Whats the best way to detail an engine?

[tnf]

All the places I've called use steam cleaning but I've heard that isn't so good for the car (I can't see why unless its got to do with electronics or something).

I need my engine cleaned.

Suggestions?

[Dark Metal]

You really need to find a friend that's into cars. Or maybe just a friend.

Anywho, go to your local auto parts store, grab some engine degreaser, go to your local DIYS carwash, spray said degreaser under hood, and powerwash it off. Very simple.

[+JuggerNaut+]

best cover those electronics with some plastics before you go dousing the engine compartment with degreaser followed up bye pressure washing.

[Dr_Watson]

well... i suppose the *best* way would involve taking the engine apart and lovingly polishing each individual part. Followed by repainting and reassembling.

[tnf]

You really need to find a friend that's into cars. Or maybe just a friend.

Anywho, go to your local auto parts store, grab some engine degreaser, go to your local DIYS carwash, spray said degreaser under hood, and powerwash it off. Very simple.

No risk to the electronics in there?

[Foo]

Disconnect and remove the battery before detailing the engine.

Once it's disconnected, go round as many electrical points as you can identify and cover them with cling film.

Then go round the engine with degreaser on every surface you can find, scrub it with a toothbrush where needed, leave on for a few mins, then hose it off with a power washer.

Engines are fine with water, most of the electrics are as well. They have to be... enough of it comes up off the road and in some cases (e.g. the elise) there's air vents right over the engine anyway.

[Peenyuh]

Disconnect and remove the battery before detailing the engine.

Once it's disconnected, go round as many electrical points as you can identify and cover them with cling film.

Then go round the engine with degreaser on every surface you can find, scrub it with a toothbrush where needed, leave on for a few mins, then hose it off with a power washer.

Engines are fine with water, most of the electrics are as well. They have to be... enough of it comes up off the road and in some cases (e.g. the elise) there's air vents right over the engine anyway.

Overkill, but worth the effort in the result. Though, I've never had an electrical problem due to not sealing the componants like that. They are made to withstand that sorta thing. If your car is an older not-so-gently-used vehicle, you may run into probs by not sealing off those things. Just don't apply the degreaser and forget about it. That wouldn't be a good thing. Doing this at least once a year is about right.

[+JuggerNaut+]

You really need to find a friend that's into cars. Or maybe just a friend.

Anywho, go to your local auto parts store, grab some engine degreaser, go to your local DIYS carwash, spray said degreaser under hood, and powerwash it off. Very simple.

No risk to the electronics in there?

fs

[+JuggerNaut+]

They are made to withstand that sorta thing.

no, they're not made to withstand pressure washers.

[Peenyuh]

That's how I did it back in the day, that's how I do it now, and that's how I'll do it tomorrow. If they weren't made to handle pressure washings, how come they do?

[+JuggerNaut+]

if they were made to do it, why are there so many recommendations by mechanics, books, etc to cover them up?

[Grandpa Stu]

yeah, best to cover up any and all electronics...depending on the cleaner you use you might wanna cover all the plastic bits up too.

honestly though, at 60k, you don't need to worry about being too thorough with the engine cleaning; unlease of course it's nasty black encrusted mess under the hood.

[Peenyuh]

if they were made to do it, why are there so many recommendations by mechanics, books, etc to cover them up?

Safe-than-sorry thinking over tried and true. Most mechanics do not have faith in the common sense of the average auto owner either. You can tell someone how to use a pressure washer, but you can't be sure they're going to use it correctly. Saying it was overkill was simply my opinion. I diod say that the results would be worth the effort.

[Nightshade]

As long as you don't blast the pressure washer straight into the connectors you should be fine. A little plastic wrap isn't going to hurt anything, though.

[+JuggerNaut+]

I diod say that the results would be worth the effort.

why yes, yes you did.

[Whiskey 7]

tnf, I was going to ask what's your budget?

Is it a an everyday commuter vehicle or a show car. I mean you do want to DYI don't you?

Spend a dollar or hire some bastard to do it.

BTW are we taking it off the road for more than a couple of hours to do the deed?

In my younger days I used to do that sort of detail, shit I have been known to polish the dipstick on my Honda Civic but no longer I'm afraid.

I have one of those cars now were you need not check under the hood for months at a time and I don't

[tnf]

yeah, best to cover up any and all electronics...depending on the cleaner you use you might wanna cover all the plastic bits up too.

honestly though, at 60k, you don't need to worry about being too thorough with the engine cleaning; unlease of course it's nasty black encrusted mess under the hood.

The engine is very dirty - not black encrusted, just a lot of dirt. The guy who owned it before me took good mechanical care of it, but their frequent trips to their lake cabin down a gravel road did a number on the front of the hood for rock chips and got a lot of dirt into the engine compartment.

[AmIdYfReAk]

Jesus titty fucking christ tnf,

couldnt you post this on a Scobby forum and get 10 fold the answers?

btw, Peenyuh and Juggs are both right, they did make Wiring/connections to withstand ALOT more abuse then they did.. but a Full blow pressure washer, No..

they do however make nozzles that have a rather large "fan" to bring the pressure down, those are infact MADE to clean engine bays..

When i worked at a bosy shop a wile ago, we had one of those, it did the job and quite well actually..

but honestly, i've never do it to my car.

[tnf]

we could post every question in this place on a topic specific forum if we wanted. there are enough people here that know about this stuff, so I don't bother registering at new forums for this.

Why is the internet upsetting so many lately?

[Mr.Sparkle]

I used alot of q-tips and papertowels to clean my engine bay.

[Dark Metal]

FFS use your common sense, there's not that much pressure coming off your typical DIY carwash, and if you're standing back a couple of feet you're not going to damage anything, you're just giving it a quick spray to get the degreaser off. It's a fine way to do it, and the way the Techs did it at the Dealership that I worked at, and in fact would do it on their own vehicles too.

[andyman]

What I do is is get it all wet, then spray simple green max on the foam setting over everything, then close the hood and wash the car.
When the car is done, i'll hose off the engine bay again, this time to rinse all the suds. Then dry it with a towel

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_ps_max.php

That's also what I do for the wheels and tires. Get them wet, spray on the green, wash the car, then wash the wheels/tires.

[l0g1c]

I second andy's method. Let it soak well enough to break up the gunk and you can even rinse it with a garden hose. I don't know what kind of self-washes you guys have used, but the ones around here are useless. The degreaser is cheap and doesn't do anything, and then the pressure washer is so cranked up you would do more damage than cleaning.