Favourite All Purpose Cleaner for Engine Bay?

[MCS]

What is your go-to all purpose cleaner?

I was using DDE on my S550 GT Premium however that is more of a "touchless" product and seemed to dry out the plastic/rubber parts.

Now that I have the Whipple, with that giant intake tube, want to keep it, and the rest of the bay clean.

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[DFB5.0]

What is your go-to all purpose cleaner?

I was using DDE on my S550 GT Premium however that is more of a "touchless" product and seemed to dry out the plastic/rubber parts.

Now that I have the Whipple, with that giant intake tube, want to keep it, and the rest of the bay clean.

For heavy cleaning, I'd do Koch Chemie Green Star mixed at 10:1. Spray it on, agitate with brushes, then rinse clear.

You could also use a decon style soap such as Carpro Lift, NV Snow+, Koch Chemie Active Foam. Foam it on, agitate with brushes, then rinse.

After cleaning like that, I like to douse the whole engine bay with Meguiar's Hyper Dressing, painted sections and all. Apply it to a wet surface, then close the hood and allow it to dry. Hyper Dressing self-levels, so you can just liberally spray and walk away. I actually use my blower to help distribute into hard to access spots.

However...............................after every wash, I give the engine bay a quick wipe over, negating the need for heavy duty cleaning chemicals such as APC. This means you can use something gentler in the form of a rinse-less wash, mixed at either the water-less wash or quick detailer rate. I personally like Capro ECH20 for this role as it provides some mild cleaning ability, but also adds gloss, slickness and mild protection. I've also found ECH20 adds some richness to plastic surfaces like radiator panel or airbox. You could otherwise use something like Optimum No Rinse or McKee's N-914. Think of this like a drying aid for engine bays.

 

[MCS]

Thanks @DFB5.0 its still pretty clean so not sure I need a heavy cleaning. I was hoping there was a magic bullet all purpose cleaner could spray on and wipe off. I’ll digest your recommendations when home from the office.

 

[GrabThatBlue]

How bad is water for the engine bay. I see people cover the whole engine bay in water and soap, but I see tons of electric cables.

 

[gtstang462002]

How bad is water for the engine bay. I see people cover the whole engine bay in water and soap, but I see tons of electric cables.

No worse than driving in heavy rain. Been washing them for years with Westly's whitewall tire cleaner.

 

[Catdaddy]

I spray with 5:1 Meguiar's citrus power cleaner plus then hose off. No agitation needed. While still wet spray with 10:1 Meguiar's Hyperdressing and let it air dry. Nearly no touch. Here's one example. Their APC+ was better. But, it was discontinued. Since Hyperdressing is water based it attracts far less dust. My daily only needs it a couple times a year. Even the farm truck.

My favorite part is the price. Once diluted both are cheaper per bottle than simple green and armor-all. LOL

 

[Doug Watson]

I just use an air gun for the dust and a wet cloth to wipe everything else down once a week. Once it's clean it's easy to maintain.

 

[Illini4]

KrudKutter - spray on, hose off, dry as needed with a towel.

 

[DFB5.0]

How bad is water for the engine bay. I see people cover the whole engine bay in water and soap, but I see tons of electric cables.

Very much depends on the engine bay. THE KEY thing when it comes to using a hose or pressure washer under the hood...................................just use common sense.

I know a lot freak out, but modern cars are very well made in this regard, and anyway, water can enter the engine bay from underneath and through the grills in the bumper and hood. Car companies account for that.

Keep the hose moving and don't focus on a single spot for too long. I've done this to many, many cars now with no ill effect. And I was once the sort who was terrified of letting water into the engine bay, to the point where I I would spend hours cleaning engine bays.........................I do it in 10-minutes now.

A Mustang GT is pretty safe as most of the sensitive stuff is covered with plastic shrouding (battery ect), but some cars have areas such as the exposed air filters on a GT350 or my XR8. I like to cover anything suss with a plastic bad and weigh it down with a saturated towel.

You can see here I wrapped the exposed air filter and battery with a bag.........................

I don't normally need to do that to my cars, but on this occasion, it was needed.

My S650 was delivered with a lot of residue under the hood, so I had no choice but to hose it off properly. In this case, I covered nothing.

The following videos are worth looking at, both on Ford's..........................................

This one was on a new GT350, so the treatment here was pretty quick and easy. For the most part, this is how I do it........................



This video is relatively new and focuses on a used F-150 Raptor that needed a deep clean...........................



I also have the below thread on Mustang 6g, its a few years old now but still current -
Engine Bay Cleaning and Detailing | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com

 

[DFB5.0]

Thanks @DFB5.0 its still pretty clean so not sure I need a heavy cleaning. I was hoping there was a magic bullet all purpose cleaner could spray on and wipe off. I’ll digest your recommendations when home from the office.

If your engine bay was ultra dirty, you could use Bilt Hamber Touch-less, foam it on and allow to soak, then rinse off with water. Mist with some Hyper Dressing or Koch Chemie Motorplast and job done.

In your case, I'd stick to giving it the occasional rinse, and wipe down with your favorite quick detailer, rinse-less wash or drying aid. Would take you less the 3 minutes. I use this method on my sisters car every few months, no special treatment.

 

[MCS]

In your case, I'd stick to giving it the occasional rinse, and wipe down with your favorite quick detailer, rinse-less wash or drying aid. Would take you less the 3 minutes. I use this method on my sisters car every few months, no special treatment.

I have some McKee's 37 N-914 and some Meguiar's Hyper Dressing on the way! Good thing I have a ton of Coscto yellow rags lol. Save my good stuff for the body.

 

[GrabThatBlue]

@DFB5.0

Someone advised me to ceramic coat the engine bay. What is your take about that?

 

[DFB5.0]

@DFB5.0

Someone advised me to ceramic coat the engine bay. What is your take about that?

No reason why you can't, but it will be a time-consuming endeavor. With so much intricacy, you would have to be very careful to not end up with high spots in areas that are hard to access properly with your towels.

In theory, you would coat the black plastics (fuse boxes/battery trim panel/windscreen scuttle/radiator cover/air boxes), engine cover, strut brace, and any accessible painted areas such as the underside of the hood and inner quarter panels/strut towers.

I sort of sit in the middle by using a ceramic spray sealant like Carpro Reload or ADS Amplify. These won't last as long as a ceramic but is easier and more forging to use, while lasting longer than a dressing.

 

[DFB5.0]

I have some McKee's 37 N-914 and some Meguiar's Hyper Dressing on the way! Good thing I have a ton of Cascto yellow rags lol. Save my good stuff for the body.

Did you buy the gallon concentrate of 946ml RTU bottle?

These are the gallon dilution ratios. I mix it at 4:1 or 5:1 for a natural, "barely there" look.

Meguiar's Hyper Dressing	2:1	333 ml	167 ml	500 ml	Medium Gloss
	3:1	375 ml	125 ml	500 ml	Satin Finish
	4:1	400 ml	100 ml	500 ml	Natural Finish

If you bought the RTU bottle, that is prediluted at 1:1 but can be too glossy for engine bays and won't level down as well. I'd be watering it down further, cutting it at 1:1 to arrive at the 4:1 above.

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