I've come to believe that the best way to keep the grime off my engine is
before it happens. Spraying water on an engine can cause odd electrical
problems that can be really frustrating. It's a good idea to keep a close
eye on leaks and repair them as soon as possible. On my car that's fairly
easy, as just about all the oil seals can be replaced with the engine in the
car (the engine rear main seal and transaxle mainshaft/clutch pushrod seal
requires removal of the transaxle, so I replace them every time the clutch
is serviced).

I use concentrated Simple Green for all my parts cleaning, as it's a
relatively effective and non-toxic degreaser. Best practice is to clean
parts when they are off the car in a benchtop parts washer or similar, so
you can get maximum mileage out of the solution and catch the oily residue.
The spent solution can then be taken to a local waste collection area for
proper disposal. Simple Green alone may have minimal environmental impact,
but the oily rinseate should not be released into the environment (and is
actually a violation of federal law). This is one reason that DIY whole
engine cleaning, even with Simple Green, should be avoided. If you need to
clean the whole engine, take your car to a shop where the rinseate will be
properly handled. After that, you can take care of any leaks to keep your
engine clean.

I don't want to sound like "Captain Safety" here, but the solvents used in
many automotive cleaning products can be very harmful to the individual and
environment, and should be used sparingly and handled properly. Even Simple
Green can cause mild eye, skin, and respiratory irritation in some sensitive
folks. Conventional engine degreasers and brake parts cleaners such as Gunk
can be especially harmful. If you use these products and don't own an
organic vapor respirator, solvent gloves, and safety glasses, you're putting
your health at risk. Many of us that like to work on our own cars tend to
feel young and immortal, but believe me, the cumulative health effects of
repeated exposure to even common solvents can be significant. After all, we
all want to be able to enjoy our VWs for as long as possible.

--
Kent
1987 VW GTI 8V, original owner, 221,800+ miles


"Lee" > wrote in message
...
> What do you guys use to clean under the hood and the Engine? on my old
> honda I used Gunk and pressure wash it. How ever My VW is no Honda and I
> actually care about my VW. what is suggested? I want to get it clean to
near
> new look.
>
> -Lee
>
>