After about a year and a half of usage I decided it was time for the engine to take a shower. So I did it with high pressured water and tried to stay away from any wires. Any thoughts if this is right or not?

 

You are opening up a bee's nest of opinions, but generally high-pressured washers and engine compartments dont go well together.

My method-with a cold engine, liberally apply S100 total cycle cleaner, let is sit for 5-7 minutes and take a garden hose to it. Then I start and drive the vehicle at operating temps for at least 15 minutes to dry it out.

I dont know whats in the S100, but it beats all the other "mild" cleaners like simple green and isnt as harsh as engine cleaner. There is a lot of plastic and decorative stuff under there and the S100 is amazing, any cycle shop has it.

Good luck

 

I do it about 1x per year in the late spring. I use the same method as J080808 with the exception that I use Simple Green or 409 or any other spray cleaner.
After drying I spray the plastics with a good quality protectant like Aerospace 303.

 

My technique:

Cold or warm engine (not hot), spray simple green all over engine and agitate with a long handled, soft bristle brush. Re-apply more simple green so it doesn't dry. Start engine. Spray water (from hose OR high pressure...doesnt matter) sparingly on engine. I use just enough water to get off all the simple green....but not to completely soak the motor. I also try to stay away from the alternator, electric boxes, air intakes, etc. Then I dry the engine with an old towel. The reason for starting the engine before spraying the water is to alert you if you are spraying in the wrong spot or if water is somehow getting into the wrong places. If the engine is running....and something is wrong...the egine will begin to shudder or misfire....which is your alarm to STOP spraying water. If your engine is not running...you'll have no idea.

 

Simple green is my "go-to" for 99% of items. I buy it by the gallon and put in one of those 1.5 gallon plastic yard pump fertilizer sprayers from Lowes and use it on the wheels, tires and wheel wells, the long nozzle helps to get deep in there. The pump sprayer prevents hand cramps too.

The other 1% like Fantastic, 409 or Bleach-White is IMO risky in the engine bay. If you have never tried S100, its amazing, I used it on my street bikes and while its expensive, its worth every penny. Its paint safe but will dissolve grime and leave everything clean and shiny. S100 is "safe" like Simple Green but as effective or more effective that caustic solutions like 409.

 

Thanks guys. It all helps.

 

simple green does work wonders. a simple wipe with paper towel removes some of the dust and grease too. i generally don't use water. just wipe and spray.

simple green can be harmful to alum parts. so use sparingly on engine blocks, manifold. windex works well.

 

Do I have to cover anything before wash the engine?

 

DO NOT USE SIMPLE GREEN. It's highly corrosive to aluminum and may discolor your engine block/heads/components, suspension components, and wheels. And a high pressure washer might be a bad idea because water may get into your sealed electrical connections.

I recommend using Scrubbing Bubbles and tap water from a hose. Scrubbing Bubbles is not corrosive and it's an excellent degreaser, and it'll disinfect your engine.

 

Your engine is exposed to water when you're driving. It's not necessary to cover anything. Just don't use a high pressure washer though as it may get water in your waterproof electrical connections.

 

I'd suggest a light spray after you wash everything down. On my Yamaha marine outboard engines, after we remove the cover and wash them down to remove salt buildup, etc, we spray liberally the entire engine, wires, everything with CRC 6-56 or fogging oil. It doesn't attack the plastic or rubber, displaces water and in general protects everything. You can also use Boeshield (from Boeing) or Yamashield.