Originally Posted by fyrepower
I have been told on other forums that you should never use an engine degreaser as it may damage the finish of different areas under the hood. I have since started using citrus based cleaners with very good success.
Some costic degreasers will damage bare aluminum and leave them with an oxidized (foggy) appearance. The big thing with degreaser is that it strips the natural oils out of your rubber hoses and belts and will cause them to get brittle, turn brown, crack, then fail (over time). If you must degrease use a gentle degreaser and just take more time (simple green, ORANGE, etc). Use harsh degreasers only when absolutely nessecary. And after degreasing always coat your engine with an engine dressing product (or armor all) after degreasing to give your rubber hoses and belts their oils back.