PAC tells how... to detailing your engine compartment and keep it looking great.

C

Chinaski

New member
Hey fellas, this is my first post and I want to say awesome forum! Most of my questions were answered from the search archives but i'd like to run my "to buy" list across you guys.



I've decided to try out the 3m #39009 SMR with the PC + CMA pad kit:



PC 7424 from CMA



DAP-KIT



Secondly, both my drying and polishing towel sets are in need of replacement and I am thinking of going with MF drying towels and MF polishing cloths. My question is which ones to get? CMA has the Big Blue drying towels and Viper MF Cloths. For the same price Griot's has their MF Drying towels and MF polishing cloths. Which of these do you recommend? Also, how many drying towels are necessary to dry the car and how many of these 16"x16" MF cloths would I need to wipe out the SMR and Zaino?



Thanks guys

Jason
 
Welcome to the forum.



As for Towels you can not have enough Micro Fiber (MF) towels. The choices you stated for MFs are good but there are other retailers who sell for less and have about the same quality.



Plan on using about 2-4 towels per product. After you start using MF you will buy more so why not do it now!:D



Good Luck
 
I agree with Guess. You can never have too many MF's. Once you start using them you'll find all kinds of things to use them on.



I use two big blue towels to dry and several regular MF's for polishing, waxing, sealing, whatevering. I also have on hand numerous cotton terry towels for wheels, tires, door jambs, anything slightly grimey. Don't want to ruin a pricey MF.
 
But their PC is way overpriced. I got a 7334SP (same as 7424 but with 6" counterweight and a couple other things) from Lowe's for $109 and you can also get a 7334 from Coastal Tool. Backing plate is about the same price from CMA and coastal, it comes with the kit if you are buying that from CMA.
 
Cleaning your engine compartment

A car is never truly detailed unless the engine compartment is clean, free of grease, and well protected! Detailing your engine compartment is not just for vanity or to elicit praise when you bring your automobile in for service, it serves good reason. Today?s engine compartments are getting smaller and more cramped. This concentrates heat and grime closer to the hoses, wires, plastic parts and vinyl trim covers, all of which can degrade and crack over time. A clean engine also makes it easy to spot trouble and leaks and diagnose the problems accordingly. Finally a little time and elbow grease can keep hoses and seals supple; today?s molded radiator hoses can cost as much $200.00!



The following article is for somebody who has a rudimentary understanding of the components of an engine and some knowledge on how they work. If looking under the hood reminds of the first time you learned Trigonometry, then you may want to consider hiring a professional detailer. Also make sure to check with the dealer before cleaning the engine for the first time to determine if there are any special precautions to be taken with your particular make or model of vehicle.
Engine Before
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Engine After
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You want your engine to be cool; spraying cleaners or degreasers on a hot engine can cause staining. The first step is remove any loose grime, pine needles, leaves, or vermin that are trapped in the crevices, grills, or vents of the engine. Use compressed air, from an air compressor, electric leaf blower, or dedicated car drier such as the Black Baron Dryer. You can also use a powerful vacuum cleaner like the Metro-Vac or a shop-vac (that has adequate lift). Blow (or suck) off any loose debris first.

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Now take the time to cover any electrical components or intake openings. Household aluminum foil is great for covering items like the alternator and errant connections. Plastic bags work well for sealing off the intake or covering after market air filters. If you own a classic car with carburetors, consider removing the air filter housing and covering the throats of the carburetor. If your vehicle is has a distributor or magneto consider disconnecting the ignition wires and covering it with a plastic bag. You want to seal off any areas that water should not enter.

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Newer vehicles have sealed coil packs and ignition modules. Over time the seals can become brittle and crack. If you vehicle is five or more years old, consider covering the coil packs and ignition modules with aluminum foil before cleaning.

Now spray the engine compartment and engine liberal with a non-acid based cleaning solution. P21s Total Auto Wash, Meguiar?s Super Degreaser, or Eimann Fabrik VOC Engine Degreaser are great choices and will not dull or stain aluminum like many household degreasers. Avoid getting engine cleaners on the exterior paint work as they will remove the wax coating. If you are going to detail your entire car we recommend starting with the engine first so you can clean up any overspray and splash when you detail the exterior.

