Engine Detail on a 97 Civic (multiple product Rayviews)

RaysWay

Autopia Specialist
(This write-up is dedicated to Angus. :) )

This was a detail I performed on my former daily driver as a way to test multiple products. Whenever I get a chance, I try and test as many products as possible.

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When I first picked up the Civic, the valve cover was leaking oil pretty bad so there was plenty of grease and grime under the hood...

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I ordered a new air filter, so this would be a good chance to replace the filter.

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I started by removing the air intake. This would give me more access to hard to reach areas and I wanted to polish the intake.

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Now that the intake is out of the way, I have more access to the extra oily areas.

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Next, I decided to remove the battery. It would give me more access to the greasy firewall and prevent any serious electrical damage. (Disclaimer: Keep in mind on newer cars, a lot of the programmed electronics will be reset.)

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Next, I wanted to protect any electronics. I used aluminium foil to create a barrier around any exposed harnesses or fuse blocks.

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All protected! Better safe than sorry.

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I filled a bucket with an APC dilution to presoak all of my brushes. This would give me an "APC Bath" to clean my tools as I'm using them.

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The first product I used would be Amazing Roll-Off. I was already very familiar with this product so I used it as my "experimental control". I first used a product I'm familiar with, to compare the results with other products. This would give me a benchmark to compare the other products with.

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I gave the product a minute to work its magic.

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I used a Mothers Wheel Brush to lightly agitate the surface. It didn't take much to start to see all of the grease slide off.

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Lug Nut Brush for the tight spots.

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Amazing Roll-Off undiluted worked amazing.

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Check out the contrast between the clean panel and the rest of the engine.

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Next, I tried Amazing Roll-Off diluted 1:1.

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For this much grease, 1:1 wasn't strong enough.

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Next up - DP Engine Degreaser

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I've used DP Engine Degreaser many times before and it's hands down one of my favorites but I've always wanted to see how it stacked up against other Degreasers head-to-head.

I've used it when rebuilding my motorcycle engine and on multiple different projects. I have a gallon of it at the shop I work at and it gets used regularly. I have pics of the projects, but no pics of the DP Engine Degreaser displayed with the projects :/. I usually dilute it 1:1. I think it's stronger than your average degreaser.

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Before.

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After a few sprays.

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After a couple minutes. No agitation.

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Next would be an aerosol degreaser. Wurth Engine Degreaser Foam.

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It was great being able to spray into the tight nooks and crannies.

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It worked great, but I ended up using a large portion of the can.

I wanted to switch gears, so I turned my attention to the intake.

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There was some slight pitting so I decided to wet sand first before compounding and polishing.

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After wet sanding, I used the BLACKFIRE Metal Products.

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Cleaned up pretty well. I wasn't able to make it perfect, but a huge improvement nonetheless.

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New AEM filter.

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I finished cleaning the engine bay with Amazing Roll-Off.

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Next, I wanted to dress the rubber hoses and plastic.

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Most of the hoses and plastic looked dull and lifeless.

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So I grabbed a bottle of BLACKFIRE Total Trim and Tire Sealant...

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After.

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I love the way this looks on rubber and plastic under the hood. Not too shiny or greasy looking.

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Much better!

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I could eat off that hood now.

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And the finishing touch :) It's all about the details.

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I planned on replacing the headers to make it look even better until the transmission died around 230k miles. It was funny seeing everyones reaction every time I popped the hood. Everyone would say "wow, its clean in here". I think this made selling this car MUCH easier.



Thanks for reading!
 
Thanks Vega!!!! I had to smile when I saw you'd written up this post and laughed when you dedicated it to me. Now it's my turn to clean up my 98' Civic's neglected engine bay:



Yes, I did just run out to the parking lot and take that photo. Should have asked my Secret Santa for some DP Engine Degreaser! :wall
 
Thanks everyone. Cleaning the engine bay was a quick afternoon with inexpensive products and the results helped me sell the car quickly.

Ok Vega, you've inspired me - an order for DP Engine Degreaser has been placed! Engine cleaning here I come!

Where are the Autopia stickers hiding out in the store? I've looked but haven't seen them?

Add stickers to the comments section and I'll add them in there. I save them for promotions.
 
That was a Super engine bay make over. I really like the way the hood came out. Very nice work. Autopia sticker was a nice touch.
 
Vega- Nice work, and a great write-up! Good to see a Wurth product mentioned.

No question about it, that must've helped make the car sell!

On the trashed headers/exhaust manifolds, there's a product called Calyx that can be good for a temporary fix, sorta like shoe polish for exhaust manifolds. I can't help but wonder how well it would've worked (or not?!?) in that case.
 
Holy cow! That`s some detailing artistry right there!

Wet sanding the intake! That`s something I`d never thought of until I read your post.

Thank you!
 
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