Never done an engine.....

[Patrick]

Detailing engines is not part of my routine. I think im scared. All those electrical connections. I fear the worst, and I do spend quite a bit of time doing a full detail anyway, so its not like I have time for it anyway.....I still do things the old way, by hand. I like to feel what im doing. BUT, Im not getting any younger, im starting to feel the effects of 3 or 4 wipeons, and 3-4 wipedowns, thats a lot of work. So my question is this, how do i get over this "phobia".....? I think I know the procedure, but i cant bring myself to do it......

[Jngrbrdman]

Here is what I would suggest...



Just use water on the wheel wells and the firewall. Don`t use high pressure. Use a good degreaser first on the whole engine and let it sit for a minute. Then rinse off the painted areas. Go over the rest of the engine with just degreaser, brushes and lots of towels. It is going to take you awhile to do it that way, but you are going to get a really good look at the engine and all its many parts. You`ll see the areas that you`ll want to avoid getting too wet pretty quick.



This engine I did was mainly done by hand without using the hose. I used it on the wheel wells and the fire wall and that was it. Because it was so dirty I knew that it wouldn`t do much. I just sacrificed some brushes and did it the slow way. If you`ve got the right degreaser then it really doesn`t take too much longer.



http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/532before-thumb.jpg (http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/532before.jpg) http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/532after-thumb.jpg (http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/532after.jpg)





My philosiphy is that `necessity is the mother of all invention.` You aren`t going to find an easier way to do things till you do it the hard way first. Detail an engine with nothing but a good degreaser, a spray bottle of soap and water, another bottle of rinse water, brushes and lots of towels and you are going to figure out the easiest way for you to do something pretty darn quick. ;)



Engine detailing isn`t too tough. Just jump in there with your towels and brushes and take your time. :xyxthumbs

[Lowejackson]

Engine detailing isn`t too tough. Just jump in there with your towels and brushes and take your time.



Wise words from Jngrbrdman, the only thing I would add is to make sure the engine is cold.



Steven

[shaf]

Errr.... guys, aren`t we supposed to wrap the alternator in a bag or something and protect other vitals? ;)

[Brad B]

Get yourself a box of Medical Swabs at the pharmacy. It will be the best thing you ever did. Soak the tips in Aerosol Brake Parts Cleaner available at Auto Zone. This will make quick work of all the little components and switches, electrical parts, etc.



If you have to spray something with water protect it with aluminum foil which is easy to mold and seals and protects it. Spray afterwards with WD-40 to displace excess moisture. Wipe off excess with rag.



Use Stoners Trim Shine on places or components that are hard to reach or detail well. It hides dirt and evens out tones.

[Jngrbrdman]

Originally posted by 4DSC

Errr.... guys, aren`t we supposed to wrap the alternator in a bag or something and protect other vitals? ;)



As long as you aren`t going in there like you are a fireman and the car is on fire then you should be fine. Just don`t spray water all over the place. Hit the painted parts and leave the rest of it alone. The engine compartment isn`t water tight. Water gets up there all the time. Nothing is going to explode if you get it wet. If you are going to spray directly onto your engine then yeah, you`d better cover most of it up.

[Redcar GUY]

Not more I could add to this that the others have already said... But one thing I must stress is time, if you want to do a great job, set no time limits and work on one section at a time.. In a few hours you will be very happy with what you have done.





http://www.autopia.org/gallery/data/500/1046mvc-008s-med.jpg

[Patrick]

all the little components and switches, electrical parts, etc.



Those are the things I worry about.....Example: Lets rate it a 3, on a 1 to 5 scale, 5 being absolutely filthy.....How much time do you normally spend on a engine?...

I have to tell you guys, Im really paranoid.....



Redcar, that is freekin beautiful !!

[Jngrbrdman]

That engine that I post teh pictures of took me less than an hour and I would rate that as probably the dirtiest engine I`ve ever had to clean. I did it without spraying down the electrical parts or valve cover too.

[Patrick]

JB, real quick, 1-10 steps, what were they if you may......

