What's the best way to tidy this?

[croyde]

The engine in my Alpine is pretty much hidden behind the back seats.

Accessible via lifting the rear screen and an engine cover whilst it's boxed in below by the flat underneath of the car.

The engine mount castings have what looks like white patches of mold all over them. I know it's not mold, just looks like it.

What's the best advice for cleaning this up and maybe protecting it?

Cheers.

[Krhuangbin]

Might be wrong, but I always thought that kind of marking on metal was from road salt, which has stuck to the metal on a wet day and caused crystals to form/micro corrosion

[Belle427]

There is a process ive seen but am struggling to remember it, maybe dry ice blasting?
A more gentle process for engine bays etc.
Not sure about protection, there are some clear rustproofing products available, Bilt Hamber UC is one.

[SlimJim16v]

Wire brush or wire wool to clean it and wipe it with WD40 or similar to try and keep it at bay.

[LennyM1984]

That is just oxidation of the aluminium part. Personally I wouldn't bother cleaning or removing it, it'll only return and isn't serious

[steveo3002]

wire brush /scotch pad it off then acf50 or wd40 often on all the bare parts

[normalbloke]

Try wiping it down with some ACF50. It’s just aluminium oxide, on the bare ali. The ACF will help stop it coming back. The real solution is to remove it and have it anodised, which is what the cost cutting manufacturers should have done from the start.

[M138]

Tooth brush + Solvol Autosol

[s p a c e m a n]

+1 for acf50, it's what my bike is covered in through winter.

[Pica-Pica]

LennyM1984 said:

That is just oxidation of the aluminium part. Personally I wouldn't bother cleaning or removing it, it'll only return and isn't serious

That’s my view. The part will probably have been anodised, trying to clean it up will likely do more harm than good.