Today after class I popped my hood, and my engine bay was not nearly as clean as I wanted it to be..... So my question is how can I was my engine without doing any harm to it?

uh...idk =-)

Engine Cleaning

1. Make sure engine is warm, but not hot. Cold engines are harder to remove grease and oil from.

** Check the directions on the engine cleaner/degreaser you are using, though. Some specifically say to clean the engine when cold only. **

2. Cover your distributor (if you do not know what or where it is, get a manual for your car), alternator and fuse box. Most electronics under your hood are adequately sealed for rain water splashing up on them, but high pressure water is another story.

3. Spray Greased Lightning's Orange Blast (my preferred engine degreaser) liberally all over your engine and engine bay. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. If your engine is really dirty, then after the 5 minutes, spray it down again and wait an additional 5 minutes.

4. Spray the engine and engine bay with high pressure rinse water - but even though your distributor may be covered, still use lower pressure around it to be on the safe side.

5. Any remaining grime, spray again with Orange Blast, and use a stiff brush if needed. Rinse again.

6. Remove the plastic coverings and start the engine. Let it run until it is dry. You will have to dry the painted surfaces in the engine bay and the underside of the hood with a towel.

7. Dress any hoses, etc. you want with rubber/vinyl dressing.

DO NOT steam clean your engine. Steam cleaning is fine for carburated engines...but steam cleaning a fuel injected motor with all the additional electronics is very dangerous as steam is not only very hot, but since it is in vapor form and can easily seep into tubes/cracks/crevices and ruin electronics.

Seems like good advice. :twothumbs

Sounds good to me ill give it a shot this weekend....Thanks

You don't really have to use a lot of water..

Toothbrush and Spray Nine, then rinse a bit.

So I could do it at home and not at the carwash?

It would cost a fortune if you did it at a coin op..

Well that would make sense... Its gonna take some time to clean the dirt and gunk off.