Best way for cleaning Engines?
 

Ok, so how does everyone clean their engines? I wipe mine down all the time with a rag, but I obviously cannot get into crevices and so on. Thinking about buying the foam engine de-greaser spray where you spray it on, let it sit and then hose it off. Good idea or bad? My engines are stock 496HO's with no chrome or anything like that.

I'm far from a detailer, but I just spray them down with Simple Green (up to a 50:50 mix if oily, less for general cleaning), hose them down, wipe down afterwards.

Edit: I rinse down my engines when I boat in saltwater. I'd rather rinse them off than let the salt mist sit on them. Electronic are sealed and I've never had a problem from rinsing like this. I generally do not rise the engines if boating in freshwater.

This maybe way off-- but I would NEVER take a hose/water to an engine. I know we are in a wet environment and car engines get wet all the time etc., etc., etc., -- What I've done and do is take a rag with a little WD-40 on it and slowly wipe off all the surfaces as best I can. A little screwdriver or small dowel can be used to get to the hard to reach places -- yes it takes time but with ALL the electronics that are in the engine area the last thing that I want to do is get these wet and start corrosion going. When I'm finished I take a little Armour All and wipe everything down - especially the hoses. I have a stock 7.4 MPI -- If I could post a picture of the bilge in my boat - you could eat off it- yes it is that clean and I'm not bragging.

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I edited my post about to clarify I rinse the engines when boating in saltwater.

How the hell would i know, cleaning stuff is womans work, now pass mé a cold one

As stated above, Simple Green, hose, and then I pull out the Echo leaf blower! Leave the hatch open in the sun for a bit and all good. Every vehicle I own gets the engine washed off at least once a year (definitely in the spring after the rain has washed all the salt off the roads). The only problems I have ever had since the late 70's was a couple distributor caps I'd have to remove and dry out and my son's POS '05 Hyundai Sonata college car. Koreans don't use weather pack connectors!

I do cover/avoid the ECM on my 496 which sits on top the motor.

it is expensive but works GREAT!!!!!!! its a motorcycle cleaner S-100 it cleans everything and does not spot up , you still have to wipe down but its great!!!i always use the aerosol it works better why i dont know.

Every time out I spray my entire engine with WD-40, and let it sit for 20 minutes, then I wipe it down. This engine has ~80 hours of 90 % salt water use......

And what part of divorce don't you understand???

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Now we are talking -- That is one clean engine and bilge-- this is the way we all should treat our toys!!!

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thats the way my fathers stuff looks. growing up it was 1hr of boating to 5 hours of cleaning. i use my stuff lol as i am getting older i am learning the value of cleaning but i would still rather the 5/1 ratio compared to the 1/5 lol

once a year i hose them down with simple green and powerwash them and let dry in the sun for a couple hours then maintain with WD40. If i am doing it at the shop where i can control the run off i have even used EngineBrite then WD. All Merc componentry prior to the last couple years can handle the water no prob. Lately though I have heard they do not pot the ECM's and stuff like they use to.

hahaha im not getting on that ride... ever!

Failure and Divorce is not an option!!!

Good job!

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I wont buy wd40 anymore, after the company was bought and it was reformulated(made with cheaper ingredients), its crap... i only use CRC...
I wd40 ed the brand new 540 engine in my protouring 67 camaro, a year later the intake looking like it went through a 12 month salt water spray test.... worthless as far as protecting from corrosion... just my .02

I didn't know that WD was re-formulated- but to be honest I did notice a change last year in some that I bought. I agree - I don't like the new stuff and much as the older. This CRC -- what is it and can you get this at AutoZone, NAPA??

thanks for the opinion

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Do you spray it on everything? belts, hoses, etc.?

Dave,
I start at the rear engine mount and work my way forward, trying not to hit the belts, and hoses too much, but I just wipe them down anyway. It usually takes 3/4 of a can of WD40 to do the 572...
Dean

anytime. My dad was a boat guy since i was ten he had big boats, crc was everywhere. Its what all the marine places used, im a car guy so see wd at all the car places but a few have crc, crc i think its better than the original wd and far superior to the new stuff, rm

Try to keep it off the belts...

I must be the odd ball, we pull the boat thru the coin car wash and start with soapy water and then rinse. It is about a $5 event. We pull the drain plugs and then raise the bow up to max with the trailer jack and sometimes use a floor jack w/wood blocks to get enough height. (depends on the coin car wash). We then tow to shop/home with the bilge plugs removed and then towel dry. We do this every time we boat.....been doing this for 20+ years. Try it, the entire engine compartment comes out spotless and cost next to nothing.

Keep WD40 away from rubber
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread...D40-eat-rubber

Barrel Roll the boat. Effortless cleaning.

Simple Green and water for the initial clean, followed by a rag and:
http://i1342.photobucket.com/albums/...psgs48h7em.jpg

The s100 motor cycle wash talked about on the first page is awesome stuff!!!

I use CRC lubricant/corrosion inhibitor instead of wd40. I also use a silicone based lubricant if I am out of CRC.

I thought WD-40 didn`t stick around like it used to! Bastards!

Nice, thanks for the tip

Absolutely C2C , WD 40 is a big no no especially for electrical connections.

so what you spend like 10 bucks a year on cleaning?