is it safe to use a garden hose with a sprayer on it to wash the engine bay out.
not nessacariley the top but bottom and using some kind of degreaser to help break it up and wash the loose oil?

 

yes, just don't spray near the intake while the car is running obviously

 

try to avoid spraying directly at the wires/fusebox/etc.

then make sure its completely dry.

 

will make shure it totally dry before trying to start it or anything.
thanks guys

 

i prefer to blow with some compressed air, just to get the large puddles off, then I like to start it to let the heat of the engine dry things off.

I have done literally a thousand engines this way

 

okay ill fill up my compressor to help me out, thanks and ive decided to use simple green to degrease.

 

Simple green will take the paint off use nothing more than a mild soap

 

simple green was a suggestion by another member and it worked pretty good.
But i am all about more onfo and ill cease using it and use a high concentration of palmolive green dish soap.
thanks

 

Dish soap?
Bah, humbug.

Use Purple Power.
Straight from the bottle on really filthy areas and diluted for general cleaning.
Rinse with copious amounts of hose water.
(Do not spray any sort of cleaner on hot parts, engine should be cool when cleaning).

If the bay is really dirty, plan on several cycles to get it really clean (spot spray>general wash>rinse>dry...repeat).
Once done, a light rinse will remove normal dust accumulation and keep things looking good.

 

thanks, ill look into it. and im sure walmart sells power purple pretty cheap.