How do I clean my engine without ruining anything?

I am trading my old car in as I purchase another one. My engine is very disgusting, it is the dirtiest engine you will ever see and I don't think it has been cleaned for the last 10 years. There is so much sludge, grease and grime on it and I am needing to wash everything and make it look somewhat new. Now a friend of my said just use a powerwasher and if I use some sort of engine cleaner to make sure I don't directly spray it on certain parts b/c if they are really hot they become flammable. Also I have heard if you use a power washer to go easy on other parts so they don't get torn up. Now I have a cool pack in my car not a regular distributor so he said spray away. What parts do I need to look out for if any???

How do I clean my engine without ruining anything?
Yes there are parts to avoid like the electrical systems and the intake. Also a pressure washer can tear up parts if put on to strong. You also should do this when the engine is cold.





If you are unsure, I would have a mechanic do it for you as more damage can be caused if not done properly. Price the engine cleaning with different licensed reputable shops to be sure you are not overcharged.





Good luck.
Reply:If you're trading it in, don't bother at all, they'll do it at the dealership when they resell it, and that way if something _does_ get damaged, it's their problem. A clean engine won't get you any better of a trade in.





If you must do it, any of those do-it-yourself car washes have engine cleaning selections you can make. You spray on the cleaner, let it sit for a little while, then hose it off real good. The simple pressure of the power washer will work wonders. It'


s possible to damage some parts, but not very likely. If something does fail, it was pretty much ready to go already





If you're unsure, get your boyfriend or dad to do it.
Reply:a power washer and some stuff called "engine brite" will make a world of difference. A lil work with a wire brush may be needed in some of the heavy buildup spots. try to not get the stuff on your hands/skin though.
Reply:You are really not going to get any extra money for it if you clean the engine,what you might do is mess something up and get less.


You can rest assured that they are going to clean it B-4 they re-sell it.
Reply:DONT DO IT.
Reply:I took my car several weeks ago to a car wash and cleaned underneath. Mine was not as bad as yours but it was still bad. I went to a parts store and told the person what i was going to do and he recommend some degreaser and it worked great.





To get back at what you were asking. When you steam clean a engine. You want to get some plastic bags. Make sure you put them over your alternator, battery, distributor cap and spark plug wires. Real good.
Reply:Make sure the car is cooled down. Anywhere theres a buildup of gunk you can soap up and hose down (regular car detergent or even dish soap if your desperate works-degreaser) You can give the whole bay a rinsing just try to go easy on any wires,horns, electric components and filters or openings. Make sure you let it dry completly before turning it on and wipe down battery connections and any electric wires you see, as any electrics that do get wet can short if power is run through while wet but should not cause a problem. That should be quick, easy, won't do any harm and will make it look good enough to cause no depreciation in value for a trade in
Reply:I don't recommend you do it unless you use a spray brake parts cleaner and rags for wiping down what you can. Do not use anything that requires that you spray the engine with water or you may cause yourself an unwanted repair bill. if you buy about four cans of brake cleaner, you can get every thing that's oily and greasy clean, and then just use rags to clean off every thing else. the brake cleaner will dry on it's own. only do this on a cool engine. after you have cleaned it, let it run to burn off anything that's gotten on the exhaust.