Joe Metlow
McKee`s 37 Rep
As a professional detailer, My biggest concern is when the customer wants a engine cleaning. When you think about the risk and cost of replacing engine parts compared to the compensation you are getting for cleaning the engine the risk to reward is heavily out of balance.
I have had many "wild" claims after my shop detailed the customers vehicles. Including "My car is not driving right after you washed my engine" Soon after getting a few of these claims, I put up a sign in my shop stating that WE DO NOT hose/power wash any engine.
Awhile ago I have read that one of our very own forum members had to spend $3,000 to replace engine parts on a $60 engine cleaning. Do you understand why I do not care about cleaning engines? The risk is far to high for the reward. However as a professional we still have to satisfy customer`s and provide results.
So here is a method that anyone can do to clean up/dress engines without the risk of damaging anything.
Note: As a professional, I have seen some of the dirtiest cars one can imagine (we all have) I totally understand that sometimes a pressure washer/hose will be needed to clean a engine if it is really bad. However if you can avoid using the hose to eliminate that risk of any potential damage, This method is great to clean up engine covers for daily drivers to get your customer satisfied and keep coming back.
Before
Application
The products we are going to be using to clean the engine are McKee`s 37 Engine Degreaser and Trim Detailer to dress the plastics afterwards. Engine Degreaser is a strong but safe degreasertherefore we do not have to rinse it off, We can simply wipe off with a towel. Or use a spray bottle to help aid with the grease removal process Engine Degreaser is biodegradable VOC compliant, Non toxic, safe on rubber wiring, painted surfaces, and plastic.
After spraying the area, I got a agitation brush. (you will notice it turning brown/gold right away)
To help aid with the grease removal, I use a spray bottle with water to wipe.
After wipeoff.
Here is a 50/50 (Trim Detailer Not applied yet)
Applied a thin coat of Trim Detailer to restore and protect the plastic.
50/50
Lets clean the other side.
When using Trim Detailer for more shine you can let it dry on the surface, Or if you want a more mild sheen you can buff off the excess.
After
The engine is now clean and you can now present these results to your paying customer without risking thousands of dollars in potential damage.
To all my forum buddies, Please be careful cleaning any engine, Take extra pre-caution certain parts are really sensitive. I did a shampoo on a Nissan and the spray from my extractor got in the accelerator pedal sensor, Causing the car not to accelerate and the check engine light to come on. Thankfully it was only around $170 and I fixed it my self. The detail was for $250 so all the chemicals and my labor was basically lost. So take that as a example how sensitive these parts can be, That was from a small stream of water from a extractor, Imagine gallons and gallons of water going in your engine. Be careful.
I have had many "wild" claims after my shop detailed the customers vehicles. Including "My car is not driving right after you washed my engine" Soon after getting a few of these claims, I put up a sign in my shop stating that WE DO NOT hose/power wash any engine.
Awhile ago I have read that one of our very own forum members had to spend $3,000 to replace engine parts on a $60 engine cleaning. Do you understand why I do not care about cleaning engines? The risk is far to high for the reward. However as a professional we still have to satisfy customer`s and provide results.
So here is a method that anyone can do to clean up/dress engines without the risk of damaging anything.
Note: As a professional, I have seen some of the dirtiest cars one can imagine (we all have) I totally understand that sometimes a pressure washer/hose will be needed to clean a engine if it is really bad. However if you can avoid using the hose to eliminate that risk of any potential damage, This method is great to clean up engine covers for daily drivers to get your customer satisfied and keep coming back.
Before
Application
The products we are going to be using to clean the engine are McKee`s 37 Engine Degreaser and Trim Detailer to dress the plastics afterwards. Engine Degreaser is a strong but safe degreasertherefore we do not have to rinse it off, We can simply wipe off with a towel. Or use a spray bottle to help aid with the grease removal process Engine Degreaser is biodegradable VOC compliant, Non toxic, safe on rubber wiring, painted surfaces, and plastic.
After spraying the area, I got a agitation brush. (you will notice it turning brown/gold right away)
To help aid with the grease removal, I use a spray bottle with water to wipe.
After wipeoff.
Here is a 50/50 (Trim Detailer Not applied yet)
Applied a thin coat of Trim Detailer to restore and protect the plastic.
50/50
Lets clean the other side.
When using Trim Detailer for more shine you can let it dry on the surface, Or if you want a more mild sheen you can buff off the excess.
After
The engine is now clean and you can now present these results to your paying customer without risking thousands of dollars in potential damage.
To all my forum buddies, Please be careful cleaning any engine, Take extra pre-caution certain parts are really sensitive. I did a shampoo on a Nissan and the spray from my extractor got in the accelerator pedal sensor, Causing the car not to accelerate and the check engine light to come on. Thankfully it was only around $170 and I fixed it my self. The detail was for $250 so all the chemicals and my labor was basically lost. So take that as a example how sensitive these parts can be, That was from a small stream of water from a extractor, Imagine gallons and gallons of water going in your engine. Be careful.
![PRND[S]](/data/avatars/m/105/105760.jpg?1727445786){kind=avatar}
