Learning how to detail an Engine Bay.

Fishing

Fishing

Member
Hello All, I am trying to learn how to detail an engine bay. I did some searching here but was only able to find info about engine bay dressing. I would like to learn how people are get rid of the greasy dirty stuff on rocker covers, engine block ect. without harming the electrical components and such. I think this could be a lengthy post if someone was to explain the steps they take when doing this. So I was wondering if anyone has seen a video that they like about how to detail an engine bay.
My concerns are
#1 Do no harm, I realize there are a lot of electronics and vacuum lines and would like to be as gentle on those items as I can be.
#2 For now I am not looking to get to show quality, just nice and clean.
Thank you for any help/suggestions.
 
I do think that the Autopia Store needs "update" their information about engine cleaning, as both the McKee`s 37 Engine Degreaser and the McKee`s 37 Turbo Blower are both "discontinued" items (IE; they are no longer sold or available) at the Autopia Store.
I would suggest Optimum Power Clean or Meg`s Detailer Line M108 Super Degreaser as alternate degreaser products and the Blackfire Car Dryer or Metro Vac Air Force Quick Draw Compact Dryer as alternate dryers, all products currently available at the Autopia Store.

I am also "surprised` to see engine cleaning using a garden hose and fire nozzle to wash/rinse the engine compartment. I would think this introduced way too much water into those areas, even if someone has taken the time to wrap senors, engine computer control boxes, and fuse boxes with plastic to mitigate the entrance of said water into these water-sensitive electrical components. I would think a garden-type hand-pressurized insecticide sprayer with a sprayer wand, like the IK Pro Foam 12 , might be a better way to wash and rinse and control the amount of water introduced into the engine.

As far as engine cleaning and detailing, does anyone use a high-end steamer like the Vapor Systems VX5000 or the Reliable Brio Pro 1000CC to do so?? I`ve watched product demonstration videos for both of these steamers and they show them being used to steam clean engine compartments.
Neither one of these are available or sold at the Autopia Store (sorry!). The Autopia Store offers the Vapormore line of steamers and the only one that is a true high-end pro model is the MR-1000 Forenza Steam Cleaner.

By the way, the engine compartment is the FIRST area you should clean if you are doing a vehicle detail, for obvious reasons. Chances are overspray and such will get on the exterior front fender panels and grill and windshield, requiring a follow-up cleaning /washing of those areas when done OR the entire vehicle exterior (preferred).
More common sense suggestion:
Watch what you use for a de-geaser or engine cleaner. Many over-the-counter degreasers, like OTC Simple Green or Super Clean (the Purple Stuff) are NOT safe for use on aluminum components so prevalent on today`s vehicles. They will cause whitening or aluminum "bloom" on such parts if allowed to dwell too long or not rinsed or dried completely. A popular OTC engine cleaner aerosol spray is Gunk Engine Brite. I am just not "keen" to using that either.
And for safety`s sake, PLEASE refrain from using gasoline as an engine cleaning solvent and degreaser (my readily-available redneck "solvent" in my younger day. Might "explain" a lot of why your as are today, Captain Obvious! Just sayin`...). While very inexpensive and very effective as a de-greasing solvent, its detriment to personal health, the environmental, and flammability far out-weigh its use for engine cleaning.
ALWAYS READ THE LABEL DIRECTIONS AND WARNINGS BEFORE USING ANY PRODUCT FOR ENGINE CLEANING.

Edit:
Since I detail and clean daily drivers almost exclusively, engine compartments and the underside of the hood collect far more than just grease and dirt. Perhaps the "worst" is leaf, pine needle, lawn litter in the cowl area where fresh air is taken into the interior. I prefer to first remove what I can by hand and then take a vacuum to those areas. Sometimes I take a tweezers to extract embedded litter in the cowl vents. That`s the litter that plugs drain holes and then causes rust to form in cowl areas.
I have also removed rodent debris, like mice nests or chipmunk seed-&-nut "stashes". You just need to cognitive and vigilant about such things happening in daily driven vehicles when you open the hood. I have not encountered live animals, like snakes or lizards or rodents. I did remove a dead bird from the grill of my own vehicle.
Insect and bugs can really collect on the radiator and front underside of the hood. A good long brush, like the E-Z Detail brush can help get the bugs off the radiator and a bug mesh sponge works well for under the hood. I`ve used Poorboy`s World Bug Squash as a pre-treater for those areas, but I am sure a de-greaser or All-Purpose Cleaner can be substituted for that purpose.
 
