So after my first dip in the deep muddy waters, i was shocked at how dirty the engine and everything under the hood got, and it made me wonder, how exactly do I clean everything under the hood? Besides the Airbox/Filter, what cant get wet? Is it OK to pressure wash the inside? Any spray stuff I need to use? ect... Generally, just how do I clean everything up under there properly and safely?

 

I do a lot of mud, so i don't clean it as often as some might. But when i do clean the engine bay, and everything in it, i just follow these steps:

1. Let the engine cool down a little bit.
2. Soak everything in water for a few minutes, it comes off easier when the dirt get soaked.
3. Pressure wash what you can.
4. Use degreaser to clean engine.
5. Rinse it, and use brush with soapy water to wash everything.
6. Rinse again, and let it dry.
7. Spray hoses and plastics with Simple Green, let it soak a min or two, and scrub it with semi-soft brush.
8. Rinse it.
9. Done

You can use some polishing crap if you want to make nice and shiny again, but its up to you. lol


Good luck.

 

By going through deep water.

 

All good advice.... Is there anything I should avoid in addition to the Air Box? Can where the spark plugs are located get wet? I know the Fuse box is decently sealed, but can it take a pressure wash blast?

 

I usually just pull the filter out, and stick a rag inside that huge air duct. That way, you can mow everything down with a pressure washer, and not worry about filter. Then when you're done, just wipe all the water from airbox and reinstall the filter.

As for everything else, i never had any issues after engine wash. Just let it dry up a bit before running it, and you should be good to go.

 

someone said to use scrubbing bubbles as it works real good on the dirt under the hood. i havent tried it yet as it is now winter in MI so no more mud. just frozen slush and cold.