Cleaning & Detailing engine bay

[blueoval]

I know this is a fairly generic topic, but I thought Id ask you fellas here since its still AU related.

I want to degrease, and detail my engine bay very soon. I rarely do it, not just because Im lazy but because I dont like the thought of water getting into places it shouldnt.

So how do I go about it?
What should I cover in the engine bay when using degreaser and water?
Can anyone give me some pointers so I can do this right and without issue?

[MAD]

I think the only thing to cover on the AU would be the coil pack.

[auxr]

Here you go - found this little gem, hope it helps :



[IMG]Cleaning the engine bay is not something most people worry about. This may be because it seems like a lot of hard work when only a few people will see it, or because the task appears to be too challenging. However, a clean engine bay can add to the value of your car when it comes to selling it, and undoubtedly makes it easier for mechanics to make repairs and carry out inspections. In contrast to what you might think, cleaning the engine bay is a very simple task, and once properly detailed, the engine bay is no harder to keep clean than any other part of your car. In the following example, the whole job was completed in just 30 minutes.

Many people think that engines and water don't mix. To a certain extent this is true. Anyone who has hit deep standing water and suffered a bent conrod as a result of water being drawn into the engine through the air intake will testify to this. However, as long as water isn't drawn into the engine, or allowed to saturate electrical contacts, it will not cause any problems. The proof of this can be seen on cars like the Lotus Elise, where the engine bay is effectively open to the atmosphere (and therefore rainfall) due to the number of cooling vents in the cover. So, what does this mean for engine bay detailing? Well, it means that you can hose off the engine bay without fear of causing any damage, providing that you cover the air intake and any sensitive electrical parts first.

Safe in the knowledge that you can safely hose your engine bay off, the next question you might ask is how will this help? Surely grease and grime cannot be simply hosed off? The answer is it can't - what you need to do first is break down the grease and grime using a degreaser. Up until fairly recently engine degreasers generally comprised potent mixtures of aggressive solvents, which were tremendously effective at cleaning but not very safe to work with and also not at all environmentally friendly. Fortunately, progress has been made to the extent that it is now possible to buy degreasers that comprise advanced detergent formulas and natural solvents, which makes them more environmentally friendly and safer to work with. The cleaning power of these products is almost as good as that of traditional degreasers, provided they are given sufficient time to work.

Once the engine bay is clean and dry, all you finally need to do is dress and protect all of the surfaces. This is very straightforward, as you are dealing with materials that are found elsewhere on your car, namely plastics, rubber, metals, and painted surfaces. As such, you can use the same detailing products to great effect. Painted surfaces can be easily and quickly protected using a spray wax. Plastic engine covers and components can be restored to as new condition using a trim restorer or a surface dressing. Rubber hoses can be nourished and protected using a surface dressing or a tyre dressing. Most metal surfaces can be polished and protected using a metal polish, although it is worth doing a spot test first - we have worked on some metal engine parts that didn't take kindly to polishes, and instead required buffing with a Dremel power tool in order to restore a shine.

When it actually comes to the cleaning process, the first thing you should do is make sure your engine is cold - never try and clean a warm or hot engine. This is because products will dry too quickly and leave stains, and you could also burn yourself if you don't know your way around the engine bay. The next thing you should do is cover the air intake and any sensitive electrical parts. The best material for covering these components is aluminium foil. This may seem like a strange choice, but it actually makes a lot of sense, as it is very easy to mould over awkward shaped parts, and it is 100 % waterproof provided you don't tear it. Note that you do not have to fully seal every part you are covering - all you are doing is creating a mini umbrella that will prevent water ingress or pooling in or around sensitive components. To make the most of the umbrella effect you should only rinse off from a high angle.



Once the air intake and any sensitive electrical parts are safely covered, the next thing you should do is spray a degreaser over the entire engine bay, covering all surfaces, including the underside of the bonnet (although you may want to skip this latter step if you have a felt sound proofing cover secured in place, as they take ages to dry). Try to avoid spraying the front bumper and the wings - degreasers will strip existing wax or sealant protection. If you accidentally spray these areas, rinse them off with the hose and reapply wax or sealant protection at your earliest convenience. Once you have sprayed all of the surfaces, leave the degreaser to work for 10-15 minutes. On a hot day you should leave less time, as you should not allow the degreaser to dry on any parts, as it will cause stains.



