Cleaned my engine bay

[Towncivilian]

I used orange Pledge to clean my engine bay today. Sprayed and wiped.



Not the most thorough job - I missed a few spots, and I didn't brush the debris off the top of my upper intake manifold... but for 10 minutes and $4 for some orange Pledge, I think it looks great!

[ganesh21]

Looks great. Remind me that i gotta clean my engine.

[Pathy415]

Good job!!! I'd like to do mine someday.

At least you didn't go overboard like some dealerships/used car lots and spray armor all over the black plastic under the hood. I think that's a bit ridiculous.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Why Pledge? Why not Gunk, which is made for that job?

[Towncivilian]

Why Pledge? Why not Gunk, which is made for that job?

Convenience. I was in my local supermarket and decided to pick up a bottle of Pledge rather than driving to AAP or elsewhere to get a bottle of Gunk. I will try Gunk next time.

[ARKQX33V6]

Good looking job from here! I never ever clean the interior of the motor hood for a lot of reasons, but I do clean the ignition system, wires, plugs with a dry rag and compressed air.

[ARKQX33V6]

In looking over your posted pictures the 3.5 that you have is just as tight as the 3.3 in my 97, is the #6 plug just as bad to get to?

I try to do all work on this 97 QX4 and looking at yours and mine it appears that they are both bears.

No cover on mine so the plug valleys over time get filled at least partially with road debris and small stones.

A reason for rad cleaning at bottom and a compressor to blow out the plug valleys before pulling the plugs.

But I must say it looks clean in your bonnet!

[bundy26]

A clean engine is a happy engine.

[Chuck Tribolet]

#6 is troublesome, but you only need normal hand tools. You have to partially remove the throttle body. Fortunately, plugs
are 100,000 mile item.

[Towncivilian]

Huh, #4 is the one I had trouble with and had to remove the throttle body (at the time, I did not realize I could just remove IACV instead for easier access). All other plugs were pretty easy and came out without much difficulty except for #6 (farthest rear driver side, next to throttle body) which was a little overtightened it seemed. The plugs were done @ 90k by the local Nissan dealer and I replaced all six at 120,997 miles thinking they were unchanged yet. I found the maintenance record for them a couple weeks later and was bummed. I don't even have the old plugs to swap in at 225k and run them to 300k... :/

[ARKQX33V6]

If you have plugs rated at 100, 000 miles they must be different than those that I use.

But although 100K is a lot of distance and your heads are aluminum, I would think that these plugs should be removed, cleaned up, anti-seize put on and then installed.

This will have to be done according to distance and time, from experience I can go no longer than 3 years. At 36 months the plugs are in great shape as far as the firing goes but the threads get gummed up and still come out without any difficulty. But I would be afraid to leave them alone because of galvanic spalling, the break down of the weaker material when 2 different materials are forced together. The hot/cool cycle of the engine does not help this situation.

The ignition system on my 3.3 is very good with exacting and constant HV. The plug wires are still good with over 14 years of use, but aluminum being the weak material versus steel threads of a plug, I find that I must take out the plugs and clean them and lubricate them with high temperature anti-seize type compound to keep the female threads clean and in order.

Because I feel the need to maintain the plugs as well as the holes, I do not use these long life plugs, but I am getting good life from the standard plug, not hot, not cold.

No matter what I use it seems #6 is going to be a pain, at least I do not have to remove the intake or anything except the brake line rail on the firewall.

[GRNMACHINE]

Looks nice and shiny Town. I clean my engine bay a few times a year. Have never used Pledge but I do love that Lemony Scent. On rubber parts/plastic etc I spray with Silicone Spray. Really seems to keep them pliable, clean, and somewhat shiny.

[Towncivilian]

When I did the spark plugs, I used Permatex copper anti-seize. They were rather expensive at $8/each from Amazon, plus Amazon would only sell 5 at a time so I had to pay $10 for one from my local parts store. But anyway, we digress with this discussion of spark plug changing difficulty.

I ordered some 303 Aerospace Protectant from Amazon after reading excellent things about it, and will try it on my weather stripping and window moldings, that'll be a different topic though. I'll also try some on my engine bay once Pledge's shininess wears off.

[ARKQX33V6]

As an aside about Pledge.
I have been using Lemon Pledge since the 70's to clean my windshields on my motorbikes. It removes everything that can stick to a plastic clear window at 100 MPH.

IN FACT I rarely wash my bikes. I pledge them. They get shiny and clean but dust is attracted to the shiny clean surface. A can is always in the saddle bag.