Is there any real benefit to an "engine shampoo"?

[Pajamarama]

I've heard it called engine shampoo and engine degreaser. The principle is you cover (just about) everything in your engine compartment with this soapy substance, let it sit for a while to dissolve the grease and grime and then hose it off.

Is there any real mechanical benefit to this, or is it only done for aesthetics?

 

[jsnyder49090]

I have never heard of it i use simple green if its really bad i use a can or 2 of gunk first.I cover up the alt and tb and use the car wash.

 

[TC]

Clean engines are great, of course, at least in that they make an engine easier to work on and look at. But I'll also say that every engine bay I've degreased over the past 15 years resulted in something running screwy for a few days or more, a wet windshield wiper motor not running for a week, a wet Alfa Romeo ignition system that missed for a few days just as I was trying to sell the car, etc. So be prepared for that.

 

[DemoFly]

If you have an air cooled vehicle, yeah it can have a mechanical benefit. Otherwise purely aesthetic.

I've only ever used the stuff on lawnmowers.

 

[LeakySeals]

Lot of people put CAI's or short rams on cars. Reverts them back to the old days when air was drawn was from the engine compartment. Would think a clean engine compartment would mean less dirt drawn into the filter. Electrical contacts/connectors that can become dirty. Would think a clean engine dissipates heat better to some degree. Add corrosion from salt in snow areas, there's a few reasons to clean it.

I clean mine every couple of years at the local car wash spray booth. Cover nothing. Never had an issue. Then spray it with tire shine for the hoses, belts and wires.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Pajamarama

Is there any real mechanical benefit to this, or is it only done for aesthetics?


Clean engines are easier to work on because you can see things more clearly.

 

[AVB]

When I saw this title it reminded me of a video some one showed me. Youtube engine shampoo gone wrong, if you want to see some one shampoo an engine internally.

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: AVB
When I saw this title it reminded me of a video some one showed me. Youtube engine shampoo gone wrong, if you want to see some one shampoo an engine internally.


Is that like the yahoo who tried to port their intake by pouring sand into the throttle body with a running engine?

On topic: I need to do this to the Fit. Although, it is nicely dressed in rustproofing, which makes disassembly 10x easier since things aren't a rusty mess...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Pajamarama
I've heard it called engine shampoo and engine degreaser.


That really depends. Years ago, before the environmental regulations got a hold of everything, the engine shampoos were very, very effective. They were great at cleaning everything and were particularly handy before disassembly if one had a rather greasy engine. You could get a leaking oil pan quite clean, for instance. If you had a lot of blowby and the air cleaner housing was a disaster, you could take it off, douse it with the stuff, and make it look like new again.

Now, though, they're a lot gentler and less effective. I'm a fan of a clean engine, but since these products have become less effective, I haven't bought them in years. I use Simple Green or other similar products as needed.

 

[Donald]

The engine does not run better, but looks better and easier to work on.

But hot water is the real way to get a greasy engine clean.

 

[doitmyself]

Adding to the above, it is easier to detect problems (leaks) on a clean engine.

In a discussion of this before, the use of Simple Green was questioned because of the special use precautions on aluminum.

The Pro HD formula available at Home Depot is the same product as their industrial Extreme Aviation formula and is safe for aluminum, plastic, rubber, etc.. Whether it cuts grease as well, I don't know.

When I had a fuel line degrade prematurely on a John Deere tractor, the first thing the mechanic asked me was if I used a caustic cleaner on the engine.

Just some FYI for us OCD folks.

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Pajamarama

Is there any real mechanical benefit to this, or is it only done for aesthetics?


Clean engines are easier to work on because you can see things more clearly.


+1 Easier to detect a leak too. Once a year I will give my engines a scrub down with car wash and degreaser that isn't too caustic (cover anything electrical i.e. alternator etc!) and cover all the plastic in 303 or whatever I have that I want to use up. Looks good and makes it easier to work on but isn't a necessary.