just had a thought about washing the bay

is it the pressure or the water that damages the engine if you wash it or is it getting it wet. My thought process was that in the really bad rain we have had recently surely if your car was outside with a TRD bonnet it would have soaked the engine anyway...

is it the pressure or the water that damages the engine if you wash it or is it getting it wet. My thought process was that in the really bad rain we have had recently surely if your car was outside with a TRD bonnet it would have soaked the engine anyway...

A lot of real naff bonnets come with rain trays under the cosmetic vents for that very reason.

and the bonnets that don't have rain trays? surely a rain tray defeats the cooling potential of a vented bonnet?

and the bonnets that don't have rain trays? surely a rain tray defeats the cooling potential of a vented bonnet?

Not exactly as you have heat which can dispense more quickly if you have a vented bonnet. Even with the rain tray you have more air outlet if you like so then hot air can escape.

If you don't have a rain tray then its the same as pouring water over your engine really (though more spraying it).

in that logic washing your engine by pouring water on it can't really be that bad...

If you wash the engine, have the engine running whilst doing it and leave it running for 10 minutes or so after wards so that the water can evaporate and also you can see instantly if its affecting the running of the engine. Most people end up getting water in between the cam covers causing a miss fire.

TRD bonnet even without rain trays are designed in such a way the rain water doesn't go near anywhere important.

Most bonnets unless totally poor are designed this way.

I might give it a go then. Won't bother cleaning the cam covers as I am going to get them polished anyway.

I would do a search regarding pressure washing your engine bay mate as there are a few horror stories kicking about

I have never cleaned my engine and have never had any problems with it;)

I am not going to preasure wash it, sponge it and pour water on it.

I reckon it should be fine

I have never cleaned my engine and have never had any problems with it;)

and dont we know it

I am not going to preasure wash it, sponge it and pour water on it.

 

I reckon it should be fine

Then I think you will have problems mate!

Pressure washing is one thing, at least you have control over the jet and it's more of a mist compared to a bucket full of water, the engine is full of important electric components mate,

See those little vents on your spark plug cover? They lead straight to your coil packs, under that, your spark plugs and under that your cylinders!

You don't want water anywhere near there if you can help it mate!

I am not going anywhere near there, I am getting the cam covers polished so don't need to bother with cleaning them yet.

You know, having said that, I used to jetwash my Astra and Vectra's engine bays frequently, I always had the car running though...

You need to get pics up once it'd done mind

Make sure not to get water in the air intake.

Ive just started to polish all of the bodywork inside the engine bay,

It was a stained black oily colour, now its nice and crisp white,

Loads to do to make the whole bay look clean though.

I wouldnt advise washing the engine bay with the engine running, not if you intend making a proper job of it and getting right in every nook and cranny with a tooth brush. You will lose your fingers on moving parts! But do let it run for 5 mins or so after you have finished to allow it all to dry.

All you need to do is cover any important electrical components with clingfilm or something similar, put a carrier bag over an aftermarket intake if you have one.

Gently wet everywhere with warm water and then spray an All Purpose Cleaner or Degreaser everywhere and leave it to dwell for a few mins. I would then use a combination of warm water and a shampoo with small sponges and small brushes and get right in there and give everything a good clean. You will most likely need to use some more degreaser to along the way.

Then simply rinse it all down with a watering can, or you can use a pressure washer, just very gently, although it isnt really required in my opinion.

On painted areas you can use a polish with a reasonable amount of cut to it to bring back some shine. Use something like Autosol or Meguiars NXT paste to polish any metal.

Finally to complete the look, get yourself some Aerospace 303 which you can spray onto all the rubbers and plastics, leave for a few mins then wipe off. This will not only give a great 'showroom' shine but will also provide good protection. An aerospace treated surface will repel dust, dirt and oil based stains very well and will make for easier cleaning at a later date.

I must have hot detergent pressure washed 30 Supra / Skyline / race car / road car engines in the last few months and all are still alive and well. Just get it steamed off, take the coil packs out after, blow out the valley and WD40 the plugs and coil packs, put it back together and take it for a decent run to get the bay nice and hot. Leave the cam cover off to allow any remaining moisture to evaporate easily.