Detailing the Engine?

[RedfireVert]

What are people doing to clean the underhood grime?

I'm going to a car show (Fabulous Fords Forever/Knott's Berry Farm) and wanted to know how to detail the engine.

Something tells me a high-pressure hose isn't a good idea...

 

[tv's 03]

Wash the engine with the engine cool, do not wash hot.

Here is what I have done. I spray simple green over the underhood area. I am careful to not saturate electrical connection, and the altenator, belts and pulleys.. But I will mist the simple green over most of everything under there. After I let it soak, I take my electrical hi-pressure (hardly, but great for washing cars) and spray everything off, again being carefull to to spray directly on the above mentioned parts. Let drip dry as you wash the rest of the car. Looks brand new when done. You may want to towel dry as best you can to avoid water spots

 

[Chris_H]

I also use simple green and soak the engine with it. I will let it sit on the engine while I wash the car. Once I finish washing the car, I raise the hood and spray it down real good before drying the car. Helps give it time to soak in and get any crap off the motor. Always seems to work good.

Chris

 

[CobraBob]

Just curious. How did your engine get so dirty in one year that you would need to wash it? Or are you just doing this for shows?

 

[Friendchicken]

Do not use a pressure washer on your engine. You may as well drive it through a lake. Use the simple green, let sit 2 mins and then use a hose with no attachment to wash it off. Let dry for 45 mins and then detail with armour all.

 

[ALA G8R]

Originally posted by 98kobra
Do not use a pressure washer on your engine. You may as well drive it through a lake. Use the simple green, let sit 2 mins and then use a hose with no attachment to wash it off. Let dry for 45 mins and then detail with armour all.

:thumbsup:

 

[RedfireVert]

Originally posted by CobraBob
Just curious. How did your engine get so dirty in one year that you would need to wash it? Or are you just doing this for shows?

Hey C/B, it's being cleaned for a show. Overall mileage is only 6K but it's been driven in the rain a couple of times (not by choice).

The Fab Fords show usually draws about 2000 cars...Mustangs, Tigers, Vintage Cobras, Panteras, T-birds, Lightnings, etc. The level of expectation is really high, so I'm trying to get the car cleaned and polished as much as possible.

 

[Friendchicken]

If you are detailing for a show, get yourself a set of rhino ramps and spend at least 2 hours detailing the engine area of the car by hand. What I found helpful to reach the tight spots was a paint stir stick with a couple socks over it, one of those swiffer hand dusters and pantyhose (over your hand fellas) to feel and remove dirt from areas you cannot see.

Prop your hood up high and have a good flourescent light overhead.

 

[Orange Poison]

I guess I'm going to the Fab Ford show with a semi dusty engine....I will try to wipe down as many parts as I can.

My car has never seen rain....this is what gets the engine really dirty.

Geez...I'd be scared to wash my engine

 

[Chris_H]

Well for me, since I live in the desert, we get a lot of dust/sand blowing around in the spring time. Really sucks for keeping anything clean. So I wash my engine bay out every other car wash just to keep the dust from building up.

Chris

 

[j card]

I like 409 better than simple green, and I find that it works better if the engine is a LITTLE warm, than cold. I 409 everything in a spray and let it soak for 5 minutes or so, then hose it off with a water mist - no real pressure on anything. Dry any standing water (like in the top of the blower fins) and close the hood and let it dry (the heat helps here too). Then pop it back open and wipe everything down with a towel. Wipe down the rubber parts with a rag and some type of rubber cleaner (I like Eagle1 tire treatment). Wipe off all of the black plastic with it as well.

Doing this, I kept my 91 looking like new under the hood for 12 years.

 

[BLUBYU2]

If your car never sees rain like mine I usually just need to spray it with some simple green and rinse it off. I then start the car after wiping up the puddles and let the heat take care of the rest. I dont use any tire dressing due to it attracts more dust than leaving it alone. My .02

 

[Gatorac]

To keep it looking clean, rinse the engine every time you wash and coat it with Armor All tire foam. This keeps the dirt from sticking. Repeat...

 

[George Wax]

Introducing water to your engine bay is not a good thing period..Avoid it if you can..Also if you do you must check your spark plug well's to make sure no water went in there or you will be sorry ..Trust me I have learned my lesson...

 

[byevette]

What is "simple green" that you all are referring to?:shrug:

:beer:

 

[capnlbj]

I and others use an electric blower to dry our cars after washing. It seems to me that it would be a benefit to use the blower to dry the engine compartment after a good cleaning to get the moisture out of there. Is this a decent compromise?

 

[Juiced-03]

I am a detailer, so I will tell you what I do. I have used Simple Green, and it is a good product, but it stains. I now use Greased Lightning's Orange Blast. Soak the cold engine with that either diluted or full strength and let it sit for a minute or 2. Then take a hose with a trigger nozzle and use a little pressure to rinse off the motor. Dont use full on pressure from the nozzle though. Once you are satisfied the dirt is off, use an air compressor or a blower vac to blow away the water out of the crevices. Blow away as much water as possible. Then use a towel to wipe up moisture and let her sit for a while with the hood open in the sun. Then use your favorite rubber dressing and apply to coolant hoses and intake tubing. I do this about once every 2-3 months or so. It doesnt really need it anymore than that.

 

[racerat]

What I do.
Wipe the engine bay down with a wet cloth every time I wash the car. Doesn't take but a couple of minutes. I then use a Mequiars Shine (now I use the new NXT product) and wipe down all the rubber and plastic bits. Again, only takes a couple of minutes.
Pay close attention to the white plastic fluid reservoirs. They stain easily and you have to wipe them off religiously or they'll look like crap in no time. You may need a soft bristled toothbrush to get the dirt from around the raised letters. Use a spritz of simple green on the toothbrush if the area is really grimey.

A couple of times a year, I remove the whole intake tube assembly, battery and battery tray, anything that I can get off easily and clean those areas.

Oh yeah...I wax all the visible painted metal parts a couple of times a year too.

The engine of my 10 year old 93 GT looked brand new the day I sold it. The engine in my 99 looks the same.
Here's a pic of the 03. It's driven pretty much daily in all kinds of conditions and is almost 2 years old now.

Ok...after re-reading that I think I may have issues. :nonono:

 

[PDubs]

Good stuff, learnin.

 

[hj16]

Originally posted by racerat
What I do.
Wipe the engine bay down with a wet cloth every time I wash the car. Doesn't take but a couple of minutes. I then use a Mequiars Shine (now I use the new NXT product) and wipe down all the rubber and plastic bits. Again, only takes a couple of minutes.
Pay close attention to the white plastic fluid reservoirs. They stain easily and you have to wipe them off religiously or they'll look like crap in no time. You may need a soft bristled toothbrush to get the dirt from around the raised letters. Use a spritz of simple green on the toothbrush if the area is really grimey.

A couple of times a year, I remove the whole intake tube assembly, battery and battery tray, anything that I can get off easily and clean those areas.

Oh yeah...I wax all the visible painted metal parts a couple of times a year too.

Woah, and I thought that I go overboard

But yours looks damn good Tracy. Keep up the good work:beer: