cleaning engine and engine bay

I got a 2008 tacoma with 190,000 mile worth of dust and crud on the engine and engine bay. What is the best and safest way to get this area clean. Thanks

 

Engine bright and a water hose works for me.

 

Go to YouTube and search for 'Chris Fix' ... he has an excellent video on engine bay cleaning

 

I spray mine with full strength simple green and let it soak 5 minutes. Then rinse with low pressure garden hose sprayer. Whatever crud remains repeat with simple green and scrub with a toothbrush or something.

I do cover the alternator but am not sure it's necessary.

 

thank you good sir, just what I needed.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRSoRkM8GcM

 

Post it

 

it is the post above yours.

 

simple green or awesome orange is your go to products.................at least they work for me

 

How you clean between the engine and firewall

 

Sub’d

 

Does anyone else think Chris Fix goes a little overboard with protecting the engine? I've taken care to cover electrical bits and have hosed down the engine without any issues. I do have experience in my 87 GMC Jimmy with water getting into a sensor, so I'd like to think I'm not careless about it now.

 

I think it's better to play it safe than sorry. A lot of people just pop the hood and hit the engine bay with a high pressure hose...I think that's a really dumb idea. Sure, water gets in there all the time when you're driving on a wet/rainy road but it's not the same as forcing water into places it shouldn't be forced with a pressure washer. I always cover the alternator, fuse box and battery (probably not needed but I have a couple accessories that connect to it directly) with plastic grocery bags - spray degreaser everywhere and let it sit for a few minutes, then use a hose on "mist" setting and just rinse everything off. I've never had anything bad happen from it.

 

I do think he goes a bit overboard, but with a qualifier or two. First, the Mustang he cleaned had one of Ford's 4.6 liter modular motors. Any of the motors in that family (4.2, 4.6, 5.4 and 6.8 liter) were notorious for coil pack problems when you doused them under the hood. (I personally wiped out 3 coil packs when attempting to gingerly clean my 5.4 liter.) A friend of mine owns a Ford dealership and he fired a Detailer for repeatedly causing coil pack issues with his cleaning methods on those motors. So for that particular motor, I'd say he was just being "appropriately cautious."

For Toyota products in general, I think he goes overboard. My son is a Toyota / Lexus Certified Service Technician and graduate of the Toyota T-Ten program in college. He's told me repeatedly that I can be less cautious on both my Tacoma and my Scion xB. "Sure, you don't want to blast them with a pressure washer, but a gentle spray wont hurt a thing" he says. So I use a 1 gallon pump style Garden Sprayer and he's been right so far. I do use a Leaf Blower to remove excess water before hand drying what's left too.

One thing that nobody's mentioned that I always do is mask off both fenders and the windshield / cowl area with plastic before applying any kind of cleaner / degreaser. Some of those products are not very kind to paint and the spray does drift a bit.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I have done the same procedure for years and have had no problems. But I only cover the alternator.

Degreaser spray or aerosol of your choice and only a garden hose.

 

What parts cover with plastic bag? 2.7 motor 06 Tacoma 4 cylinder base.

 

Like I've said, I just cover the alternator. Others may cover the fuse box too, but with just a garden hose pressure, I can't see the need.

Don't get thinking it'll be easier if you use a pressure washer to do the work. That could force water into electrical connections. Just let the spray degreaser do the work and not the water pressure.