Detailing an engine

[scarrylarry]

Another question for today.Both our cars engines are looking a little dirty these days.Is there an easy way to detail the engines? Or do I continue to do it the way I always have and that's to get out the old toothbrushes, Qtips,wooden chopsticks and rags and plenty of elbow grease/
Thanks
scarrylarry

 

[tfi racing]

Castrol SuperClean and a trip to the car wash if you don't have a pressure washer.Don't tell the greenies I sent you!
That will get most of the grime out of the way,then fine tune by hand after that.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Put a 50/50 mix of Simple Green Max in a pump up garden sprayer. Cover the alternator with aluminum foil, disconnect the battery (if you want to, I don't...) and plug the air intake.

Spray everything down, let it dwell for 3 or 4 minutes and use a parts cleaning brush to break loose the heavy deposits. Do not let the Simple Green dry on the engine, keep the sprayer handy to keep it wet. By the way, the sprayer hose will let you get into small areas and down into holes very easily.

Use normal pressure from a garden hose to rinse the cleaner off everything, put a blower on your airline and air blow most of the water off of everything. Crank the engine and let it get mildly warm. Spray a coat of CD2 engine detailer on it, let it set for 20 minutes or so, buff it from a shine to a matt finish and then drive the car a few miles to set the resins in the coating.

When finished, it will look like these two. The Camry has 65,000 miles on it and the Pilot has 105,000. Both of them were cleaned this past weekend in less than an hour each.

Camry:

Pilot:

 

[mmhouse]

I do a terrible thing and power wash my engines every now and then with the vehicle running. I don't get too close with the nozzle, especially to the electronics. I've been doing this since the 70's and have never had a problem.

 

[nate379]

Super Clean, Simple Green, Krud Kutter, etc. Pressure wash the worst of it, spray with degreaser, let it sit a few, pressure was again.

Some people are afraid of pressure wash to engine, but I have done it to everything I have owned in the last 15 years and never had an issue.

Only one thing is the wiring is ****** on the water in fuel sensor on my 95 Ram and it will turn the light on for a few days. Does it when it rains hard and I drive it too though.

 

[Matt M PA]

I too use Simple Green and the CD Engine Detailer. Great stuff.

 

[e-tek]

Hard to argue with Georgia's bays!!!!!!!!! Beautiful!!!!!!!!!

I ALWAYS keep the engine running when I spray down with the cleaner and when pressure washing. (A) a hot engine cleans better and (B) it'll dry any water on contact in any picky areas (electricals).

 

[ZRX61]

Simple Green & Castrol Superclean damage the alternator brushes....

 

[nate379]

I can't find my camera, but I should take pics of the bay in my Jeep. I could almost white glove it and I use the Jeep for off roading.

Hard to argue with Georgia's bays!!!!!!!!! Beautiful!!!!!!!!!

I ALWAYS keep the engine running when I spray down with the cleaner and when pressure washing. (A) a hot engine cleans better and (B) it'll dry any water on contact in any picky areas (electricals).

 

[nate379]

Hmm, maybe that is why my truck's alternator died after 175,000 miles?

Simple Green & Castrol Superclean damage the alternator brushes....

 

[Merkava_4]

1. Purple Power - 100% straight
2. Rinse Thoroughly
3. Dry Thoroughly
4. Stoner Trim Shine

 

[IDASHO]

I use tire foam.

Soak the entire engine bay with it, draining the entire can.

Let it sit, and just before it dries out, hose her off.

Works for me

Not bad for 21 years and 150k miles eh?

 

[KINGY2]

IDASHO .... may i ask what tire foam you used ?

is that the only thing you have used on your engine ?

that is crazy clean !

 

[torqueman2002]

I have always been a fan of the SHO engine - those runners! Yamaha knows how to dress out an engine!

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Simple Green & Castrol Superclean damage the alternator brushes....

Been doing it for years but note that I did say to cover your alternator with aluminum foil...... I don't but then again, I don't flood the alternator with cleaner either.

