First Crack At Engine Detailing

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Underdawg736GTC

New member
How goes it everyone?

A couple weeks back I finally broke down and attempted something that frankly scares the snot out of me........cleaning up an engine bay! I know if you don't pay attention to what you're doing, you can royally fudge something up and that usually keeps me from attempting more riskier projects when it comes to detailing. Well I mustard up enough courage after reading up on it for several years and then to watch Barry Theal knock my engine/bay out like he was at the house doing the dishes!!!

So what better test subject then........wait for it..........the ambulance!!! Seeing that since it's never had the engine/bay cleaned up in it's life and it was looking dirtier then dirt itself, I grabbed some 3D Orange Degreaser and the hose and went to town!



Fist off, after pulling the rig out of the garage and inspecting and identifying areas that needed to be protected, and there were plenty!! I covered up the alternator, battery terminals, and all exposed wiring and connectors that I could visually see. Next up I lightly sprayed the engine bay down with water, afterwards I sprayed a gratuitous amount of orange degreaser and let it dwell for approximately 10 minutes. Next I agitated some of the more dirtier areas......who am I kidding.....it was all areas were dirty!! Once satisfied I rinsed then bay down by avoiding a direct stream of water to the more fragile areas. All in all it took about a half hour, and boy what a difference it made! Little did I know that was the easy part!



Pull the rig back in from the sun and heat and I wipe down the bay and underneath the hood with clean terry towels.

Now the paint work in the bay and under the hood is dismal to say the least. I figured I'd hit these areas with either Meg's Ultimate Compound or HD Uno by hand, after testing both, Uno cleaned up better and faster then UC. There was so much baked on dirt and soot that it took me close to 5 hours to bring the paint back to looking white as opposed as being anywhere from a beige off white to dark gray! Afterwards I threw on some Poxy and then sprayed Stoners Trim Shine on all plastic pieces.



For being such a scaredie cat with the thought of fudging something up, I'm ecstatic with how it came out! That with the fact that all my co workers are convinced that I have gone completely mental and needs to be committed. My confidence has definately gone up several notches and I'm no longer scared to knock out a dirty engine!



Anyways on to the pics....ENJOY!



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Thanks for looking and as always comment, questions, advise is always appreciated!



Sean
 
Looks good! I would have skipped putting Poxy on it, the heat from the engine will take it right off, but hey...I've done it before just for the instant gratification :).



Cleaning engines is "scary" up front because of the big deal people make about it. I've never covered up anything and I've never had any issues either. It's all you how clean it. Every time I buy a car I instantly take it to the self-service locations and give the engine a full bath. My former co-workers also thought I was insane for cleaning the engine bays, but that's how they mostly view my detailing services, too!
 
I'm with qauenga! I'm all about the instant gratification, I tossed around whether or not I wanted to wax it due to the heat coming off the engine......but with my co workers nit picking about my nit picking....I just had to do it!

One guy looked at me cross eyed and said something along the lines of why the heck would I detail an engine? Well an engine with less dirt and grime all over it will run a bit cooler then a dirty one, maybe not significantly but irregaurdless, these engines can be idiling for over 6 hours at a pop, whatever I can do to keep her running efficiently, I'll do it or at least give my best shot at it! Plus when we go to turn these puppies in for new ones (whenever that'll be), I'm sure without a doubt a cleaner looking engine will fetch more money then a dirty one!

One issue I did have was that the strobe lights on the cab got knocked out, I had a little freak out moment but they returned by the end of the day.
 
I grew up working for my dad, who was a mechanic, and we have hosed down engines more times than I can count. I have only ever had one issue and it was a cracked distributor cap on my own vehicle that was the cause. With most engines nowadays there is less concern of that as with getting a connection to a sensor wet. Most are well sealed and should be fine as long as they are not hit with high pressure water. The engine will get wet just from driving in heavy rain. If you are really concerned, just have the engine running when rinsing. It is easier to keep an engine running than to start it, the heat helps evaporate the water quicker, and if something does malfunction, it is easier to identify as it was likely the spot you were spraying when it quit. I use a pump garden sprayer for rinsing areas of the engine where i have concerns. I have yet to have an issue. Of course, having the knowledge and ability to fix a problem if one were to arise is a huge help.



When it comes to the paint under the hood, many times it is not finished to the same quality as the body, so it can be much more difficult to clean and polishing is usually a waste. I usually use Opti-Seal for those areas.
 
Underdawg736GTC- Hey, that turned out nice!



I always LSP the painted areas underhood, and I've never had problems with engine heat killing off the LSP all that fast (well, OK, the Jag's 12 cylinder sometimes kills its Sӧuveran between washes). A durable LSP should withstand the heat just fine.



I'm a big proponent of keeping engine compartments spotless. Much easier to see if something needs attention, and more pleasant doing work in there. Even if you farm out all the mechanical work, I honestly believe that spotless engine compartments get better servicing than filthy ones; I know that my mechanics genuinely *enjoy* working on my vehicles, even with my "don't touch the paint!"/etc. craziness.
 
Nth Degree said:
If you are really concerned, just have the engine running when rinsing. It is easier to keep an engine running than to start it, the heat helps evaporate the water quicker, and if something does malfunction, it is easier to identify as it was likely the spot you were spraying when it quit.
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I was actually just coming back to say this! I used the same thing when I had a driveway to work with. The the self-service location I use the water comes out without holding the trigger at a slower speed, so that's what I rinse with when I'm there. But, now that I've got my Nomad........
 
You have a serious case of OCD. Looks great buddy. If I ever start to kick the bucket, I hope you guys come to get me. LOL I'll be riding in the cleanest ambulance this side of the mississippi!
 
Thanks guys!



Nth, with some of the horror stories I've read, it held me back thinking of any possible bad outcomes, not so much anymore now! You're definitely right about the paint quality under the hood. With these rigs it's WAY thinner then the rest of the body and in some parts it is barely there! I did do a small section w/ HD Polish but I gave up as it didn't seem to do much! We don't have a pressure washer here so I guess as long as I don't hit it with a direct stream of water, I'll be good! The engine started up just fine.



Thank you Accumulator. With my new found confidence my engines are gonna be spotless. Still have to knock out the seconds rigs engine which is a bit more in worst shape then this one. Fun times WILL be had on that one! I'm sure mechanics love a nice clean engine. The unwritten rule when I was in the Army was to take care of your mechanics and they will take care of you!
 
Hahaha Barry, thanks alot we got ya covered! Hope you're not allergic to large bees! Unfortunately it's extremely rare for us to make it to Manhiem.....poop has to hit the fan big time! I'll tell you what tho......those Manheim rigs look like they could use a lil TLC, they definately riding dirty!!
 
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