I need some sort of guidance on how to clean everything up and make it look tidy. I got the power steering pump but the previous owner said he stopped using it but the pump and such is still in the bay. Plus i got debree in there too.
Any steps

 

I don't understand what you are saying

 

You know.... cleaning the engine bay... getting rid of dust and other foreign objects.

 

I use a good quality degreaser. I put plastic bags over the alternator, battery, etc. I spray the degreaser on the engine and accessories when the engine is cold. Let it sit for 30 minutes then spray everything with a water hose. Do not use a strong water stream. then drive for a little bit to remove all water.

 

Thanks boss... i did that to my miata and it was living hell lol. Felt like it wanted to stall...water got on the cas connection....smh.

Gonna get some purple power :3

 

I have never had any issue just using common sense and a pressure washer.

 

The rx7 is one car I would not run a hose over. Too many solenoids, toasted wire sheathing, and dry-rotted tape over electrical stuff to worry about damaging.

 

a good degreaser and a garden hose is all i use. nothing in my bay but engine and what's necessary to make it run. which covers both meanings of 'clean' engine bay.

 

I did not notice your signature, I guess that explains that. Now to be a little more transparent, nearly every other car I have ever owned I would throw a garden hose on it and not think twice

 

The trick is that once it is clean, it takes little effort to keep it clean. Assuming no fuel leaks, just use a spray bottle of dish soap and a brush in stubborn areas every time you wash the car, let it sit, then rinse. Owned my Insight since new and just do this every 2nd washing. Engine bay is spotless.

Now if you are acquiring a car that has spent 30 years without a cleaning, has had fluid leaks, it is a different story.

First fix the leaks.

Then, with your favourite degreases (I like Super Clean), cut it with water per instructions and get in there with a wire brush. PLEASE, for this first cleaning, use a brush/cloth and rinse in a bucket for appropriate disposal! It takes a special type of ******* to just soak the engine bay in degreaser then rinse it off with the garden hose, so all that wonderful oil end sup in the local rivers, streams and water table. So all your scrapings from that first cleaning should be captured and disposed of, which means HAND washing the first time with a cloth and rinsing bucket.

It may take several go-arounds. At one point you will be on your back under the car. But once it's clean, keeping it that way is easy and not an environmental disaster.

 

On a 'never cleaned' GSL-SE I used the Maguire's degreaser 4:1 in a spray bottle + scrubbing w/ a wheel brush then soft spray hose + repeat. Did that about 10 cycles across the bay and had no issues. Looked much better and I will do that again a couple of times over the next couple of months followed by 303 protectant. Next time I'm gonna use one of those 2 gallon garden spray bottles... I will also be polishing the dynamic chamber - off the car, of course. And to the point, above, I checked for vacuum leaks, etc. before I started.

 

 

i use tire dressing and some shop rags, screw pressure washing because that can cause more harm than good. and like aaron said, washing a filthy bay is a huge mess, cleaning it with rags at least sends your pollution to a landfill.