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Let the engine cleaner soak on the engine for about three minutes. During this time you can use various brushes, like an old paint brush and an E-Z Detail Brush to get into all the nooks and crannies and agitate spots of stubborn contamination.

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Next rinse the engine compartment, avoiding direct high pressure spray on the areas you sealed, until the cleaner is rinsed away. While the engine compartment is still wet, go back and inspect for any missed areas. If you find any, spray a little cleaner on to the area and agitate with a One-Inch Detailing Brush and rinse.

After the final rinse, remove as much of the standing water as possible. Use either a blower, compressed air, or a shop vacuum to dry the engine as much as possible. Use an old micro fiber towel or a value priced General Purpose Micro fiber Towel to dry as much remaining water as possible. NOTE: Remember to remove all baggies, covers, and aluminum foil before starting the engine! Now start the engine and let it idle for at least 5 minutes to warm up to operating temperature and dry any hard to reach spots.

Protect and beautify.

After everything is dry and the engine is cool, apply a protective dressing to the rubber hoses, wires, vinyl and plastic shields. Water based dressing like Meguiar?s Natural Shine, Meguiar?s Ultimate Protectant, or 303 Aerospace Protectant do a great job of keeping the engine looking great while keeping the rubber supple. Spray directly on the top sides of the covers and hoses and apply to the bottom side with a cloth. Allow the protectant to dwell for 3-5 minutes then buff over to a streak fresh shine.

There are popular spray-and-walk-away engine dressing, but we are not a big fan of these produces unless your driving directly to your dealer to sell your car. These dressings stay wet for days and attract dust and dirt. In five minutes your engine compartment is covered in dust and looks worse than when you started!

Finishing Touches.

Now that engine is clean and the rubber and black plastic protected it is time to apply some finishing touches to make your engine compartment really stand out. Paint work, including the bottom side of the hood, is often neglected and riddled with water spots. We recommend applying a high quality All-In-One ?cleaner/wax? such as Klasse AIO to these area to lightly polish them and make your engine sparkle.

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Any exposed, non-textured metal such as air conditioning lines, brackets, and covers and be quickly polished to a high gloss and protected by using something like Optimum?s Metal Polish.

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If you have any questions about detailing your engine bay please give us a toll free call at 1(800) 628-7596 and let our detailing experts help you keep your car looking it?s best.
 
Great write up Todd. There is a lot of good information in there, to show how to properly clean your engine bay.

Thanks for taking the time to do such a thorough and informative article!!:hurray:
 
thanks todd another fine write-up for the detailing notebook. i have a steam machine that i would prefer to use, is there any other precautions i should take when using steam. plus the underside of my hood is insulation, whats the best way to bring that back to brill....
 
glfahlc said:
....plus the underside of my hood is insulation, whats the best way to bring that back to brill....
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Bill Luster uses Armor All Tire Foam with excellent results. I gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised by it's cleaning abilities on underhood pads. Leaves a clean matte look without a garish shine and allows a damp wipe-off for future maintenance.

TL
 
An excellent underhood primer.... well done!

One aspect I might take issue with:

th0001 said:
There are popular spray-and-walk-away engine dressing, but we are not a big fan of these produces unless your driving directly to your dealer to sell your car. These dressings stay wet for days and attract dust and dirt. In five minutes your engine compartment is covered in dust and looks worse than when you started!
Click to expand...

I agree and disagree. I think the key words are "walk-away". I've been using CD2 for a while with excellent results. You're absolutely right, if you spray it on and walk away it stays wet and attracts crud. However, if you wipe it down it leaves a thin protective coating that dries quickly with less of a garish shine. I used it on my DD a couple of years ago and have found all it needs since is a damp wipe-off as my last wash step. It's on plastic, wires, hoses, paint... the works. And it still looks as good as the day I did it. YMMV.

TL
 
Thanks Todd for this thread.

I dont really offer engine detailing work except for some exceptions if people really want it or if they are some kind of garage queen.

Ive been doing more since reading this thread and its been most helpful!
 
Todd,

Thanks, as usual another very well done and useful post. :notworthy::notworthy:

A side note - you should change the signature on your posts. You still give the appearance of being an employee of the now defunct PAC.
 
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