Best way to clean/make the engine look better?

[C43inNC]

Just wondering what is the best way to clean the engine bay without messing up anything. Also, any cosmetic things I can do it sexify it? I drove an SUV for 8 years, so I don't know things like this. lol.

[Yujin]

Hey Kompressor,

Some things I did was repaint the engine plate. The one that has the Kompressor letters in Red? You could unscrew it with some allen wrenches and paint it a nice color. Another thing you can do is buy some covers for hoses or w/e. I bought some plastic alluminum ones.

I wouldnt recommend cleaning the engine with water AT ALL. If your going to clean anything, use a degreaser and use rags or paper towels to clean parts by hand. Thats what I have done, makes a difference, you dont want to short anything out. Take a trip to autozone or pepboys or w/e, and find some engine dressing up things there.

Good luck!

[C43inNC]

Thanks bud. I did paint the engine cover. I'm probably going to need to paint the other part too, the greyish part is starting to peel off. And I picked up some degreaser but haven't used it yet.

[atikovi]

Get a can of Gunk spray degreaser and head to the coin-op car wash. Spray Gunk on the engine, hood and inner fenders and let it sit a few minutes. Then spray off with the pressure wand, obviously avoiding close blasts to any electical components and connectors. Then drive the car to dry off the water, then spray on rubber dressing of choice.

http://www.fototime.com/D9F11E56BF9A145/standard.jpg

[SD202]

paint it
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261682_10150308798120971_577010970_9971786_7393258 _n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262138_10150308350495971_577010970_9967405_5044901 _n.jpg

just dont forget to change the Valve cover gasket when u take it off to paint it.

[C43inNC]

SD lemme ask you, on the engine, the light green part, did you take that piece off or did you paint it with it on? If you took it off, how?

[SD202]

Its the valve cover. And yeah you pretty much have to remove it if you want to paint it and turn out decent. I contemplated the idea of masking my entire engine bay off with rolls of painters paper. that didnt happen. Basically There are about 12 bolts holding it down on my car ( inline 6) there are probably about 8 on your car. My brothers Audi which is a four cylinder was way easier to do than my car and had 8 bolts. So your 4 cylinder should be a breeze there are tons of write ups on how to remove the valve cover. All you do is remove the crossover breather tube. The plastic cover in the middle. Then once that is out of the way you unplug your ignition coils/ wires/ EGR vacuum valves if they run down the middle of the valve cover like on mine. And the spark plugs. ( not needed But i did this because i was changing everything) Basically once removed. You clean the mating surfaces for the new gasket tape off anywhere you dont want paint to get on it. Paint the cover, Install gasket into cover along with new o rings around spark plug/ ignition coil area. re install the cover. torque the valve cover to like 10nm ( roughly 6ft lbs or so) if you dont have a torque wrench do what you do on spark plugs hand tight, then a quarter turn. If you have a failing gasket the valve cover bolts will be hand loose upon removal.

the only special tool i used was the torque wrench and you can get those anywhere dont use one for like wheels that is like a 100lb torque wrench though. Use like a 25lb torque wrench.
I think for removal all that is truly needed is one allen wrench for the plastic cover and a 10mm hex socket for the bolts around the valve cover. Oh and a deep spark plug socket with one of those rubber grommets so it holds the spark plug.