After waiting 10-15 minutes, the next thing you should do is rinse off the entire engine bay, including the underside of the bonnet if necessary. Under no circumstances should you use a pressure washer for rinsing off - you don't want to drive water into any components. A normal hose with the spray attachment set to a wide angle is perfect, as it provides enough force to carry away all of the loosened grease and grime without risking ingress. Rinse off thoroughly but for no longer than necessary - once the suds have disappeared the job is done. After quickly removing all of the foil coverings, the next thing you should do is start your engine, in order to help to start the drying process. You should only leave it running for a couple of minutes though, as you don't want it to become too warm, as this will adversely affect the application of surface dressings. After switching off the engine, finish the drying process using microfibre work towels.



With the engine bay now clean and dry, the penultimate thing you should do is dress and protect all of the surfaces. Painted surfaces can be easily and quickly protected using a spray wax and a microfibre buffing towel. Plastic engine covers and components can be restored to as new condition using a trim restorer or a surface dressing, applied using either a foam pad or a microfibre pad. Rubber hoses can be nourished and protected using a surface dressing or a tyre dressing, again applied using either a foam pad or a microfibre pad. Metal surfaces can usually be restored using a metal polish, although it is worth doing a spot test first, for the reasons given above. Metal polishes are best applied and removed using a microfibre work towel, as these have plenty of bite, which helps the polishing process.



The final step in the cleaning process is to pack away all of the tools you have used, making sure everything is clean and ready for the next use. All towels and applicator pads should be washed in a washing machine at a low temperature using a gentle non-biological liquid detergent (avoid soap powders and detergents containing bleach or fabric softeners), before allowing everything to dry out naturally.

[blueoval]

what degreaser does everyone use?
Is it safe to use a high pressure hose on the engine bay?

EDIT: ^^^ cheers for that

[Riksta]

The best thing to do is take your engine out and donate it to me, I'll then polish the engine bay for you, should be nice and easy with no engine to get in the way.

The downside is you'll have to cut holes in the floor and use it like a flintstones car :P

[auxr]

Originally Posted by blueoval

what degreaser does everyone use?
Is it safe to use a high pressure hose on the engine bay?

EDIT: ^^^ cheers for that

No - I would not recommend using a high pressure hose - as previous thread indicated, high pressure forces water into unwanted electrical areas - coil packs, terminals etc

Degreasers - trip down to Super Cheap, heaps to choose from - I usually pick any middle of the range in price, a can lasts for ages.

[JC]

When at home, I use Export brand degreaser - works well enough.

Your other option is to go to car lovers and use their engine cleaner - it does the job fairly well too (especially if you let it soak for 5 mintes or so). I use the high preassure cleaner on the rocker cover , the firewall and down the sides of the engine and inner guards, but I release the trigger near the alternator, a/c compressor etc.

[blueoval]

spraying water near electrical items like aternators and coils makes me nervous.

Is the coil on my car under the intake manifold?

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by blueoval

spraying water near electrical items like aternators and coils makes me nervous.

Me too! Years ago I coughed up for an auto trans rebuild - about $2500 in total (not a Ford).
Very long and painful story short, it ended up being an electrical connector in the engine bay. I used to wash the engine bay every now and then (carefully, I thought) but corrosion in the connector caused the trans to intermittently go into "limp home" mode (from mem it was the TPS connector).

A rogue trans mechanic lightened my wallet accordingly but the prob was not fixed until some months later when we were halfway to Syd and the prob re-occurred. Trans guy at Tamworth had a bit of a fiddle, cleaned out that connector and Bob was my uncle.
An expensive lesson!

From that point on, if I get the urge to wash the engine bay, I wrap cling-wrap around all the connectors I can find. After the job is complete I pull the connectors apart and spray with WD40.

It sounds like a bit of effort but if you've ever paid $2500 for a corroded connector, it's well worth it ;)

Originally Posted by blueoval

Is the coil on my car under the intake manifold?

Yep

[Dave_Obsession]

Originally Posted by blueoval

spraying water near electrical items like aternators and coils makes me nervous.

Is the coil on my car under the intake manifold?

Yeah it's down around there Shav!!!

Just don't go spraying water directly onto the alternator, fuse box or coil pack.........apart from that, let it rip mate!!!

Get your cheap degreaser cans (Export FTW like JC said - wait until next Autobarn or Supercheap sale - 99c per can!) - 1 can should pretty much do the whole engine bay, 2 cans if you're really podantic!!!

Spray away..........let it all soak for 3-4 minutes, then blast it off!!! High pressure, low pressure - doesn't really matter!!! just go for it!!! Just be careful not to directly spray any electrical bits.........that's why I just use regular hose with trigger nozzle on 'shower' setting..........a little bit more accurate than high pressure stuff, which has a large spray range.......

I always like to start the car not too long after I've wet everything, just to make sure it all works fine - but one time that resulted in the cabin picking up a yuck degreaser smell for a week or so......obviously didn't flush it all away!!!

