Detailing (or just cleaning) the engine bay

M

MyZmZm

New member
No flaming, please, but I have never done this with any of my vehicles. The most I've done is a quick rinse with the hose or pressure washer. However, I would like to learn how to properly do this - technique, products, etc.



If you could detail step by step what you do, I would greatly appreciate it. Currently under the hood is a powdercoated valve cover, an aluminum oil cap and battery tie-down; other than that, she's pretty much stock (ie no special care required).



Thanks in advance to all the masters out there! :bow
 
Here's an excerpt from a previous thread of mine, where I explain my engine cleaning process, complete with pictures:



From this thread:

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=58051&highlight=father's+day+minivan



White95Max said:
Before I started to tackle the horrible swirls, I decided to clean up the engine bay:



Process:



Ran engine for about 30 seconds

Sprayed a very fine mist of water from the hose onto the engine bay

Sprayed 303 Aerospace Cleaner diluted 3:1

Allowed to sit for ~5 minutes

Rinse with a fine mist of water

Sprayed again with Meg's APC/water mix 3:1

Scrub with a sponge

Rinse with a fine mist of water

Spot rinse with a spray bottle

Wipe stubborn areas with a WalMart MF

Dry with another WM MF

Dress with NXT Tech Protectant



Before:







EngineBefore2.JPG




Yeah I didn't trust the hood prop to hold up the heavy hood. It made this cracking sound when I let the hood down on it!





EWWW greasy! That MF promptly received a spot in the garbage can.



Grease2.JPG




Normally I do engines entirely by hand (no hose, no spray bottles), but I knew that there was just too much grease and dirt in there to do it all by hand.



After:



EngineAfter3.JPG




Products Used for engine bay cleaning:



EngineProducts.JPG
Click to expand...



And my engine when I got it:



DirtyEngine.JPG






After lots of work with Mother's Mag/Aluminum Polish and a bunch of terry cloths:



AIO_UPPx2_16_-_1.JPG


AIO_UPPx2_16_-_2.JPG






Engine detailing really isn't that difficult. It takes some time, especially if you do it completely by hand like I usually do, but the contrast is always impressive after you're done. :)
 
Thanks Paul. I'll have to give this a try come spring; right now it's too bloody cold out to attempt anything like this! The NXT Tech Protectant - what is that for exactly?
 
It's a plastic/rubber/vinyl protectant. It basically makes the hoses and plastics a dark black, and protects them. It also makes for easier cleaning (provided you buff off the excess after application).
 
I usually use a diluted mixture (sometimes as much as 10:1) of Simple Green, or just any APC, and spray it all over the engine, but consciously making an effort not to spray it on parts that obviously should not be sprayed (electronics, fancy painted parts, etc.) I let it saturate for several minutes and then spray it off with a hose and the lightest water pressure I can to get it clean. I then spot dry everything by hand with budget MF's, using a cheap QD (Meg's Quick Detailer, etc.) where needed. After the engine is ran for a few minutes, it will be warm enough to quickly evaporate any remaining water. In the case of my GTO, I wrap the exposed K&N air filter with a couple of grocery bags and keep any and all water away from that area.



For textured plastics, rubber, trim, shrouds, wiper arms, etc. I use Poorboy's Trim Restorer. Let it sit for a few minutes and buff to a low gloss sheen. Pay special attention to the areas around the engine bay that collect all the water from washing/rain, and also under the hood gets either QD or if I'm feeling like it, even maybe a coat of AIO or OCW.



That's about all there is to it for me. I have yet to tackle a nasty, greasy engine, but for dusty or dull engines/engine bays, this is what I do.
 
Diluted APC is going to be your best friend. Depending on the dilution ratio, it's going to be able to tackle anything from heavy grease to stubborn dust. I'll first start off by covering up such components as teh alternator, battery terminals, spark plugs, etc. Then I'll spray a 3:1 dilution of APC over the entire engine bay and let it sit there for a while. Then I'll bring out a small scrub brush (wheel spoke brushes work well) and scrub anything that doesn't look like its comming off. After this I'll rinse the engine with a hose. Ill then turn the engine on for 30-45 seconds to evaporate most of the water. Then I'll switch to a towel and dry up the remaining water. My protectant is normally 303 protectant.
 
I really like using my steamer for the engine compartment; I find that it cuts through stuff that would take 2-3x longer with APC or Degreaser; and it is generally safer, too.
 
Neothin - I'll likely be picking up a jug of the APC in the next couple of months; by the way I hear you guys talk about the versatility of this product, it sounds like it's going to be my new best friend.



Zippy - I might have to try that brush, looks like it will be able to reach a lot of places I can't (I'm 5'). :) You've had no issues with it scratching any paint or metal?
 
BlackSunshine said:
Simple Green
Click to expand...



I'd be VERY careful/hesitant to use Simple Green in the engine compartment. It is highly corrosive to aluminum, which is used on/in alot of engines on late model cars.
 
MyZmZm said:
..I might have to try that brush, looks like it will be able to reach a lot of places I can't (I'm 5'). :) You've had no issues with it scratching any paint or metal?
Click to expand...



Those are handy and I use mine for something at almost every wash. But you do have to be careful as it *will* mar paint (I can't use it on my S8's wheels). Even when wet with good shampoo, when I inspected carefully it *had* left light marring. But a) many people con't care about light marring in out of the way places and b) there are lots of surfaces in an engine compartment/undercarriage that it won't hurt. It won't scratch metal (that's generally speaking, but I can't think of any that it *has* scratched for me).



It can be good for cleaning the insides/backs of wheels (but only use it on ones that aren't finely finished back there). I use it on the wheel backs and undercarrige of my MPV all the time and it does work well. Get two, as eventually the handle will bend one time too many and break. Shipping/etc. make it smart to buy more than one at a time.



Given your height I'd consider a work platform. I'm 5' 10" and I stand on one when I do the roof of almost every vehicle. It's just easier to "work down" than it is to "work up". IMO it would make a lot of jobs easier for you. I have a pair of THESE but there are less expensive alternatives.
 
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