whats the best way to clean your engine, should I just get it steamed at a shop.

 

I think a steam cleaning will give you the best results, especialy under the car!

 

I used simple green automotive and a sponge with an abrasive plastic cover thingy on it....

 

I am amazed at what steam cleaning for an engine does. Let me know what it costs you if you go that route.

I bought my explorer and they did it to the engine. I was shocked to see the engine look like NEW, no joke. Wouold look nice on the 2.8 after I get the rear oild seal and oil pan gasket fixed.

 

go to a RIG truck stop/drive in cleaning station. Kinda like the car drive that has the high pressure hose. The majority of the rig stations have a derivitive of a steam cleaner. I used one once in WoodBridge Va, and the results were amazing. It shot 190* water/steam with some degreaser mixed in with it. You just watched the grease, mud and gunk melt off the engine, underbelly and the rest of the car. This was on a 75 Cam with 170K+ that brought the engine back to the original deep blue block paint. It looked like I yanked the engine, painted it and put it back!, All in about 5 minutes and roughly 7 bucks if memory serves me right.

 

I used to go to the self-service car power washers. They have a selection for "engine cleaner". Tip- don't get the stuff on your paint, it'll eat the paint. (I nuked a headlight cover that way... oops.) Put the nozzle inside the engine bay, and point it at the floor. Switch the unit over to "engine cleaner", and pull the trigger until the green stuff comes out. Then clean the motor. Then, put the nozzle so it points at the ground, put the selector on rinse, pull the trigger until water comes out, and rinse the engine down.

Cover your distributor cap with aluminum foil. Cover your alternator with a plastic bag. Cover any other "important looking" electrical connectors with the tinfoil too. This will help keep water out of everything. I washed my engine once (at home), and a few days later, my battery light came on- I fried the alternator. I could see corrosion on the voltage regulator inside the alternator.

When you start the motor up after cleaning your engine, close the hood (but don't latch it). If any cleaner is on your pullies, it'll get thrown into the air when you start the engine- and you don't want this stuff on your paint.

WD40 or brake cleaner will help get your valve covers shiny again... use a toothbrush.