A tale of two engine bay cleaning videos

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick owners who like their engine bay spick and span,

Hagerty's posted a link to Meguiar's video on how to clean engine bays:

https://youtu.be/r6_X6GCvUsg

What do you guys think about this technique?  I personally feel a bit squeamish pouring that much water in an engine bay.  Now my car has a lot more electronics so I have more to be worried about.  Nonetheless, I found this other video that looks more reasonable to me although I still haven't bought the recommended pressure washer.

https://youtu.be/P3m2-u0KpPk

Opinions from da' peanut gallery? 

Cheers, Edouard 

[option B9]

   Edouard,  I saw both videos. The second one is better, but he should have disconnected the battery before doing anything else, specially when putting foil over electrical components. I remove the battery when I wash a motor. 1, to give it a good cleaning outside the vehicle. 2, to wash off the acid from the battery tray and area around the tray. The first time an engine is washed the way we like it, yes its real dirty with caked on grease so you may need a lot of water ( pressure washer) & degreaser to wash it off but from then on a light rinse with some soap & water should keep it clean, Do not use Gunk engine cleaner or another product like it on newer cars & trucks !! it gets into the sensors and you will have big problems with the engine bay electrical systems. In my newer daily drivers I just wipe down the engine bay with a rag wet with soapy water, I put a little Dawn dishwashing liquid in a pail of warm water squeeze out the rag and start wiping.. In the old Buicks I use Simple Green instead of Dawn. I'm not a fan of a lot of water in the engine bay or on the car, water creates rust ! So I wipe down my Buicks instead of washing them. But if I do get caught in the rain "Oh Well can't stop mother nature" life goes on....   Tony

[elagache]

Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick owners who like their engine bay "spick and span,"

Thanks for your observations.  As I suspected, Meguiar's technique might work well to clean, but it isn't the best way to treat a classic car engine bay.

I remove the battery when I wash a motor. 1, to give it a good cleaning outside the vehicle. 2, to wash off the acid from the battery tray and area around the tray.

Do you see much in the way of battery acid leaking anymore?  I have a friend who swears by Optima batteries, but they are significantly more expensive and modern lead acid batteries seem to have much less problems with leaking.  I instead have a battery mat under every battery and I would hope that would be sufficient to catch any acid that might leak.

In my newer daily drivers I just wipe down the engine bay with a rag wet with soapy water, I put a little Dawn dishwashing liquid in a pail of warm water squeeze out the rag and start wiping.. In the old Buicks I use Simple Green instead of Dawn. I'm not a fan of a lot of water in the engine bay or on the car, water creates rust ! So I wipe down my Buicks instead of washing them.

We are clearly of a like mind!  The one thing I was pondering instead of a pressure washer was a steam cleaner.  Steam provides a temperature advantage for removing grease.  I have a small steam cleaner that isn't very powerful but worked well when I was degreasing my bicycle.  Next time I have a chance to clean an engine bay, I would like give that a try.

Cheers, Edouard

[option B9]

  Hi Edouard & all the Special/Skylark fans. I have a standard 12 volt battery in all the Buick's, and yes sometimes I start to see some white film form on the batteries and I wipe it off or remove the battery and give it a good cleaning. I also use the battery mat, but that too does not last forever so I change them every few years.
   Steam or hot water does a great job on melting the grease. Many years ago I purchased a pressure washer type wand from Eastwood. it has a hookup for a garden hose and another for compressed air so you can blast the grime away, but I took it one step further I hooked the hose up to my home water heater . Turned up the compressor, Now I had steam !! I sprayed the engine with some dawn dishwashing liquid and let it soak. Then I blasted the grime & crud away. I don't know if Eastwood still sells the wand, but if you cover all the parts that need to be covered and proceed with caution. It should come out great. I do not recommend doing it all the time. but for a first time grime remover its great.. Also be mindful that the hot water/steam can burn you or anyone around you so stay safe and enjoy your Buick.....   Tony
   

[elagache]

Dear Tony and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

  Hi Edouard & all the Special/Skylark fans. I have a standard 12 volt battery in all the Buick's, and yes sometimes I start to see some white film form on the batteries and I wipe it off or remove the battery and give it a good cleaning. I also use the battery mat, but that too does not last forever so I change them every few years.

Okay, that's good to know.  I'll keep an eye out for that sort of film.

Steam or hot water does a great job on melting the grease. Many years ago I purchased a pressure washer type wand from Eastwood. it has a hookup for a garden hose and another for compressed air so you can blast the grime away, but I took it one step further I hooked the hose up to my home water heater . Turned up the compressor, Now I had steam !!

Wow that's one slick cleaning machine!  I've got a simple and comparatively safe steamer intended for kitchen and household cleaning.  It is called a Steam Shark I believe and I assume hasn't been in production for a long time.  You still have to be careful with it, but it isn't nearly as powerful as the rig you have.

I do not recommend doing it all the time. but for a first time grime remover its great.. Also be mindful that the hot water/steam can burn you or anyone around you so stay safe and enjoy your Buick.....   

As you say, safety first and always!

Cheers, Edouard