@Lonnie- Some real good points and things to think about. I forgot all about the aluminum whitening and bloom issues. I like the M101 so I will give the M108 a try. Im not auto savvy enough to know of all the car parts that should be covered under the hood so your idea of a tank sprayer sounds very helpful in this type of situation. Thank you for taking the time to write so much information.

@PA DETAILER- Thanks for the articles. After reading them I am shaking my head,,, why didn`t I ever thinking of using my air compressor to help in the engine bay. Thank you for posting and helping me.
 
Fishing:
The air compressor blow-off is a great tool to use if you have one. Some Obsessive-Compulsive Detailers (OCD) will wrap electrical tape or hockey-stick tape around any metal blow-off wand nozzles to prevent scratching the inner fender wells or firewall paint of an engine compartment.

I do have to mention one safety "concern" using compressed air is NOT to use it to blow yourself off if you are covering in dirt and dust. It`s an OSHA violation to do so because if you have a cut in your skin, compressed air can get into your blood stream and cause an air bubble to form, which can (will) kill you when it reaches the heart and lungs. Some of the paper machine manufacturing places I worked at as a draftman would place work associates on leave if caught doing so the first time, and permanent dismissal for the second offense. I know it seems trivial and HIGHLY unlikely that this would happen because I think EVERYONE who has an air compressor will blow themselves off when dirty at some time, but it is an OHSA offense for the reason mentioned above.

My method? I do it the "redneck way". I use the exhaust outlet on my shop vac and hook my hose up to that with a hose reducer to the end of the shop vac hose (from 2-1/2" to 1-1/4") to with a smaller diameter rubber radiator hose duct-taped to the reducer (told you it was redneck!) to "funnel" the air stream into the engine. I like the rubber hose because:
1) It "bends" and reaches into "nooks-and crannies" of an engine compartment easily (like under the intake manifold and air cleaner or low inner fender areas near battery box & air conditioner condenser canister or rear engine-transmission bellhousing)
2) The rubber hose will not scratch paint, even when directed into the above-mentioned confined areas

Two caveats to using your shop vac with a hose reducer:
1) WASH your plastic corrugated vacuum hose out BEFORE blowing any air through it. You`d be surprised how much dirt and debris collect inside a shop vac hose from your vacuuming activities, but because it was sucking the air into the shop vac canister, you never notice it. You WILL if you blow air out. Also, after washing it, just blow the air from the shop vac to dry it BEFORE you point it at your engine.
2) With a hose-size reducer on the end of a larger diameter hose, the shop vac will sound "strained" as it tries to blow air through that reduce orifice size, and it is! So just do not run your shop vac for any extended length of time (more than 15 minutes) as the motor will heat up from working harder being "strained".
 
In my line of work (auto repair), we degrease the engine/transmission/etc after completing (sometimes prior to starting, depending on the situation) a repair. This is offered more as a "Return to not broken" service than as a "Detailing" service.

I`ll speak only to what we do here, and I`ll add that I would not recommend this as a blanket method. The cars I see have well protected connectors/expensive parts and thus we`ve not had any items damaged from the degreasing process. The only issue I`ve seen is where guys get careless and direct water at the ignition coils/ignition coil area and get water down in the wells. No permanent damage, but causes a misfire due to spark jumping to ground through the water.

