I need to get my engine bay cleaner...

9

91LSMAN

2002 Chevrolet Corvette
Ok, my engine bay (1991 Acura Legend) has been making me nuts for a while now. Here are the events leading up to my current insanity:

*I used to clean the engine bay with Gunk Citris Engine bright with great results.

*One day I was cleaning with "Gunk" but I didn't realize the engine bay was too hot, and the cleaner sort of "cooked" onto some of the metal parts. It left a green haze.

*Members of this forum suggested I try Meguires Super Degreaser. When using Super Degreaser, I was able to scrub the intake manifold and get the green haze off, but the parts I can't scrub still have the green haze.

*Now that I have custom paint in the engine bay, the green metal parts detract from "the look."

*It looks fine in pictures or in the shade, but in direct sunlight I want to puke.

*I recently purchased a steam cleaner and it gets the stuff off where I can scrub with the brass brush attachment, but again anything I can't scrub, still has the green haze.

I was thinking of trying Super Degreaser without any dilution-using it at full strength, just in a few areas. But if I can't scrub, it still might not work.

I don't really want to use a pressure washer, the areas in question have multiple ground wires, etc. around them.

HELP
 
Jngrbrdman said:
Pictures? This is a job that those would be really be easier to help diagnose if you posted pics.
Click to expand...

Pictures don't really show much though.

Here are one or two pics taken by others at a meet. The areas really in question are the Valve covers:

PICT2766.jpg


397c9acf.jpg


Again, pictures don't show the issue very well.



vwgtivw said:
Have you tried cleaning with gunk again just don't let it cook on this time.
Click to expand...


I think the next time I cleaned I used it. Didn't really help.

It's annoying because if I can reach an area with a brush, I can clean it off a bit, but what I need is something that'll "melt" this stuff away, even when I can't touch it.
 
So you are saying the stuff will come off as long as you can reach it to scrub it off, right? If that is the case then I would just suggest you use longer brushes. My motto on engine cleaning is 'if I can see it then I can clean it'. If you have a line of sight then you can get something in there to clean it. Show car engine detailing doesn't come in a can. You have to use elbow grease and scrub some places to get it clean. Degreasers won't do all the work for you. I've never found a product that will safely clean an entire engine without the need to scrub in a few places.

The only other thing you could use would be a very thin stream of high pressure water on the area. That is the only other substitute for getting in there with a rag or a brush. I don't have any idea what could produce something like that though.
 
This is just a guess but since the engine was hot when you used the gunk that turned some parts green...I would suggest that you try taking it off in the same manner....get the engine hot this should loosen up the green stuff shoot that with gunk or a good strong degreaser and do your best to get off with a brush....My thoughts are that if its warm to hot it will be easy to remove then rinse the best you can with water on very low pressure...again based on not really being able to see the parts in the pics this is just a suggestion.


By the way...Dude that is one sweet looking engine bay even if there are some green parts
 
Jngrbrdman said:
So you are saying the stuff will come off as long as you can reach it to scrub it off, right? If that is the case then I would just suggest you use longer brushes. My motto on engine cleaning is 'if I can see it then I can clean it'. If you have a line of sight then you can get something in there to clean it. Show car engine detailing doesn't come in a can. You have to use elbow grease and scrub some places to get it clean. Degreasers won't do all the work for you. I've never found a product that will safely clean an entire engine without the need to scrub in a few places.

The only other thing you could use would be a very thin stream of high pressure water on the area. That is the only other substitute for getting in there with a rag or a brush. I don't have any idea what could produce something like that though.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I guess that's what I'll have to do.


Beemerboy said:
This is just a guess but since the engine was hot when you used the gunk that turned some parts green...I would suggest that you try taking it off in the same manner....get the engine hot this should loosen up the green stuff shoot that with gunk or a good strong degreaser and do your best to get off with a brush....My thoughts are that if its warm to hot it will be easy to remove then rinse the best you can with water on very low pressure...again based on not really being able to see the parts in the pics this is just a suggestion.


By the way...Dude that is one sweet looking engine bay even if there are some green parts
Click to expand...

That's almost exactly what my mom said. LOL

She compared it to cleaning candle wax-you have to re-heat it to get it off. I think I'll just keep scrubbing areas with brushed and maybe look for some other ones to get the hard to reach places.

Thanks.
 
91LSMAN said:
Yeah, I guess that's what I'll have to do.




That's almost exactly what my mom said. LOL

She compared it to cleaning candle wax-you have to re-heat it to get it off. I think I'll just keep scrubbing areas with brushed and maybe look for some other ones to get the hard to reach places.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

This is a handed brush that you can get at any auto parts store. I have 3 of them all for different reasons
 
Yeah, I have some smaller brushes already that I use.

Today while I was driving to Lunch I had a couple ideas on what I can try. Being that a small brush can get this stuff off here is what I'm going to try:

Green Scrub Pads (Just like the stuff on some sponges)
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers


Ok-this 3rd one was mom's idea: Baby Bottle Brush-they are long and have lots of little bristles.

I'm going to try those 3 things in the coming weeks. My AC is hopefully getting fixed on Monday, so I'll try some of these things when they are done.
 
91LSMAN said:
Yeah, I have some smaller brushes already that I use.

Today while I was driving to Lunch I had a couple ideas on what I can try. Being that a small brush can get this stuff off here is what I'm going to try:

Green Scrub Pads (Just like the stuff on some sponges)
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers


Ok-this 3rd one was mom's idea: Baby Bottle Brush-they are long and have lots of little bristles.

I'm going to try those 3 things in the coming weeks. My AC is hopefully getting fixed on Monday, so I'll try some of these things when they are done.
Click to expand...


Have a look and see if you have a janitorial supply in your area...I have two here and I get allot of quality brushes from them, you would be surprised how many they have and the shapes
 
Beemerboy said:
Have a look and see if you have a janitorial supply in your area...I have two here and I get allot of quality brushes from them, you would be surprised how many they have and the shapes
Click to expand...


Not a bad idea!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top