Bruce2009KR Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Hello all, In January I acquired my '09 GT-500KR. I love the car! I'm curious what the best way to clean under the hood is. Is it safe to have it steam cleaned? Thanks in advance. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAI-Steven Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Hello all, In January I acquired my '09 GT-500KR. I love the car! I'm curious what the best way to clean under the hood is. Is it safe to have it steam cleaned? Thanks in advance. Bruce Not the safest way to clean your engine compartment, mild soap and a garden hose is all you should ever need. No matter what cleaning process you end up using STAY AWAY from your underhood CSM plaque. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Not the safest way to clean your engine compartment, mild soap and a garden hose is all you should ever need. No matter what cleaning process you end up using STAY AWAY from your underhood CSM plaque. Steve Agreed. Keep power washers, car wash high pressure nozzles and steam cleaners away. I never needed to clean my Shelbys but I do my other vehicles. I've always used just Simple Green in a hose end sprayer - the one I used for spraying fertilizer and bug spray in the garden. Let it sit for a little while, then rinse. Using hot water from the water heater makes it more effective but the cold side will work. Whatever you do, disconnect the battery before!!!!! Reminder, disconnect the battery before !!!!! Did I say that you should disconnect the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAI-Steven Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Like Tony I also use Simple Green but it MUST BE DILUTED . Simple Green is corrosive at full strength to soft metals like aluminum. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Like Tony I also use Simple Green but it MUST BE DILUTED . Simple Green is corrosive at full strength to soft metals like aluminum. Steve Yes, diluted. The sprayer I use dilutes it automatically but I dilute it even before I put it in. How much? Gee, I dunno. It's kind of like my chili recipe: How much garlic? I don't know, till it feels right. I forgot to say that I also used a soft brush, like a bottle brush, on tough-to-get spots that stuff likes to settle in. By the time you've got all those cleaned up it's time to rinse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Secondo Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 No harsh cleaning chemicals are needed. Just use a car wash cleaning mitt in a car wash soap and water mix and wash the engine bay by hand and lightly rinse. It comes out looking like new again. I wash mine and my wife's car's engine bay once a year that way to keep them looking like new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 And then I used my leaf blower to dry things off and get all the water out of the crevices where it collected. No water spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Secondo Posted June 22, 2016 Report Share Posted June 22, 2016 Congrats on the new ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTYQIN Posted June 23, 2016 Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 Bruce, I use Griot's Garage products. Their engine cleaner is spray on, hose off. Works great, environmentally safe,and that's all it takes. Good luck with your ride. All the best, Quinn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HARALD KELLEY Posted June 23, 2016 Report Share Posted June 23, 2016 The leaf blower as stated or Adams Sidekick Blaster. Nice and small yet powerful. http://adamspolishes.com/shop/exterior/car-drying-towels-blowers/adam-s-blaster-sidekick.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye O'Saben Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 Agreed. Keep power washers, car wash high pressure nozzles and steam cleaners away. I never needed to clean my Shelbys but I do my other vehicles. I've always used just Simple Green in a hose end sprayer - the one I used for spraying fertilizer and bug spray in the garden. Let it sit for a little while, then rinse. Using hot water from the water heater makes it more effective but the cold side will work. Whatever you do, disconnect the battery before!!!!! Reminder, disconnect the battery before !!!!! Did I say that you should disconnect the battery? So, disconnecting the battery is something I should think about then, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helge Ruchelski Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 I think everyone needs a reminder to disconnect the battery before starting this procedure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb64 Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 I make sure that whenever I need to disconnect the battery, I always open my doors first so that the windows drop down a bit, and then I can still get in and out of the car. It is especially important during storage months when the battery has been removed. As for engine bay cleaning, I also prefer to hand wash & wipe everything down too. I usually start by blowing all the dust away with compressed air, and do the same whenever I work on stuff like blower, injectors, plugs etc Use the opportunity as a chance to check things over and look for any potential issues, loose clips, wiring, brake reservoir etc. After everything is nice and clean, I like to use Mothers Back to Black on all the hoses, keeps them looking like new and not overly glossy and works great on the black plastic trim pieces as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCD Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 I have power washed my engine bay dozens of times... Just avoid the battery and computer, and keep the tip far away... I mostly wash it by hand at home with just soap and water and then dry it with the air hose... In between washing's I use a rag and detail spray... 74 thousand kilometers on this engine bay that has driven in a lot of rain and crappy weather conditions!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb64 Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Sounds like you are getting good use out of your car, just went over 15K myself. I got caught in the rain once at an out of town car show over a year ago, and I am still sour about it Took me a few weeks to clean the car up and even then it was never the same underneath. Ran against the cleanest strip car I have ever seen a month ago, the thing was immaculate. It was a full 2+ seconds quicker than me and ran over 148 mph to boot. At least I cut a somewhat respectable .046 light to his .031 light. One of the Tech inspectors said it was built to be a AAA Superstock car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 A little late to this party but I also wanted to add to be careful with the sound pad clipped under the hood if present. It's really easy to soak it and have it rip and a power washer can tear it to shreds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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