Thread: Engine bay cleaning

This weekend I was cleaning my car by doing everything, Wash,Wax, interior, also the engine bay because after the motor warms up and I'm at say a stop light for a min or so when I take off i smell burning oil. To find where the oil was built up at I took off the plastic cover thing and started looking around. This is what I found lots of oil residue and some possible water because of wash/slight wipe down of engine with damp cloth. Anyone know a good cleaner that I can clean this up with and also how to clean it, like would I cover up the alt, coil packs? I have some type of foaming cleaner in my garage but it says not to use an aluminum.
http://i.imgur.com/JWAUY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bQNgd.jpg
The gunk is build up like this on both sides of the plastic intake, and near the exhaust in the front of the car I'm not sure about the rear. I plan on cleaning this next weekend along with changing the tranny fluid because its a red/brownish color.

Put a big drip pan under the engine and bathe it in brake cleaner.

Purple power or some sort of engine cleaner, and let it sit for a while and spray away.

Its likely that you need to replace your valve cover gaskets, becuase thats where the oil is coming from.

I found some stuff in my garage called Simple Green, I seen other people use it so I'm assuming it would be fine. Would it be okay to pressure was around the exhaust because that I'm pretty sure is where the smell is coming from.

yup, just spray away.

Would it be necessary to cover the coil packs and alt?

When it rains, does the motor get wet? Or when you go puddle jumping?

Its fine, spray everything, it dont matter, let it dry if you want, or start it up and enjoy, it might miss fire a few times, but whatever.