my question is what can i get wet under the engine bay and what not to get wet
or should i not worry about anything under there to get wet.
im going to be cleaning it with degreaser.

 

I believe its fine to get almost everything "wet" as long as you avoid spraying water DIRECTLY onto the parts...

Electrical stuff as long as its dry BEFORE being pluged in and used....I believe its ok.

I just use a pressure washer and degreaser with alot of my wiring and **** still dangling around (Moved as much out of the way as I could) and avoided spraying the rest directy.

 

Disconnect the battery. I took aluminum foil and just crushed over the connectors to keep the degreaser out. Alot easier than wrapping them in bags and of course the obvious... DO NOT start the car till you have no doubt that everything is dry.

Maybe overboard, but better safe than sorry.

 

I put bags over the alternator, battery, and coil packs.

 

thanks i will take out the batery cover the alternator and coil pack not spray heavy on certain
areas and i will wait for it to dry before starting it. thank for the help

 

I don't cover anything, nor do I wait for it to dry...never had a problem.

I'm not using a high pressure spray though, just a garden hose, but still...

 

What clokker said.

I wash my engine everytime I was my car and have never had an issue. I use a spray bottle with dish soap and water on the easy stuff, and degreaser on the heavy stuff. Then just wipe with a cloth where anything is stubborn. Then a spray from the garden hose.

Of course if all your wiring is rotted and old, this may not be the best idea.

 

I use industrial degreaser and low pressure from the water hose. Works really well.

If you go that route, make sure the degreaser does not contain Sodium Hydroxide as it will corrode the aluminum.

 

When you guys say garden hose are you using a gun type nozzle or just a straight up garden hose flow.

 

i wash mine by hand with a very diluted simple green. then if i'm ambitious, i will apply wax to common areas under the hood to preserve the paint and so that dirt will have a harder time embedding itself into the paint.

 

I was thinking of using purple power cleaner on it. I have had good experiences with that stuff.

 

im going to disagree with waiting for it to dry, you want to start the car and let the engine heat dry everything.

I have probably washed over 1000 engines in my lifetime and at least 15 different RX7s, and washed my own engine I cant tell you how many times- start the car up right away and let it dry, dont let water sit, besides possible electrical issues you have corrosion issues because you have washed away any protective oil that has made its way onto the parts.

Wash- blow with come compressed air if you have it- then start it, close the hood and let it run. When its run a while drive it a little bit. Let it cool off and spray it down with a good silicone spray like CRC Formula 6-56 or even WD40.

 

I have a nozzle that twists to restrict flow. If you close it up most of the way, it makes a fan pattern that is pressurized, but not a lot of pressure.

 

btw you can use a 1300-1600psi pressure washer and have no problems at all

 

I'll pass. There is some brittle **** in the engine bay after 20yrs.

 

im not saying to hold it right on top of things- but do as you please.

When people come to me at meets and say "how did you get your bay so clean" I look at them and say "I washed it"

dont be so afraid!

 

I lost an alternator by washing my engine. No, not a coincidence, the alternator shorted internally and burned out the rectifier and regulator. That prompted me to get an FD alternator afterwards. If you don't want to wash your money away, you'll cover your alternator with a plastic bag and bungee cords, or remove it.

 

yeah what im going to do is obviously cover my alternator a few wires here and there(my car is
old and i dont want to trash my wiring) my coils and trailing. and after drying it off with a
leaf blower i will wd-40 some connectors to take out the water in them.

 

I'm pretty much in the Rob XX-7 camp. Like him, I've wash so many RX-2,3,&7's that I've lost count. Same thing goes for the comments by onlookers who like how clean the engine bay looks. I'm a little careful where I spray (usually in a coinwash) but I've never lost a part.

Babbs

 

im talking one of those $99 pressure washers, not something you wash your house with.

I can see people being cautious- that is fine. You should use the information you gather and make up your own minds.

 

This is my engine bay with the method I described above.

 

Pleasure to work on when they're that clean, isn't it?

Babbs

 

Hell yeah it is. I mean, you can't get all of the dirt from the top, so whenever I have to pull things apart, I thoroughly clean while I have access to the nooks and cranies.

 

the compliment for me was when I had people ask me if I bought a new wiring harness because the connectors were so clean.

they aint going to come clean with foil wrapped around them.
of course now I DO have a new harness, but my **** is still clean.