I use tire foam.

Soak the entire engine bay with it, draining the entire can.

Let it sit, and just before it dries out, hose her off.

Works for me

Not bad for 21 years and 150k miles eh?

I have used that before (Eagle One A to Z) and it does a great job of cleaning the rubber and plastic. I found out that I can get into holes and behind things a little easier with the wand on a pump up sprayer. I have a buddy that puts his tire spray into a garden sprayer instead of the mix I use. It works great but it costs a little more than the 50/50 mix I use.

e-tec is right about a slightly warm engine cleaning easier but you do not want to get it hot and then spray your cleaner on it as it dries too quickly and you DO NOT want that to happen with tire foam, Simple Green, Purple Power or any other cleaner. Note that the caustic cleaners (Simple Green and Purple Power) will corrode the aluminum if left on for a long time or left to dry. Just keep it wet until you rinse it off and don't let it sit more than 15 minutes or so. If you need to take longer than that, work in sections and rinse each area as you complete it.

Once you get it clean, keep it clean. It takes just a few minutes (20 or so) to do an "upkeep" cleaning once or twice a year. If you develop an oil leak, fix the leak an clean the engine. If you screw up and dump 1/2 quart of ATF fluid on your transmission while changing it (did that a few weeks ago....) use the wand, clean it and rinse off. It only took a few minutes but it kept it looking nice.

The engine will run cooler, look nicer and MOST IMPORTANT, I like working on a clean engine. Anyone in the family will tell you that I will not work on their car if it is filthy. I hated that when I was in the business and will do if required, but I don't like it. For maintenance work, they clean it before coming over or take it somewhere and pay for it. Everyone in the family now has a clean engine compartment....

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

...I ALWAYS keep the engine running when I spray down with the cleaner and when pressure washing. (A) a hot engine cleans better and (B) it'll dry any water on contact in any picky areas (electricals).

You do not want to know how nervous I was before spraying cleaner and then rinsing it off on the Camry the first time I cleaned it. If you look closely, that is a hybrid system under the hood and those big orange cables have enough juice to kill a person..... I kept waiting for sparks but none happened and I laugh at it now but was very hesitant pulling the trigger on that sprayer.....

 

[gabeancounter]

Hybrid,
Good tip on the pump up sprayer. I always use the same 50/50 Purple power mix but with a bottle sprayer. My hand is usually killing me by the time I finish!

 

[BPJOOP93]

Simple green 50/50 mix. spray on let sit hose off, let dry, tire wet foam. lasts all summer.

 

[IDASHO]

IDASHO .... may i ask what tire foam you used ?

is that the only thing you have used on your engine ?

that is crazy clean !

The stuff I normally grab is called "no-touch"

Obviously there are some things and some places that even it cannot clean. So the initial cleaning did require some disassembly and cleaning my hand.

But once 90-100% clean, all that is required to keep it there is the tire foam.

I do it 2-3 times a year.


On a side note, Ive always kept Simple Green away from ANY painted surfaces. Plastics too. Over time, it doesnt play nice with either. Much too corrosive.

 

[PaulR]

Ditto on the tire foam!! I was going to reveal that trick here and now but it looks like someone else already discovered it. Leaves a nice gloss wet look! The spray gets into all the nooks and crannies. heh.

 

[shoot summ]

I typically spray the engine compartment off at the car wash, then spray tire dressing on everything when I get home. Downside is the dressing does attract alot of dust over time.

 

[scarrylarry]

WOW!! What a great response from all of you that replied.Photos of your engine's after cleaning are worth a thousand words.I will be trying the tips soon!
Again Thank You for your replies!!!
scarrylarry

 

[gorilla]

I'm a fan of a product called oil-eater. used it on some really dirty greasy stuff and it works well. I have a small power washer at home so I can skip the trip to the car wash. I am going to try the no-touch on my next engine cleanup. Just a FYI, I read in another forum that engines in late model Corvette's should not be power washed, there are sensors under the intake plenum that could be damaged.

