The LS1 is new to me and i want to clean up the engine bay asap. Any tips on what to cover and what not to get wet? Cleaning products that won't cause plastic to crack?

 

I copy/pasted this from a forum, but I can't remember which 1. Your best bet is to visit http://www.autopia.org/ You can find out anything you need on an infinite # of car datailing questions.

Jim

"This week’s topic is engine detailing. As most of you know from cruising to local car shows, nothing looks better than a nice clean freshly detailed engine. Lets start with the degreasing process; first get some Simple Green Automotive grade degrease and load it up in a spray bottle and spray some on to the engine, (Note: Let the engine cool down significantly before attempting to steam clean or power wash it!). Spray the cleaner on to the engine focusing on the metal components such as the heads, block and water pump. Try to avoid spraying the electrical components and any plastic pars on the engine. Degreaser is very caustic stuff and can and will melt wire looms and discolor plastic components.

Then let the degreaser sit for a few minutes and soak in, spray on some more if necessary. Then take the pressure washer and set it to a very low setting, or if you are at the local car wash set the dial to warm or hot water rinse and stand back at least 18” and begin the process of degreasing. Gently and carefully move the wand from the top of the inner fender to the bottom, and gently blast the intake from front to back making sure not to keep any direct pressure on any one spot. Gently rinse the water pump area and timing cover, (Note: For LT-1 engines, cover the Opti-Spark with some saran-wrap or plastic, and keep the water wand away from it AT ALL COSTS!, or serious engine failure could occur).

Lastly, fire the engine up for a few minutes to let it filter out any water that might of snuck in from the pressure wash. Then take an old towel or an old Absorber (synthetic chamois) and dry off the major puddles of water that have accumulated around the intake and the like. If you have an air compressor, gently blow off the remaining water making sure not to get to close to the engine and its components, “You don’t want to run the risk of blowing off any of the vacuum lines etc!”

The next step is optional, you can take some Meguiars or Zaino plastic and rubber protectant and coat the rubber pieces such as the hoses, EGR valve for 98-02 LS-1/ LS-6, ASR and air box assemblies etc. Then stand back and enjoy your labor! Your total time in this will vary depending on how much detail you want to go into. Other factors to consider are polished aluminum parts under the hood that may require polishing to bring up the luster, chrome that may require some steel wool to remove surface rust, or stains. And for you die hard “I want my car to look original” fans, you can use some talc powder on the hoses to give them that factory milky powdered look."