Cleaning and engine bay

Get a can of degreaser, spray over the engine etc and hose off.

The better way is still industrial/commercial detergent (Delvex), concentrated sprayed through the engine bay and hood let soak and hose off or high pressure washer.

I used to use Gunk, and a watering can afterwards. Too much trouble to connect up the hose.

You shouldnt use a high pressure washer in the engine bay , they damage seals, can cut plastic and rubber hoses , penetrate into electrical items they can even punch holes into radiators.

I used to use Gunk, and a watering can afterwards. Too much trouble to connect up the hose.

I might just clean up the plastics and such like to just smarten it up. I've heard of gunk but never ever ventured in to engine bay cleaning. I guess a trip to halfords for some might be all I need and a few cloths.

If you say so.

a good steam cleaner strips paint and etches wood and aluminium quite well. it would easily take out a radiator. used judiciously they are great, but they certainly can do damage. I find a spray round with jizer and a hot water pressure wash (avoiding certain bits) works very well.

Wow! I didn't read that properly; I would never go near my car with a HP washer, even tyres can be damaged.

In message , Matthews writes

I brush it on with an old paint brush.

I do, pressure washers are bloody lethal in an engine bay in the hands of fools, some of the better quality ones run over 15000 psi enough to cut mortar , bore into brick tear the face off timber.

Just use a watering can or hose pipe if you must

Like pretty much everything else in life, you just need to be sensible. All the washers I've used have two settings on the nozzle; if you use the lower one, they are perfectly safe for vehicle use, even under the bonnet with care.

I've used my ancient Karcher on numerous cars and off-road motorcycles over the last twenty years with never a problem; in fact, the local 'Polish car wash' uses them.

Chris

I spent 3 successive lunch breaks in the carpark at work with a pair of needle nose pliers straightening all of the fins in my oil cooler on my bike after jet washing. God only knows how a long a radiator would take.... A good lesson that was. Jizer, a paintbrush, and a hose in future.

JB

Ok, but I bet you don't get too close!

It stinks terrible too.

They make a special tool to do that job, they sell them in air conditioning places.

The bad smell of Gunk was why I always bought Jizer.

Most of it's little more than paraffin.

There are water based engine cleaners.

Exactly!

It's all in the handling.

Why would you go near a radiator anyway?

Its a common sense approach unfortunatly 90% of motorists dont have it