Cleaning Engine

[dmathews]

Anyone give some suggestions for cleaning the motor, I have read some threads about it but mine almost looks like rust, I dont think that it has been clean since the people bought it in 99. What brand of degreaser works the best and does anyone have pics of before and after thanks

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

i used autoglym Engine & Machine Cleaner
http://www.autoglym.co.uk/enGB/product-proddetail.asp?v06VQ=FG&Range=1

i only have after pics but before i couldnt see the water bottles or the fluid in the other bottles, it cleaned up the abs pump, radiator plate on top and some of the rocker cover, alinator, aircon pipe, egr valve,, spent only 1hr of work, still more to do...

 

[dmathews]

looks good, my valve convers and stuff like that is what is the worst, looks almost like rust and im just trying my best to get them clean, yours looks good, off subject but does the intake help with power alot

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

i think you would need a small hard brush to get at the rust as its tight in there, the intake makes a throaty roar when you floor it and does feel a lil quicker. iv had it on there for over 1yr now and still running perfectly.

 

[dmathews]

yeah i will need to get me a brush, I have tried using a SOS pad but its not good enough to get that hard stuff off but it helped a little, wanting to enter it in a car show if I can so I need to get it clean

 

[SB98UKexplorer]

i know the feeling, i did mine the night before i went to the UK ford fair show, its still clean now from 2 weeks ago.

 

[xplorer03]

try using wheel cleaner on metal parts such as valve covers and such

 

[Flounder]

Make sure the engine is cold.

Cover the alternator, intake, and other obvious electrical pieces with plastic (I used grocery bags). Some folks don't. I prefer to take it a little more cautiously.

Wet down the engine.

Spray a cleaner on it. I use Simple Green degreaser. Let it set for about five minutes.

Using an old wash mitt, give everything a nice wipe down. Spray some cleaner on the mitt in the process.

Rinse thoroughly.

Repeat as necessary, wiping down (to the extent you can) the firewall and inner fender walls.

Uncover the covered parts and, using a damp cloth, wipe them off, too. Be careful not to touch anything that may be charged (or, don't be afraid to disconnect your battery before you begin this process).

Before the engine is completely dry, add a shine to everything. I always use CD2, though it is getting harder and harder to find it in stores (part of me wonders if it has some ingredient harmful to the environment or you...). AutoZone and K-Mart occasionally carry it, but not often at all. See, e.g., http://www.thehorsepowershop.com/product.php?productid=10060577. It adds a dark shine (but not too wet) that, after you run the engine, "bakes" on to lock the look for a fairly long period of time.

 

[xplorer03]

jus be careful spraying the engine detailer near the belts, dont want slippage

 

[boggs1227]

i have to agree with Flounder and the way he does his but i have found that "meguires insane wet tire shine " works just as well . . . . .

this pic is of what mine looks like prior to a spray down .

depending on how much you use it can get out of hand and look a little to much on the shiny/wet side, but if you go over it lightly then this stuff works just fine ...plus also when you get ready to spray down your motor again it will be much easier to do because all of the extra shine ingredent they use makes dirt and grease just fall right off and still retain the shine

 

[J_C]

I like clean and shiny too, but beyond the psychological aspect of it, the longest lasting engine parts would come from not "cleaning" it, rather spraying heavy oil on and letting the rust and grime serve as a sponge to keep more oil on the areas so it hardens or at least covers against as much rust.

I'm just sayin', after years of trying to make car parts stay clean I realized it isn't going to happen if you really use the (car) a lot, the best you can do beyond it being pretty is starve off rust as long as possible, which is contrary to it being very clean (except that grime, if not saturated with oil, will instead soak up water/rain which is even worse). By oil I mean temperature resistant synthetic, not dino oil that turns into a gummy tar when subjected to normal engine heat.

On a side note, I reallly wish all cars had powder-coated or stainless brake lines, it seems like a safety issue to me as well as a longevity or aesthetic one.