Spring cleaning time!!!

hey,

it's that time of year again when things are starting to get warmer around here so i figured it's time to do a little spring cleaning with my car.

i've already removed just about every piece of the exterior and cleaned everything you can imagine, every little nook and cranny. same for the interior.

now it's time to move on to the engine bay.

my question is, what parts of my engine should be semi-easily removed and cleaned? and what would you recommend cleaning it with?

i'm mostly just wanting to clear any clogged filters, anything that would bog down performance and could possibly be costing me gas mileage, etc.

nothing any more complicated than removing the throttle body.

that leads to my second question also: can after-market air intake filters be cleaned? instead of replaced? those bitches are expensive

thanks guys!

Have fun cleaning your car. To answer one of your questions. Some intake filter distributors claim that you can machine wash them but my friend tried and the filter just shriveled up. You can also try just blow it clean with an air blower. Good luck and have fun.

Aftermarket K&N style filters can be recleaned and reused. You can buy a filter charger kit which comes with cleanser and the correct K&N oil.
Wash from the inside out, so as to wash particles away, not force them into the filter. Also use low pressured water...not high pressure. High pressured air and or water can destroy them, so don't use compressed air either.

When you reoil it, seriously use the oil VERY sparingly. The first time I cleaned one, I thought I was using it sparingly and still WAY over-oiled it, and the damn thing took 3 days to dry.

If you are cleaning your engine bay, make sure you don't get water on your air filter, and avoid electrical parts like distributor etc.

Cut a paintbrush down short on its bristles and make friends with a can of wd-40. Works WONDERS..You can use it on just about any part. makes valve cover a deeper color and makes hoses shine. Wouldn't put on dis cap though, and avoid things you painted yourself, if any, cuz it cruds up the paint :P. Good luck.