[Jngrbrdman]

1. Open Hood (:D Sorry. I couldn`t resist.)



Actually, here`s how I do it. These are all steps you would perform on a cool engine that is off, of course.



1. Using a good degreaser, spray down the sides and firewall and any other area you need deep cleaned.



2. Avoid soaking any area that is obviously electrical (ie the alternator)



3. Don`t spray on exposed air filter (if there is one)



4. Hose down the areas you sprayed degreaser on. Just use the hose. No attachments. Use your thumb to create higher pressure if needed. Try to control the spray so it isn`t getting all over the areas you are trying to avoid.



5. Turn off the hose and go to work with the towels. You can wipe down the painted areas pretty easy. Keep using your degreaser on the tough parts. Simple Green makes a great degreaser that is good for this kind of job. The ones in the can have fumes that can get to you. Just use one in a plastic bottle or mix your own. (I use degreaser mixed from part advanage (http://www.advanage.com) and autoint (http://www.autoint.com) concentrates)



6. Have a supply of a couple different kinds of brushes around. Its helpful to have different kinds. I`ve sacrificed many a tooth brush to my detailing supplies. Everytime I go to the dentist I ask him for tooth brushes. :)



7. Blue shop towels work very well. They are tough and handle the grease very well. Don`t be afraid to use a ton of them.



8. Be extra careful around the spark plug wires. Getting water down there is just no good. You`ll have to wick out the water if that happens. Its just a pain in the arse.



9. Take your time. Get every nook and cranny. Sometimes you have to walk away and then come back and see what catches your eye first.



10. Always remember to put the oil cap back on... (don`t ask)



The engine isn`t made of glass. Seriously, you could probably just spray the whole thing with water all over the place and it would still start right up afterwards. Its not that easy to break it. If you are being careful then its just that much harder to mess something up. Unless you get water down the valve cover then you really aren`t going to know that you did anything wrong ever. Water gets up under your hood all the time. The designers take engine detailing into consideration when they build them I think. They are pretty tough to mess up. I`ve never done it and I`ve never heard any stories about how someone messed up an engine big time just from detailing it. You are going to be safe doing this. I`ll be glad to give you my phone number or something if you are doing it and you get too freaked out. It never hurts to ask someone if you think you might have done something wrong.

[ScrampaTeg03]

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman

I`ll be glad to give you my phone number or something if you are doing it and you get too freaked out. It never hurts to ask someone if you think you might have done something wrong.



I see we`re exchanging phone numbers now, lol j/k. This is why I love this board, everyone is so willing to help! BTW, this post has inspired me to go all out on the engine in my `00 Jetta 1.8T (picking it up on wed!). I CAN`T WAIT for warmer temperatures; I noticed swirls on the Jetta when I went to look at it and the thought of detailing it crossed my mind which made me all giddy (I still need to try out my Orange Power Pads I purchased from CMA about a month and a half ago)!



-Brian

[medic]

you can always rent a car from somewhere and detail that. I`ve head a rental the past two weeks and it was kinda fun to try products and techniques on it that I wouldn`t normally do with my own car. didn`t detail the engine, but as long as you take normal precautions you shouldn`t have to worry.



also, I thought a warm to the touch engine was best, not perfectly cold?



also, some people have suggested that while you`re spraying, you can keep the engine running so it harder for the water to get to places that will kill the engine

[Ktulu]

Don`t forget the underside of the hood!

[imported_Luster]

I can remember the very first engine I ever cleaned.....



I was scared to death!



I didn`t know what anything was. Didn`t know what I could damage. Didn`t know what I would do if something came unplugged!



And......It was ABSOLUTELY FILTHY!



So I got some GUNK Engine cleaner.....sprayed on, let it soak for 30 minutes......and gently rinsed. I had to do it about 4 times!



As you become more familiar with the stuff under the hood......it gets easier.



Just take it a little bit at a time, if you`re more comfortable with it.



Good luck.









http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid43/pb7925e6ed5e1dbe1adf0269cfc4685b6/fce28f0a.jpg