We use a Winzer product called "Tek Orange". I have no idea what the secret sauce is, but it`s the best touchless degreaser I`ve used in my career. Most impressive aspect is I`ve not had one instance of aluminum damage, either noticed right away or at a subsequent visit. We ran out once, and while trying to find a replacement I did run into a small amount of that on an aluminum undertray with a different degreaser (don`t remember which one).
The affected area gets sprayed with degreaser, allowed to dwell, then rinsed with a jet stream of water from a hose. Not crazy about the idea of waving a pressure washer around under the hood...
Some small touch up may be required, I`ll usually just chase it with "brake clean" and compressed air.

Being into detailing on the hobby front, I`ve brought my own touch to the process in the form of taking some steps to up the results a little. Since (again,) we`re cleaning to remove traces of the old leak, not detaling the underhood area, I limit the time I spend but I think it really helps to leave a good impression to the customer. I`d call it more "Cleaned with intention" than detailed.
After degreasing, I`ll take any of the underhood plastics I`ve had off and mist them with ONR at rinseless wash ratio (I feel like any Rinseless would probably yield similar results). I`ll then spray them off with compressed air to blow the dust out of ribs, nooks, and crannies. Finally I`ll wipe them quick with an ONR sprayed microfiber, flipping to a dry side for final wipes.

You`d be surprised what a difference it makes. I`ve had customers compliment how the underhood looked after a repair which was quite the bonus. :) If I had a car come through where you could tell it was an Autopian/Autogeek that actually cared about their car on a different level (IE: Not an appliance), I`d skip the ONR as to not mess with whatever their underhood regimen is; but for your average Joe I feel like ONR will be short lived enough that it would clean off if someone went in for an intentional detail.

I`ve really been wanting to take the RW mist/compressed air to a larger scale to see the results, but we don`t do car washes after repairs so I don`t wanna risk moving the dirt where I can`t deal with it.

One other thing I`d mention would be if you`ve got grime/oil/grease around valve covers/etc, I`d look at getting the leak repaired.

Hopefully this helps. I`ll see if I can dig through my phone and find an "After" picture of what they end up looking like.
 
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Here’s a quick “after” example. Cars I deal with have a lot of plastic... (I think this was earlier on where I was doing more wiping, less using the fluid and compressed air to clean the tight spots). Again, notice that it’s not a proper detail as it’s still dirty by frame/strut towers/etc. I also don`t go after the wiper cowling as this would be visible from outside the car.

Boy, hopefully I don`t sound super hack-y here! :blink:
 
Thank you both for the amount of information and time you guys put in to the post.

Lonnie- I think I am going to get a dedicated compressor wand and wrap it with something for protection. I like that idea. I have the car cleaning hose reducer attachment for the shop vacuum and enjoy using it for the interior. I use it every time. If the new wand on the compressor doesn`t work I will try that method. WOW I didn`t know that about OSHA and the air compressor,,,, I am guilty of doing that,,,,have to be more careful next time,, thnx for that info.

Oneheadlite- I am going to look into that "Tek Orange" I just ordered some M108 but am always looking to learn about new products and methods. This is only a hobby for me but I enjoy it. This is just the excuse I have been looking for to try some ONR,,,Thank you.
 
It`s really not that big of a deal. Over the years I`ve detailed literally thousands of engine bays. Only 1 car has left on a wrecker and that was way back in the mid 80`s.

My best suggestion is stay away from a pressure washer and use very little water when rinsing. Just a mist
 
bad penny said:
It`s really not that big of a deal. Over the years I`ve detailed literally thousands of engine bays. Only 1 car has left on a wrecker and that was way back in the mid 80`s.

My best suggestion is stay away from a pressure washer and use very little water when rinsing. Just a mist
Click to expand...

Good point. Just enough water to get the job done. Another trick i use is the shop vac on blow to help dry the engine before i use the Sonus motor kote.
 
Fishing said:
Thank you both for the amount of information and time you guys put in to the post.

Lonnie- I think I am going to get a dedicated compressor wand and wrap it with something for protection. I like that idea. I have the car cleaning hose reducer attachment for the shop vacuum and enjoy using it for the interior. I use it every time. If the new wand on the compressor doesn`t work I will try that method. WOW I didn`t know that about OSHA and the air compressor,,,, I am guilty of doing that,,,,have to be more careful next time,, thnx for that info.

