How To Clean Your LS1 Firebird Engine Bay - Late Model Engine Bay Cleaning

Late-model cars need certain care to clean the engine bay. There are electronics you have to avoid, as well as potential hazards that must be taken into account. Using too much aggression while hosing off the motor may cause a wire to come loose, and possibly find its way into something it shouldn't. There have been horror stories from people who got overzealous with the garden hose and ended up spending lots of money to correct their mistake. As is the case with any engine, the air intake system should be completely and entirely avoided when it comes to water. There are special products that can be used to clean your filter, mass air meter, and the throttle body. We suggest covering the intake system and being particularly careful when approaching the area.

Lucky for the LS1 F-body guys, the intake system is only open from one area, so it can be sealed from water easily. For this project, we lifted the lid and removed the filter to set aside. We then replaced the filter with a few clean, lint-free shop towels and closed the lid. This helped us when it came time to hose down the intake area, since aftermarket lids have notoriously poor seals.

We used products from Solder Seal Gunk, who carry a wide assortment of purpose cleaning products. Their heavy engine degreaser did an impeccable job of removing the caked-on transmission fluid and grease that was found under the hood, as well as the other dirt and grime. For the hood, we used their Purple Cleaner Degreaser, and it did a great job removing the various greases found under the hood, most of which was baked on from the heat of the sun and engine compartment. All of these products are safe on late-model vehicles, as well as their electronics. Don't let that fool you though; special care still must be taken. You can pick up a bottle or can at your local auto parts store; now let's get to cleaning!

Almost every garage has something similar to this product, but few can match its power. The Purple Cleaner Degreaser doesn't even flinch at the thickest of grease or baked on material. We achieved the results we were looking for with only one application.

The original self-emulsifying degreaser, Engine Brite, was so easy to use that we took a break while it did all the work. With a product that requires little to no brushing or wiping, it's easy to see why everyone tries to copy them.

Here is the engine bay of an '01 Trans Am that has seen better days. A transmission cooler line came loose and sprayed fluid all over the place, which seeped into the engine bay. Little was spared from the blood-red fluid, so something strong was needed to truly clean it. There was a large quantity of mud and dirt that needed to be taken care of as well.