dietz4ibanez
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Nice!
Cleaning Engine Compartment
- Thread starter rbiggers
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Faze
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JohnMartyn
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Cleaning the engine bay is not something most people worry about.It is good to cover up water pump, alternator ,power steering pump,air con compressor.spray the entire engine compartment with a good quality, non-petroleum based degreaser.For extremely dirty engines, hit it with APC full strength and agitate a little more.
12nox
New member
Hey Everyone,
I have professionally detailed vehicles for over 18 years and have used just about every quick product to save money but still deliver great quality. My goal is to restore the vehicle back to factory look and of course folks bring you a vehicle with peeling paint and rusted out fenders... lol
I use mean green or purple power to clean but it does need to be done in the shade and I recommend putting trash bags over the fenders to avoid getting any on your painted surfaces. Areas you cannot help to spray such as the pinch welds, underside of hood, inner fenders, firewalls normally were shot with a quick coat of paint during factory and no clear coat. (some do and some don't) I detail my engines once in the fall and again in the spring. If I get a cool summer day I will do it like mornings when dampness is in the air.
First you will want to lightly spraying down the engine with mean green or purple power and let the product sit for 2 minutes then spray with a light mist from water hose. DO NOT USE HIGH PRESSURE WASHERS AND WANDS. If you have build up on your brake cylinders, windshield washer box (since they are clear and white) then hold the hose a lil closer to use the water pressure to break up any grime and dirt. Second coat of mean green or purple power maybe needed.
Your most important goal is to not flood electronics such as fuse boxes with water (Lots of accessories in your fuse box stay hot such as [anic alarms, lights, 12Volt lighter plugs.) You also don't want to get any water down around any spark plugs or wires. If water surrounds the plug or wire then your engine will misfire. If this happens don't panic. You will have to take an air hose and blow out any water that's around the plug and/or wire.
After hosing down your engine, let sit for an hour. Go back and wipe down any water that's sitting on top of the engine so you can dress it. I never drive the vehicle because the heat from the engine will cause water spots to form on plastic then you will find yourself re-misting the engine to get them to dissapear.
If any water does not dry you will need a terry towel or sham to soak it up.
Next you can either leave it alone for the factory stale look or spray Meguairs Hot Shine very lightly back and forth, not directly on the parts. Go back and forth over the engine while standing in front of the vehicle, then go to the driver side do the same, then repeat the same step on the passenger side. Just let the mist fall on to the compartments. Spraying to much will cause runs and can soaked up with a round foam pad (not the terry ones) The terry pads that you wax with will soak up all the dressing.
After you dress the engine you will want to drop the hood and wash the outside of the vehicle removing any dress over spray from fenderwells, windshield, (actually works better than RAIN X) and bumpers, light fixtures, (over spray works well on faded lenses too but it is temporary), This dressing is very light and will fly through the air and stick to your windshield , fenders, bumpers so its best that you wash the vehicle after you dress the engine.
I will reread tomorrow correct any grammar , spelling changes.
Oh one last thing. Radiator hoses love to soak up the dressing and will turn dry. They may need a second coat of dressing especially after they get hot. Please do not use Advance auto parts hot shine, it will run and look awful. Megauirs hot shine is on sale for 4.99 and worth every penny unless you live in a dusty dessert like AZ.
Take care Jonathan
I have professionally detailed vehicles for over 18 years and have used just about every quick product to save money but still deliver great quality. My goal is to restore the vehicle back to factory look and of course folks bring you a vehicle with peeling paint and rusted out fenders... lol
I use mean green or purple power to clean but it does need to be done in the shade and I recommend putting trash bags over the fenders to avoid getting any on your painted surfaces. Areas you cannot help to spray such as the pinch welds, underside of hood, inner fenders, firewalls normally were shot with a quick coat of paint during factory and no clear coat. (some do and some don't) I detail my engines once in the fall and again in the spring. If I get a cool summer day I will do it like mornings when dampness is in the air.
First you will want to lightly spraying down the engine with mean green or purple power and let the product sit for 2 minutes then spray with a light mist from water hose. DO NOT USE HIGH PRESSURE WASHERS AND WANDS. If you have build up on your brake cylinders, windshield washer box (since they are clear and white) then hold the hose a lil closer to use the water pressure to break up any grime and dirt. Second coat of mean green or purple power maybe needed.
Your most important goal is to not flood electronics such as fuse boxes with water (Lots of accessories in your fuse box stay hot such as [anic alarms, lights, 12Volt lighter plugs.) You also don't want to get any water down around any spark plugs or wires. If water surrounds the plug or wire then your engine will misfire. If this happens don't panic. You will have to take an air hose and blow out any water that's around the plug and/or wire.
After hosing down your engine, let sit for an hour. Go back and wipe down any water that's sitting on top of the engine so you can dress it. I never drive the vehicle because the heat from the engine will cause water spots to form on plastic then you will find yourself re-misting the engine to get them to dissapear.
If any water does not dry you will need a terry towel or sham to soak it up.
Next you can either leave it alone for the factory stale look or spray Meguairs Hot Shine very lightly back and forth, not directly on the parts. Go back and forth over the engine while standing in front of the vehicle, then go to the driver side do the same, then repeat the same step on the passenger side. Just let the mist fall on to the compartments. Spraying to much will cause runs and can soaked up with a round foam pad (not the terry ones) The terry pads that you wax with will soak up all the dressing.
After you dress the engine you will want to drop the hood and wash the outside of the vehicle removing any dress over spray from fenderwells, windshield, (actually works better than RAIN X) and bumpers, light fixtures, (over spray works well on faded lenses too but it is temporary), This dressing is very light and will fly through the air and stick to your windshield , fenders, bumpers so its best that you wash the vehicle after you dress the engine.
I will reread tomorrow correct any grammar , spelling changes.
Oh one last thing. Radiator hoses love to soak up the dressing and will turn dry. They may need a second coat of dressing especially after they get hot. Please do not use Advance auto parts hot shine, it will run and look awful. Megauirs hot shine is on sale for 4.99 and worth every penny unless you live in a dusty dessert like AZ.
Take care Jonathan
dietz4ibanez
Admin
Dang man! Thanks for the post! I will have to read the rest of it later! Ha
mswerb
New member
CD2 Engine detailer(which is no longer available) works great. I too have been detailing for quite some time, but have never used a tire dressing on the engine.
12nox
New member
Folks back here in Virginia bring me the muddiest trucks to detail especially after hunting season.
I get a good warm day , my power washer and lots of mean green to do the under carriage. Takes a long time to complete,but afterwards I dress the chassis down with tire dressing and it really helps bring out the all the metals, gear housings, brake hoses, axles, and anything rubber. It puts the moisture back (but once you go down a gravel or dusty road, its shot all to heck).
Same thing with the engine. Using tire dressing on a engine is great for city or black top driving. If your running on gravel then the dust will stick to anything you dress. Just like tires basically. Tire shine looks great on tires for the first couple of days. Then after that they dull from the pollution in the air.
The good news is that a quick rinse and most of the dust will rinse off and your engine will bead up quite nicely! Not all the dirt will rinse off though. Tire dressing is like a magnet for dirt. Back to mean greening again lol.
dietz4ibanez
Admin
I need to clean my engine compartment, I don't think that I have ever done it!
mswerb
New member
It's not that complicated. Just don't soak your alternator and you'll be fine.
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