No touch engine detail!

tuscarora dave

tuscarora dave

"Luck" Residue of design
This was a no touch engine detail. All I did was spray 2 cans of Gunk Engine Bright on the engine bat and wait ten minutes.
Next I washed at car wash using high pressure soap setting, Being careful not to spray directly onto electrical stuff.
Next I rinsed on high pressure rinse setting, Being careful not to spray directly onto electrical stuff.
Then I waited until the following day and sprayed approx. 2/3 of a can of CD2 engine detailer onto everything under the hood.
The after photo here was taken after driving the car for a full week.
buickba001.jpg

mybuickengine007.jpg
 
CharlesW said:
Have you checked at Auto Zone?
It's with the oil and fuel treatment products at the Auto Zone where I found it. Not with appearance care products.
Click to expand...
Ditto that. I was told this and walked the isles and just about walked out. I found it by the transmission additives/cleaners.
 
That turned out great!


The Gunk engine spray I find to be a pretty strong cleaner....Its seems a bit to strong in some areas IMO....personally I would be careful spraying it liberally on the engine area....The followed up with a pressure wash type of sprayer...it spells trouble IMO...but that's just me...I am someone paranoid about cleaning engines..
 
Some times problems from using a high pressure washer on the engine don't show up for weeks so just because the engine starts and runs after the cleaning don't mean it did no harm.

I use a garden hose with the nozzle removed and try to NOT spray directly on the electrical connections.

High pressure washer will push water into sealed connections the engine bay was no designed to be exposed to such high pressure water.

Many brag about how they do this and have never had a problem but it only takes once to cost hundreds or even thousands to repair the damage done by this type cleaning.

I would never knowingly allow anyone to use a high pressure washer on a vehicle of mine. :yikes:
 
black bart said:
Some times problems from using a high pressure washer on the engine don't show up for weeks so just because the engine starts and runs after the cleaning don't mean it did no harm.

I use a garden hose with the nozzle removed and try to NOT spray directly on the electrical connections.

High pressure washer will push water into sealed connections the engine bay was no designed to be exposed to such high pressure water.

Many brag about how they do this and have never had a problem but it only takes once to cost hundreds or even thousands to repair the damage done by this type cleaning.

I would never knowingly allow anyone to use a high pressure washer on a vehicle of mine. :yikes:
Click to expand...
While I can't speak for today's vehicles, I can definitely vouch for the delayed reaction problems when you pressure washed engines back in the 60s.
In 1964, I purchased a new 1965 GTO with all the performance goodies on it. Lots of chrome under the hood from the factory. I kept the engine compartment immaculate at the DIY pressure wash.
After about 2, 2.5 years, the fun began.
I had to replace the voltage regulator, the headlight relay, the horn relay and probably a few other things I no longer remember. I took them apart and the inside components were very corroded. I'm sure the high pressure just drove the moisture into them.

Kind of off-topic, but still a caution about pressure washers. I have heard that they can cause a lot of damage to wheel bearings and steering head bearings on motorcycles. Dunno, cause I don't use one on the motorcycle.
My pressure washer doesn't get much vehicle use. Actually,the wheel wells occasionally is about it.
Not the best investment I ever made. (Nor the worst. :D)
 
One thing that I didn't see mentioned is the odor of the Gunk Engine Bright.
I haven't used it for years, but the smell was not good and it seemed to linger for days. On a car, it wasn't too noticeable in the vehicle, but with a van, it certainly was.
When I used it was probably long before the VOC regulations and chances are, it's a whole new product.
Does it still stink?
 
Yes really bad. It smells like diesel fuel. I used it over the summer on my friends car. It does a good job of cleaning but a good APC does the same. Just my opionion
 
CharlesW said:
One thing that I didn't see mentioned is the odor of the Gunk Engine Bright.
I haven't used it for years, but the smell was not good and it seemed to linger for days. On a car, it wasn't too noticeable in the vehicle, but with a van, it certainly was.
When I used it was probably long before the VOC regulations and chances are, it's a whole new product.
Does it still stink?
Click to expand...