But even if you let it sit and dry completely it should be fine!!!

But yeah, give it a thorough degreasing, and then a just as thorough soaking with water, and you'll be fine.........if you want, use an auto 'all purpose cleaner' to get the plastic bits all clean and shiny as well.........use a cheapie microfibre cloth to apply any dressing should you wish!!!

And make sure you give us before and after pics, so we can all look and go "ooohhhhhhh, aaahhhhhh, nice!"

[auxr]

Originally Posted by blueoval

spraying water near electrical items like aternators and coils makes me nervous.

Is the coil on my car under the intake manifold?

Yep - coil is the thingy where all the ignition leads are attached to.

Every one has their own ideas in regard to degreasing motors - I'm always extremely nervous in spraying water into an open engine bay - depending on how dirty the bay is, I've always stuck to the rule of just using elbow grease and doing the hard yards in manually wiping the bay and motor down.

Unless your showing the vehicle, I've never had a problem with connections, air con, starting etc.

[MAD]

I just cover the coil and the dizzy on my car and blast away. I dont focus on electrical connections but I certainly dont purposely try to avoid them. There was some stubborn oil on the alt so it got some focused attention, its fine.

After a wash I always start the car and run it up to temp and close the bonnet to dry everything out.

[5L]

i just put a bag over my coil packs, and do it with the hose at home.

in my au i have never had an issue,

i had advanced extractors on my eb I6 and the design in them would keep water between the extractors and block on cylinder 1 2 4 and 6. causing the car to miss. i just used to put a towel in afterwards to soak up the water and it was right.

my first detail on my escort when i was 16 had me out there with a sponge and bucket full of soap suds, and the hose. i spend ages on the engine bay and hosed it down a number of times. wouldnt start, cleaned out the dizzy when i called the RAA out still no go. took 2 days in the heat of summer to dry out where ever got wet. haha.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by 5L

i had advanced extractors on my eb I6 and the design in them would keep water between the extractors and block on cylinder 1 2 4 and 6. causing the car to miss. i just used to put a towel in afterwards to soak up the water and it was right.

my first detail on my escort when i was 16 had me out there with a sponge and bucket full of soap suds, and the hose. i spend ages on the engine bay and hosed it down a number of times. wouldnt start, cleaned out the dizzy when i called the RAA out still no go. took 2 days in the heat of summer to dry out where ever got wet. haha.

Its these experiences that make me nervous

[frd906]

my suggestion just hire a detailer, that way you can blame him, if anything goes rong

[NC1183]

I take to both my utes with the compressor after an engine bay wash down. Quick pull-a-part of all electrical connections with a hit of compressed air then back together. Also take my time to hit anywhere, there is likely to be standing water, then run the ute up to operating temp and leave it for 10mins or warm up the SP and go for a quick run up the highway.

[5L]

i wouldnt be nervous about it shav, if you are only use the hose on your block. it is very easy to control where the water is going from a garden hose.

the rest of the engine bay use a wet spone.

i went silly on my escort, that was the only reason why that didnt start

[blueoval]

Hmm, Im gonna get a quote from the local detailing fellas and just see what happens

[Beer Baron]

Like 5L said don't be nervous. Cover ya air filter if its exposed and keep direct sprays away from the coil, fuse box and electrical connections other than that go nuts. Thats how i do my Au.

We did the same at yellow cabs but instead of avoiding one coil pack there was 6 packs on top.

Beer Baron ;)

[Dave_Obsession]

You'll be fine Shav....

I went from this (note engine block):


to this:


on one $0.95 can of Aust Export Degreaser from Supercheap.......and a garden hose with a trigger nozzle on 'shower' setting......

[NC1183]

That Export brand degreaser is great stuff

[WiggyMK2]

i'd spray on some driven multi, spray off with hose then get in there with a rag by hand and some style magic

[greenguzzler]

Hey guys great thread!
My old man just traded in his old BA fairmont and bought a brand new G6E and i was wondering what should i use to intially protect everything in the engine bay mostly, as i got that unreal Meguiars Gold Class kit for the external stuff.

[Dave_Obsession]

Originally Posted by greenguzzler

Hey guys great thread!
My old man just traded in his old BA fairmont and bought a brand new G6E and i was wondering what should i use to intially protect everything in the engine bay mostly, as i got that unreal Meguiars Gold Class kit for the external stuff.

For protection, any sort of 'trim dressing' that can be used on plastics would be fine....prob won't work as well on engine surfaces (rocker cover), but as far as keeping engine stuff clean....a good degreasing (just use the cheap stuff as outlined above), plus any sort of general/all purpose cleaner to keep it schmiko!!!!