 

[Chevy350]

Does using the tire foam end up attracting dust or does it rinse off cleanly?

 

[Scotto]

1. Purple Power - 100% straight
2. Rinse Thoroughly
3. Dry Thoroughly
4. Stoner Trim Shine

100% straight?? You brush it at all? I've had that stuff seriously damage paint and discolor it. It softens the paint too so if you try cleaning it with a brush it scratches everything up bad. I always dilute it at least to 25% unless I'm degreasing something really nasty.

 

[red baron]

x3 on the tire foam, I always used the no rinse extra cheap type of tire foam with great results. We did that at the shop that I worked at, whenever we did any expensive engine repairs. A couple dollars of tire foam to clean an engine bay would go a long ways to ease a customers mind when they just spent hundreds of dollars on their daily driver.

Cleaned up any techs greasy fingerprints, and gave a nice profesional look to the work that went out of the shop (this was a general repair facility).

If you get the no rinse kind its not as greasy, but over time yes there will be some dust and the cheap cans were 2-3 bucks, and would do several treatmeants, or several cars.

 

[Dolfan]

One tip I highly recommend when using a garden sprayer with simple green is to mix it with hot water, not tap water, I just get the kettle going in the house and before it boils mix up a nice warm/hot batch, maybe around 130-150 degree range. I did this during the top end build of my C4 corvette to clean the entire engine bay/steering rack/block/etc. and the warm solution cuts a lot better.

 

[luvair]

One tip I highly recommend when using a garden sprayer with simple green is to mix it with hot water, not tap water, I just get the kettle going in the house and before it boils mix up a nice warm/hot batch, maybe around 130-150 degree range. I did this during the top end build of my C4 corvette to clean the entire engine bay/steering rack/block/etc. and the warm solution cuts a lot better.

Good point. I also only clean the engine when it is slightly warm - like from cold start, let it idle for a few minutes to soften up some grease.

 

[Merkava_4]

100% straight?? You brush it at all? I've had that stuff seriously damage paint and discolor it. It softens the paint too so if you try cleaning it with a brush it scratches everything up bad. I always dilute it at least to 25% unless I'm degreasing something really nasty.

I don't brush it at all. I also don't leave it on too long; maybe 10 minutes tops. Those wire loom covers are the hardest things to clean, but Purple Power cleans them up real good.

 

[nate379]

Yeah same here. I have used that stuff as well. I usually buy whatever is available when I need some. For a while Purple Power was on sale at Napa for $5 a gallon. Krud Kutter is about $10 a gallon, I use it in the house as well for cleaning the toilets, showers, etc.

I don't brush it at all. I also don't leave it on too long; maybe 10 minutes tops. Those wire loom covers are the hardest things to clean, but Purple Power cleans them up real good.

 

[bgott]

If you don't spring a leak and don't let it get too nasty all you have to do is pop the hood when your engine is cold and hose the dust off with the garden hose. I've done this on my truck since it was new, in 2006, and it looks great when I'm done.

 

[reb162]

Nice looking engines.....very unlikely you'll ever find an engine like that here in the rust belt states.....road salt eats em alive.

 

[sgrammel]

I think your solution depends on several things..

How often do you detail the under hood area?

How **** are you?

How prone do dirt are you (my car has a **** load of plastic covers...so not a lot of **** shows..but go back to prior criteria)

I do an engine detail once a year...I yank the plastic covers...give it a good misting from my hose...then shoot a bunch of Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner all over hell and back..let it set a bit...grab some ready to retire detailing towels...and go to town...

finish with a final rinse..hosing...and dry with a good blast from the leaf blower or air compressor. Then finish the visible stuff with Meguiar's All Season.

Before

[/IMG]

After:

[/IMG]

Then with all the plastic **** cleaned, treated and installed

[/IMG]

 

[z28toz06]

Hard to argue with Georgia's bays!!!!!!!!! Beautiful!!!!!!!!!

