Just bought a 93 accord, I'm smelling/seeing smoke oil under the hood after I drive. What is the best stuff to clean the engine so i can see where this might be coming from? Anything I need to protect?

 

Simple-Green or water-based degreasers like that work OK for most of it. Then solvent-based degreasers like Gunk for the heavy stuff that doesn't come off with the water-based stuff. Use a ratty old paint brush, or better yet a parts-cleaning brush.

The wiring is mostly protected pretty good, if you don't go nuts. Things to be careful are the fluid reservoirs that have air-vents:
battery
antifreeze reservoir
PS fluid reservoir
brake fluid reservoir
clutch fluid reservoir

Brake fluid gets corrosive when it absorbs moisture, so if you're due for a brake-fluid change (every 2 years) then postpone it for after the cleaning.

 

open the hood and see if you can spot an obvious leak, if you do, fix it first then clean the engine bay,,,,,,,,,also once engine is clean ,if leak is not obvious ,you can put some oil dye , let it run for a bit and see where dye comes out of

 

Found the leak, to the right of the oil filter? Not sure if there is anything I can do about that, the oil drips down on the exhaust right there thus the burning smell. While I was looking the pan seems to be pretty oily around the bolts, any reason not to try to tighten them some?

 

Sometimes if you tighten the pan bolts, the gasket squirms around & leaks more. So be careful.

Is it leaking from the oil filter gasket?

Maybe leaking from the valvecover gasket & running down to the oil filter?

 

My bet is on the Valve Cover Gasket. $30 and maybe you will need some Hi-Temp gasket sealant.

 

The oil leak is coming from a silver "thing" right behind the filter, the filter screws to this "thing". This silver thing has at least one rubber hose clamped to it, I have yet to find this in any exploded view on line, does anyone know what that silver thing is?

Thanks