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Degreasing engine
- How-2?
Mike - Mike@purehondacom
 Very
wise of you to consider the complications. Depending on what year Honda
you have will determine how to approach this. If you have a model with a
distributor, take a roll of black electrical tape and go over the seal
of the distributor. That is the area where the cap attaches to the
motor. There should be a rubber seal, but those can fail. If water gets
in there, you will have a hell of a time getting the motor to start
afterwards. If water does by chance get in there, take the cap of and
with a blow-dryer, dry out the inside completely. Anyways, go around the
seal with the tape. Just the seal for added precaution. Then, take the
negative lead off the battery, thus removing power from the entire
vehicle, thus eliminating any possibility of your electrical system
getting fried.
Take
a can of "Steam" engine degreaser, available at pep-boys or
any other engine degreaser you feel good about. Don't bother with the
stuff available at the do-it-yourself carwashes, its useless. Spray the
degreaser over the entire compartment and the underside of the hood, if
you want it to make the inside presentable. Empty the can of degreaser
for good measure, careful not to get any on the outer paint. Wait a few
minutes then rinse with high pressure, preferably with hot/warm water
from the car wash. What works even better is a few pots of really hot
water off the stove. Just not too close to boiling water, that's
excessive. Be generous with the rinse! Once done, and dry, some parts
such as rubber hoses and tubes may look discolored. DO NOT PANIC, that
is just the residue of the cleaner.
For
best results, use Armor All Ultra Shine Protector on those parts, and
anything else in there that may get a shine from its application. Use a
small cloth to apply, not paper towels. Go through the compartment piece
by piece applying the Ultra Shine, starting from the middle back area,
working around. Get as much as you can. I pledge to you it will look
awesome. I clean my engine every six months and it still looks new after
9 years! Remember the tape and the battery terminal, very important!
Once everything is nice and dry and the Armor All has been applied,
reconnect the terminal and remove the tape from the distributor. Then
apply Armor All to the seal of the distributor, you will notice that the
dirt, etc that was under the tape will come off. Once complete, close
the hood and your in business!
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