Oneheadlite- I am going to look into that "Tek Orange" I just ordered some M108 but am always looking to learn about new products and methods. This is only a hobby for me but I enjoy it. This is just the excuse I have been looking for to try some ONR,,,Thank you.
Click to expand...

You`ll find out over time that "Super Clean" and "Purple Power" will work as well as the M108 for less.
 
bcgreen said:
You`ll find out over time that "Super Clean" and "Purple Power" will work as well as the M108 for less.
Click to expand...
bcgreeen:
I just got off the phone with the Super Clean Customer Service rep and she strongly suggests testing it first. Most individuals using this product for engine degreasing make three BIG mistakes:
1) Using it full strength undiluted: she suggested an 4:1 or 8:1 dilution ratio.
2) Letting it dwell or sit too long on aluminum of ANY type. It should be rinsed AND wiped off immediately.
(Hard to do deep in an aluminum intake manifold or the underside of an engine-transmission bell housing!!)
3) Using it on hot or too warm of an engine. (Some cleaners do suggest this to make it easier to dissolve dirt and grease, but NOT this product)

That`s a REAL problem on today`s engines and front suspension components in the engine bay area regardless of the vehicle type that have SO much aluminum present to reduce weight and increase gas mileage.

While it may sound like I am disseminating "mis-information" and advocating NOT to use Super Clean and its dollar-store generic equivalent Purple Power on engines that have aluminum, it is still your choice. You just need to be aware that there are "possible" (I emphasis that term) aluminum whitening and "bloom" consequences and ramifications in doing so. I prefer to use other safer, aluminum-friendly degreasers, albeit at a much higher price.

I have also long advocated NOT using over-the-counter Simple Green for the same aluminum whitening reason. Simple Green knows this and has developed an aluminum-friendly formulation called Simple Green Pro (looks purple). But at 2-1/2 times the price of OTC Simple Green, I`ve found other degreasers in that same price range. My preferred degreaser that I currently use is Optimum Polymer Technology`s Power Clean, but that is (much) more expensive compared to M108.

I also used (past tense) Kano Laboratories` (the makers the THE BEST rusted thread penetrant oil, Kroil) Floway aerosol spray for engine cleaning and degreasing , but that product, while extremely effective, is also extremely expensive now.
 
Fishing- IF you don`t want to get things wet, use a solvent. Rather than any dressings, I`d use a trim/etc. coating. I`d plan on using BHBs and a gazillion swabs whichever way you go.

Once you get it nice, it`s *EASY* to keep it that way as long as you do it at every wash. Yes, even on vehicles that get really messy under there due to leaks (especially those that aren`t feasible to correct)..all a matter of not letting it get ahead of you.

A spotless engine compartment, like a spotless undercarriage, can make a huge diff with regard to how techs treat your vehicle ;)
 
bcgreen - Thank you for the information. When I am done with the M108 I may be looking around at others, have to wait and see,,,,a gallon of M108 is going to last me a while lol lol.

Lonnie - Thank you for doing all that research. I am going to try to learn a little more about aluminum and chemical reactions to it. I don`t like using chemicals that may be harmfull.

Accumulator - That is an options I did consider and may use. I am going to try the deluted M108 in a hand spray bottle and a pump tank sprayer for rinse water and compressed air as my starting point and adjust as needed from there. LOL took me a few minutes to figure out what BHB was,,,,,

Thank you everyone for the help.
 
Fishing- In this context, the great thing about those Boar`s Hair Brushes (heh heh...when Yours Truly posts "BHB".. ;) ) is that no matter what kind of nasty greasy [crap] you get on `em, they clean up quickly and easily. Unlike synthetic bristles, which can get so gunked up I never quite get `em clean (at least not with the amount of time/effort I`ll put into it).

And yeah...*keep caustic products off aluminum*. Even microscopic flaws in an aluminum bit`s anodizing/powdercoating/etc. can allow product to do damage.
 
I used to use carburetor or brake cleaner in hard to research nooks and crannies of an engine safely with success.
 
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