.:-- 6th Annual KY/TN March 2018 Land Between the Lakes Meet--:.

for those of us that have never cleaned an engine bay...
What areas should we not spray directly with water?
Any spots to avoid with the simple green but ok for just water?

 

Sub'd

 

Most "quarter car wash" nowdays have a spray tire cleaner as part of their list of options. It cleans rubber or anything powder coated. I blast the engine bay with water, then the tire cleaner. Let that soak a bit, then more water. No armorall/etc....Not spotless, but it's clean enough to work on....I hate wrenching on dirty shit....

Tire cleaner is the shizzle for tires too oddly enough.

 

Were you using silicone based tire shine? That's probably why. The ArmorAll Tire Foam is water based.

There aren't any particular areas not to spray directly with water, but there are a few areas you don't want to soak to the bone, like the battery and near the headlights. The fuse box SHOULD be sealed, same with the air box. If not, then try not to soak those areas too much either. You can use Simple Green wherever. I prefer to use it after there is some water in the engine bay so that it's somewhat diluted when it mixes.

You can also use Purple Power.

I've detailed a lot of cars and have always used this method. It's quick, easy, and it's never been an issue. Some cars have open air intakes in the engine bay, we used to just stuff a rag in there to keep water from getting in.

 

Here's what it looks like before i put the tire foam on. Once the water dries there will still be a very thin layer of dirt on stuff. The tire foam takes care of that.

 

if it already has mud on it... it's fucked anyway

Nah.... it's fine, but like Mitchell said, use caution around the air box and battery, especially with a pressure washer.

 

Best option so idea to seal these? Plastic bag or something?

 

so no full stream on battery or air box, rest is fair game. sounds easy enough.

 

Want to say I did use Armor All foam on my tires one time a few weeks before wheeling. Had blue tinted tires after coming home for a few weeks after washing the truck again. Might have been a different brand, not sure.

Sheeeeit! I wish mine looked that good when it was "clean"

#aintashowtruck

 

Tire foam collects dust and dirt. It will look great until it gets dirty again, then the dirt will stick to it even better. Used to use it on my race quad for a little while after I cleaned it before racing (Soon changed using that). Hit it with some engine degreaser, rinse, then hit it with some engine detailer. Will shine like new.

 

pretty much yeah. I wouldn't hold the nozzle in one spot for too long, but you're cool to blast certain areas that may need more attention.

People say that, but I don't see that issue. I've dailyed my truck for a year after cleaning, and while it did have some dust stuck to it, it was negligible. It likely wouldve collected the same amount of dust without the tire foam... it's not like the engine bay is teflon coated.

Like I said I've done countless cars using this method. The tire foam is fine because the film is thin enough that it's not a dust magnet like a lot of the other tire "shines"

Just don't sit there with the hose on it. Just kinda strafe spray it.. if that makes sense. Just go back and forth

 

Just giving you my .02. Riding around racing in dirt, it will collect dirt. Pam actually works great on plastic products to not let it collect mud believe it or not. Racing in dirt, the last thing you wanted was 15lbs of dirt collecting on the fenders.

 

Lort. Speaking of dust...

Those trails, though! The rain was needed, but not quite enough imo.

 

This. No need to be paranoid.

 

I gotcha. Yes, if you're driving on dusty roads a lot, refrain from the tire sprays. Hell.. maybe use furniture polish? I just like the tire foam because it gets in all the cracks and crevices easily. Plus I'm not spraying it on my fenders

what kind of engine detailer did you use? Is it non-stick??

 

yep. And then just run the truck for a little bit after the final rinse/ before the tire foam treatment.

My blue sea fuse box isn't sealed, I just made sure not to soak that area. Everything still works fine, even though it got a little wet.

That's so weird.. I want to say I had some tire foam still on my tires for AOP last year, and they didn't turn blue.

 

pretty sure I got dust in my b-hole

 

Detailer
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Radiator...93696&wl11=online&wl12=19853346&wl13=&veh=sem

Degreaser

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gunk-EB1...ategy=PWVAV&visitor_id=fOPf5NFBWfdnwelGhwP5n8

 

hmm, the shine product says

• Contains no silicones that can create a greasy, dust-collecting buildup"

Armor all tire foam (not shine) is also non-silicone based. I really don't have an issue with dust. Plus the foaming helps get in the crevices a bit better. Maybe wiping off the excess helps. I didn't like the engine brite degreaser as much as purple/simple green. Do what works for you though! Engine looks good!

 

Thanks for shooting the shopping list awesome!