and my aluminum is kinda dull :o

U mean I can use a Pressure washer in my engine bay with out a problem?

Yes, just stay away from the intake area, just in case. Had a friend that sprayed his and got some in intake, and it wouldn't start for about 45 min, with intermittent cranking. You can also get some degreasing soap and put it in the add-in attachment of the pressure washer if it has one, to add the degreaser to the flow, makes it much easer. You don't have to worrya bout it sitting in the wells of the sparkplugs either, because of the H style engine.

One of my local car washes has an "engine cleaning" option on the dial, I have done this a few times, it has a green liquid stuff mixed with water that does a decent job getting rid of the grease, I have had no problems as of yet, it is a low-pressure wash.:)

We have this stuff at work that they use for all sorts of stuff, it's called "Incredibly Hot" (w/ cinnamon scent), and I have no idea where to get it, but it is AWESOME at cleaning greasy engines. I sprayed some on the bottom of the engine in my turbowagon and let it sit for a little and sprayed it off, the oil pan looks like it's brand new. They also have some stuff to make the rubber stuff shiny and whatnot when they do a detail but I dunno what the name of it is...

well if the "incredibly hot" works so well, buy some,( for us to get) so we can slightly keep the "subaru passive underbody coating " to a minimum