Want some opinions all...my Jag is in a storage unit and I am doing some work on rack and coolant hoses etc. Makes me sad though how bloody dirty and greasy the whole motor is.

Any brilliant ideas how to clean this engine and bay in this resyrcted environment? I would live to spray her top to bottom with engine degrease chems and rent a steam cleaner machine...but problem is the stream of liquid death coming off her into the parking lot

Maybe a kiddy pool under the engine..with a couple spares as they fill up? Maybe wet dry vac sucking as stuff comes off?

On related note..is there any magic degreaser product that REALLY will dissolve everything and be safe of steel, aluminum, rubber, wires etc

Thanks..random post but really want to clean her up before installing rack and new hoses etc

Thanks. Randy

 

No steam, no high pressure water. You'll regret it !

Rags, brushes, brake cleaner, WD40, simple Green, elbow grease.

For really gunky, caked-on crud you can use an aerosol engine foam....but just use squirt bottles of water to rinse it off.

Cheers
DD

 

Got it!

I know this is a delicate area

But I don't mind the hard work. Just cleaned my "black" fan and behold..it is actually yellow!!

 

Hi Randy,
I like WD-40 & simple green as well but for really caked areas, I'll use a plastic putty knife or trim tool to scrape off as much as possible. Then I use mineral spirits ( gallon jug at Lowes etc is cheap ) with various nylon brushes from Harbor etc followed by a old towel cut up into pieces. The residue from the mineral spirits is slightly oily which helps keep any raw metal from instantly rusting like when using brake cleaner. Be VERY careful if using carb cleaner, MEK, or heavy duty oven cleaner --- they all will damage or remove paint ! Especially the oven cleaner, that's why my IRS just "clean and inspect" turned into a rebuild and repaint !

Also check you fan for cracks, I replaced mine after finding several.

Cheers,
Brian

 

When starting behind the 8 ball with gunk I :

a) go to the car wash
b) spray all the worst areas (and anyway where if I have enough) with a can of generic chain auto store spray degreaser
c) start the car wash on suds, you usually get a spray from the nozzle without pulling the trigger
d) use this to clean the engine bay , dont pull the trigger
e) later, for heavily gunked up areas usually at the front and lower half of the engine pull the trigger and give it a blast

never had an issue using this approach and its usually somewhere between very clean to clean enough to work on.

 

Like your storage unit, I don't want to make a huge mess in my garage or drive. I get a heavy plastic sheet and drive onto it. Then use plastic putty knife, brushes and paper towels to get the big stuff off. Roll up the sheet and throw it out. Then I use household spray cleaner and lots and lots of paper towels. For parts I get out of the car I use Gunk engine cleaner and rinse with water. Agree with Doug, if you spray and get near anything electrical you'll regret it.

 

I have the same How To? problem.

my S type is in a storage unit, obviously I cannot wash the engine bay inside the unit. Manager will not let me use a hose either with the car outside the unit, but told me that if I take the car outside of facility where there is a faucet, he cannot stop me. I told him the car has no engine, getting it rebuilt, all I want to do is clean the engine BAY for heaven's sake. But no way Jose.

He came back a week later and told me there are two guys with those offroad 4 wheelers, suggested I ask them if they will pull the car outside and pay them something. Great idea.

I am still trying to catch them, they have not been around.
That is the plan. The best cleaner is Kerosene in a spray bottle. That is what is used in truck stops.

 

There are some good degreaser products based on silicates and which are less harmful to the environment that lettting kerosene enter the drains.

 

not to mention the smell. They mix the kerosene with steam and it leaves parts shiny clean. They do that to big rigs during winter months when they come south from the north thru snow and salt. I assume they collect the grime, it doesn't go into the water table.

I like "FOAMY" brand degreaser, leaves a pleasant smell and cleans pretty good.