I ALWAYS keep the engine running when I spray down with the cleaner and when pressure washing. (A) a hot engine cleans better and (B) it'll dry any water on contact in any picky areas (electricals).

Putting cold water on a hot engine can be problematic. There's the possibilty of stressing or cracking metals like exhaust manifolds, and the cleaners can bond to the hot parts and look like $h1t forever. Start with a cool or slightly warm engine. It's also a good thing to start the engine when you start spraying it down. If it starts to stutter, you can stop spraying. That typically indicates you are getting water on some electronics or electrical wiring and it is going to stall. Usually once they do stall, it won't start again for a while.

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[GeorgiaHybrid]

One thing to remember about starting the car before you rinse it off. Late model Ford modular engines are not kind to owners that do not blow the water off of the top of the engine before trying to start them. The plug holes fill up, short out coils and do other nasty things at times.

As stated by others above, start with a cold or at most, slightly warm engine. Modern engines can take a little water without harm (they do drive in the rain after all.....) but I try not to use a pressure washer as they can force water into connectors and cause drivability issues until they dry out. A regular hose works fine to rinse the cleaner from the engine and then blow most of the water off with a leaf blower or your compressor before starting.

A little common sense goes a long way on cleaning your engine. If it looks like a bad idea to put cleaner/water somewhere, it probably is..... As for final treatments, the tire foams do fairly well but do attract a lot of dust as they often don't completely "dry". I don't own any stock in the company but CD2 engine detailer works very well for a factory type matt finish when sprayed on the plastic and rubber under the hood. It will be glossy when sprayed on initially but let some of the solvents evaporate out for 20 minutes or so, wipe it down with an OLD microfiber to a matt finish, close the hood and take the car for a drive to get the under hood temps up to set the resins in the product. It will look great.

Add in a good spray sealant on the painted surfaces (I use Wolfgang deep gloss spritz sealant) and you are good to go for 6 months or more with a great looking engine compartment. by the way, the sealant also works great in the hard to reach areas in your door jambs. You do keep them clean don't you????

 

[mjn]

Does the CD2 look like a film on the engine. I ask becasue I have tried the Griot's version of this and it ended up like a plastic hard finsih that after a couple days started cracking. Ended up looking like a hard clear candy coating on it that was cracking and not to mention before I sold it never did completly remove all of it what a pain it was for me.

 

[bgott]

One thing to remember about starting the car before you rinse it off. Late model Ford modular engines are not kind to owners that do not blow the water off of the top of the engine before trying to start them. The plug holes fill up, short out coils and do other nasty things at times.

GM LS engines are suseptible to water getting under the intake and flooding the rear knock sensor located in wells in the top of the block. If you get a knock sensor code this is probably the reason. We worked on two Chevy pick-ups this week for this problem and have another one lined up for next week. The fix is to change the sensor and build a dam around the sensor with silicon, open towards the rear, and then leave out the foam baffle at the back of the intake. We change both sensors and the wiring harness and then silicon the snot out of the rubber plugs that are supposed to seal the sensors from water intrusion. We had one that the harness was the problem, even with a rusted out sensor, so we cover our asses and change them all.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Befo'

Afta'

 

[oltruckag]

Befo'

Afta'

So what kind of cleaner did you use? What ever it is it's awesome - it painted your valve covers, replaced the alternator & PS pump and installed new belts.

Does it come in a spray can or concentrate in a gallon? I've got an old F250 that could use some of that.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

So what kind of cleaner did you use? What ever it is it's awesome - it painted your valve covers, replaced the alternator & PS pump and installed new belts.

Does it come in a spray can or concentrate in a gallon? I've got an old F250 that could use some of that.

Yep,

It's amazing how the rest of the engine compartment is still dirty and the engine looks just like it has been pulled and rebuilt......

By the way, did you also use the "braided fuel line in a can" concentrate and the wiring harness renew spray?