Best way to (cosmetically) clean engine?

[metallicarox]

So i live on a rock road, and love to pull 60 on rock roads in my county, however doing this has given me a pretty dusty engine, i see some on eBay that are shiny and flawless, and mine looks like crap. I hit with a slightly high pressure sprayer the other day when i was washing the truck, did no good at all. Does anyone have any advice on how to make it look good?

 

[fourwd1]

There are plenty of engine cleaners available, check your local auto parts store.

 

[metallicarox]

I feel kinda like a noob now, considering i work at a Napa auto parts store. I'll just probably buy some this weekend. I thought that stuff was just for degreasing, which i don't need, i just need a cleaner. What about Simple Green? I have that laying around at my house.

 

[ronbo613]

Simple Green is a pretty good cleaner. You can adjust the concentration to remove the dirt and grime you have and it is biodegradable.
I use it to clean my Toyota trucks, inside and out, as well as my boat. Buy the big econo-size at your local mega mart, it's the most economical way to go.
Also, a buddy of mine is the head mechanic at a large Toyota dealership; he told me to never use high pressure water or steam on the engines because the water gets forced into the electrical connections and circuit boxes.