Charles yes I did my truck months back...it took a few weeks of better before the smell started to dissipate...if I lift the hood today while the engine is hot it still has a faint smell...as for the cleaning properties it works like a charm
 
99tl said:
Yes really bad. It smells like diesel fuel. I used it over the summer on my friends car. It does a good job of cleaning but a good APC does the same. Just my opionion
Click to expand...
My experience with Gunk was that it cleaned exceptionally good. The smell was the drawback.
What APC have you used that did as good of a job cleaning?
I have tried Amazing Roll-Off, Simple Green, Meguiar's APC, and Poorboy's APC. For me, none of them even came close to the cleaning power of the Engine Brite.
They did all smell better, though.
 
CharlesW said:
My experience with Gunk was that it cleaned exceptionally good. The smell was the drawback.
What APC have you used that did as good of a job cleaning?
I have tried Amazing Roll-Off, Simple Green, Meguiar's APC, and Poorboy's APC. For me, none of them even came close to the cleaning power of the Engine Brite.
They did all smell better, though.
Click to expand...

I've used all that you've listed at one point or another...I've resided to using EB where its needed only most engines because of its cutting power...in those cases I can put up with the smell for those applications.
 
Beemerboy said:
I've used all that you've listed at one point or another...I've resided to using EB where its needed only most engines because of its cutting power...in those cases I can put up with the smell for those applications.
Click to expand...
For my personal vehicles, some car wash/water solution is all that is usually needed. Possibly once a year, I will use S100 Total Cycle Cleaner sprayed over everything I cant reach with a mitt and towel and then rinsed with low pressure water from the hose.
By keeping them clean, it's pretty easy to do. It's only when we buy a used car that needs some cleanup that I need to use an APC. I do have to use a brush and some rags with the APCs I listed, where the Gunk was simply spray on, rinse off unless there was actually caked on grease/grime.
 
The only drawback to some of the APC's is that they can etch any bare aluminum components under the hood making them look like you don't take care of your engine...:(
 
CharlesW said:
One thing that I didn't see mentioned is the odor of the Gunk Engine Bright.
I haven't used it for years, but the smell was not good and it seemed to linger for days. On a car, it wasn't too noticeable in the vehicle, but with a van, it certainly was.
When I used it was probably long before the VOC regulations and chances are, it's a whole new product.
Does it still stink?
Click to expand...

The foaming Gunk I've got now has a citrus smell.

TL
 
TLMitchell said:
The foaming Gunk I've got now has a citrus smell.

TL
Click to expand...
The one time I used the foaming Gunk, I was not at all impressed with it.
At the time, I thought it was the replacement for the original Gunk engine cleaner so I got completely away from using any of the Gunk cleaners.
One that cleaned and smelled bad forever.
One that smelled OK, but didn't clean all that good.
Two strikes and they were out. (My game, my rules :D)
 
TLMitchell said:
The foaming Gunk I've got now has a citrus smell.

TL
Click to expand...

OMG, have you actually used that? That is definitely NOT a citrus smell. I used that once and it smelled like something very unsavory for weeks. At least the other one smells like a chemical and can't be mistaken for items left rotting in the back seat. lol
 
Try lightly wiping off the CD2 after it dries for an hour or so. I like the matte finish and eliminates the "puddling" appearance. It also seems that CD2 is giving me sort of a cumulative effect... easier to clean each time, and not as much product required.

I won't clean an engine that's not mine and over two or three years old. It's too easy to blame the detailer for problems with plugs, electrical components, belts, water pumps, cracked heads, gaskets, etc., whether you're at fault or not. :(
 
how could that stuff not work it'll eat tha skin off an alligator! one thing i didn't see n pic 2 was the under side of the hood. alot of people neglect to do that it is the first thing i look at. how you gonna spray that gunk up there without it dripping all over the fenders....yikes. i never use hi pressure on engines your asking 4 trouble. get garden hose 1 old mit 1 bottle apc 1 long handled brush. start w/hood get wet, spray apc, get brush in wash bucket w/soap and go 2 town then rinse hood use old "engine mit"2 get to tight spots. repeat process on engine compartment & then engine. of course be carefull around electrical.in 26 years i have had maybe 1/2 dozen give me very minor problems not 1 problem that cost me a dime.the only thang that comes to mind are volvo's or any car where the plugs go down into the valve covers water gets down there she's gonna run rough. tape off/cover up valve cover & do that by hand...not trying to get all religous on yall but i always say a prayer before i begin engine detail. engines r by far the easiest money you will make detailing. i wish i could do nothing but engines.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top