[rheavn]

"I too would like some tips/cleaners/best practices on cleaning up my engine bay...got motor envy after seeing those pictures."

I'll relate how I clean mine. I'm not a fan of introducing water to an engine bay. I have found cleaning allows me to thoroughly inspect things.

My steps are cleaning, painting & polishing. I spray everything off with compressed air. For cleaning I like to use a citrus spray cleaner & lots of rags. If something is greasy I first use a rag with automotive cleaning solvent. Once clean I blue tape off & paint the engine block. Then individually blue tape off any components to be painted. My last step is to polish all stainless steel, aluminum & chrome.

This is not a few hour process and takes some effort, but the results are amazing. Once clean, you will quickly be able to see any thing out of the ordinary.

Hope this helps...................