my first effort at engine compartment cleaning

[imported_poweraid]

I have a two year old Tundra, 20,000 miles, two salty winters-never had engine cleaned. My observations-

1. some grime, not too bad-



2.a lot of black tarry looking stuff, unevenly distributed, most noticeable on the painted metal frame parts. I suspect this is rustproofing overspray?(your thoughts?)



3. I read many articles, including DavidB`s and followed his instructions as best as I could- except I used Simple Green because I have a ton of it. I originally sprayed it diluted 3:1, and rinsed, and then full strength and rinsed

it got a lot of stuff loosened up, but not much that just rinsed away. It barely touched the overspray.



4. I have been making funny little brushes, by bending toothbrushes, and taping them to things like old cue-sticks. The SimpleGreen works pretty well if I can get a toothbrush on it, and then a rag.



5. As far as the overspray goes, the only thing that touches that is a solvent, I`ve been using 3m adhesive remover on the painted surface, doing my best to keep it off of any rubber, platic, or any engine parts at all. What a pain this has been.



i have more to do, but here is where I am headed, and would like some input-



1.I don`t really care what the engine looks like from the bottom up. If that`s my rustproofing overspray, I`d just as soon leave that undisturbed down there.



2.After I get it cleaned up to my satisfaction if figure I need to protect the engine with something. I have read that 303 protectant looks good and performs well. any thoughts on this?(I have some 303 already)



3. I need to protect the paint that I`ve wiped with the solvent. Reaching it with a wax or sealant (Zaino`s going on the outside) will be a major PITA, if not an impossibility.



4. overall, I want to make sure that in my effort to make the engine compartment look cleaner, i don`t deprive it of any protection against degradation.



Advice please- Thanks in advance

[spotter]

I don`t have any answers for you but can say that I have been in pretty much the same boat and have wondered many of the same questions. I hope you get some good answers....newbie minds want to know.

[Accumulator]

lodestone- I do the engine compartments on my `85 XJS (can you say OILY MESS?) and my `84 Volvo (ditto) along with my clean, newer cars. Not to show standards, but good enough to astound my mechanic. Note that impressed mechanics are happy mechanics, and are also more careful around your ride. So, my $0.02:



You might want to try something besides the simple green. There was a recent product review on Pro`s engine cleaner that made it sound good. It worked without scrubbing.



Undercoating- yeah, it`s a tough call. Remove the protection? I`d take it off the actual engine so you can see oil leaks, etc. better. Or clean it all off and apply some (new, clean) wax-based protection. At least where it really shows and looks crappy.



3M Adhesive remover- I haven`t had any problems from letting it touch plastic and rubber, just wash/wipe/rinse it off (note that the can`s spout and cap are plastic). I wouldn`t worry about it touching the (metal) engine parts either. Certainly not harsher than those salty winters. Heh heh, NOW I tell you, huh?



Use the ingenuity you displayed with your extended toothbrushes to apply paint cleaners and sealants to the painted areas. It`ll keep them clean a lot longer (wash them to SOME extent each time you wash the car). Use something that won`t stain the plastic/rubber in case you get sloppy. This really IS worth the hassle. Heh heh, I`ve done it on some REALLY tough cars (928`s come to mind); it`s not impossible. Sometimes you can undo a few fasteners and move things just enough to make it a lot easier.



If the 303 doesn`t last long enough for you, you might try Griot`s Undercarriage Spray (it`s named something like that). It`s a purple/blue, silicone-based product that some Autopians are using in their engine compartments. I don`t know if I`d put it on hoses, though. Certain products can damage them, so proceed carefully.



I haven`t had good luck with "engine detailer sprays", but many on here like Engine Kote (I think that`s the name- it`s a Meg`s product, as I recall).



Where`s LUSTER? His engine compartment is to die for. Same with RCG and others...there are some REAL experts out there.

[imported_poweraid]

accumulator, thanks for the advice and encouragement. If it stops raining this weekend (unlikely) I`ll be back at it.

For the rest of Autopia, keep the advice coming.