Best spray-on, hose-off engine cleaner

[treepete]

Hey guys. After the fan mod, I have no more lower fan shroud, and theres a bunch of oil and grease and crap down in there I would like to clean off.
Either its old from when my high pressure hose was leaking, or maybe I have a newer leak of oil from the cooling lines, or maybe a little of both. I thought maybe cleaning it up with some of that spray on, let it sit, hose it off in the grass kinda product would help it look better.

Is one brand better than another, or more forgiving if I get it on the engine bay paint, etc.

thanks,
Pete

 

[GMCYukalade]

I don't know, i wanna know the same thing - i bought a new-to-me 97 Yukon... has over 200,000 on it.. and man that engine bay sure is dirty... and it needs a good cleansing.. lol - the interior.. is Excellent!! and that thing drives like a caddi... but.. that engine is still durty!

 

[99TAHOE22'S]

black magic engine shine works great... just spray on foam up and spray off

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

the gunk engine cleaner has always worked decently for me.

one of these days mines getting power washed to make it look a lot better. (after i fix the leaking oil cooler lines, and the seal between the engine and where the oil filter attaches.)

then power washing the driveway... haha

 

[treepete]

yeah, I read that these cleaners leave a huge pile of doo-doo on the driveway when your done. Maybe Ill swing into aut-hoe-zone and grab something and try it.

 

[GMCYukalade]

What i plan on doing is going and buying some in my 99 yuk... and then bringin it back home, takin my 97 yuk to the local carwash... sprayin that mess on per directions (and then lather it really good.. i don't care if the instructions say that or not) - and then using the engine cleaner thing at the carwash as well... and then hosin it off

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

i was talking about the small oil spots its been leaving from the leaking lines and seal. but im sure i'll be adding to that with the crap that gets washed out of the engine bay. (luckily mines not TOO bad, i just want it to look really clean and run a little more efficient.)

 

[treepete]

Procomp, when you used cleaner on the engine, what precautions did you use around electrical connections? I mean, as long as you dont stone-cold spray RIGHT on the brains of the engine, your pretty much good, right?>
stay off the distributor, etc..common sense style?

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

i haven't used it on the tahoe yet, but the old 4 banger wasn't to bad other than below all the electrical components. (though it gets on basically everything) take it this way, most car dealers use the same thing in a pressure washer and on everything under the hood.

just make sure to keep it out of the altinator and the computer, rinse everything off REALLY well.

 

[treepete]

ok, so I tried Gunk Engine-Brite. I did a small sample zone near the hp steering hose, and oil coolant lines, and they should rename this stuff Junk Engine Brite cause it sucked. maybe another coat and then scrub the stuff while its on there would work. cause spray on/ rinse off didnt do the trick.

 

[sasquatch094]

yeah that stuff isnt the greatest. but u can also get your hands down in there with a brush and help the process a little bit, it may get all over your hands and smell bad, but i mean u asked for it.. lol.. i never power washed my engine compartments, (im kinda scared too) but idk if your not feeling the power washing idea, maybe try some of this stuff http://www.superiorcarcare.net/dpende.html or
http://www.lanescarproducts.com/reddegreaser.html this one has a picture of before and after to maybe help your decision.. idk man try one of em out and ill try the other.. lol

 

[treepete]

yeah, that lanes stuff looks like it works pretty good from the before and after pics.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

the lanes before and after pics look like they drove the vehicle through the desert and then washed the dirt off of it... didn't see my oil or grease in the pics at all.