Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Started Cleaning the Engine Bay


Yesterday there was a lot of rain, so I didn't get to work on the car. This morning I got started with AdvanceAutoParts Heavy Duty Engine Degreaser (P/N AAP1). It was the cheapest stuff available going for under $2. I didn't use a lot of the stuff because I didn't want to get it on anything electrical. Instead, I sprayed a little bit on the crankcase and the bigger metal pieces. Mostly I sprayed the degreaser on paper towels and then wiped it all over. I waited for about 15 minutes (maybe more) like the directions said and then I used a spray bottle of water to wash it off a bit. However, I didn't run the engine idle for any period of time according to the instructions. I'm not sure why it's necessary and I just hope nothing catches fire or corrodes. Here is a photo of the engine bay now. I realize it actually looks dirtier in this photo, but it is on its way to becoming cleaner. In almost 75k miles, I'm not sure if its ever been cleaned. Things are a mess with black stuff, sand and dirt everywhere. The underside of the hood was really back, so I did a quick once-over with some Meguiar's Quick Detailer. The engine bay is still dirty, but it's getting better including the painted chassis parts.

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