Under hood/ Engine

[Stokdgs]

I am no expert but I will be doing an apc spray down, letting it dwell for a minute, then agitating with a boars hair brush, then spraying down with the pw on fan, then drying with my sidekick, then dressing with PERL at 3:1.

+1 for EVOlved !

Friends -

This is pretty much how I have been doing it for years and never a problem - well, except perhaps, catching the occasional fainting Client who never knew their engine compartment could ever look this good again, compared to brand new -

I am pressure wash rinsing the cleaner off and with it comes all the dirt it released and encapsulated..

I am NOT "pressure washing" like when you are doing concrete and cleaning, very slowly, all the embedded dirt and mold, etc., that sticks in those pores so tightly...

I am rinsing the dirt and gunk off, with the wand far enough from the engine, so that really, nothing ever happens except it gets cleaner...

If these same engines get wet from water on the road when it rains or through the grill and all those places when driving in the rain, what is really the difference ?

The earlier cars of the muscle car era ( you may not know what that is) all had many exposed connections that were not even close to being as water tight as what is on the cars today, and then add all the plastic covers and even more protection if needed, on today's vehicles..

A pressure washer will always reach farther than any hand held brush, etc., so you really get a much cleaner engine and compartment...

How else can you get into the deep fan shrouds and below them and the frame rail below that, and clean all those areas really good?

Maybe we are just talking about cleaning the top of the engine, underhood, and tops of the inner fenders ??

I like to clean the entire engine block as much as I can see and get to..

Now, that is a clean engine...
Dan F

 

[EVOlved]

This is a very good plan and I did something similar to this myself for many years. The issue is the pearly will look good for a week or 3, then get dusty and when you wipe the dust, it makes a mess. If you PW the Pearl or similar under the hood, your belts will squeak (slip) and that bothers me. Probably not to bad for the car, but I don't like squeeks.

Also, once the surfaces are coated, they are so easy to clean is not even funny.

Coatings have changed the amount of time I spend keeping my cars looking the way I want.

I am not willing to sacrifice looks for time, but I am always looks to spend less time cleaning, polishing and wiping the cars so that I can do other fun things and drive them!

At the end of the day I measure every product on:
1. Performance / Looks
2. durability
3. $$$$$$$$$

Understandable but I myself am not doing under my hood all that often.. Maybe once every 6 months if it was a show car sure I would spend the time and money and throw some DLux on it. Heck if I have some left when I finish all the trim on the cars I want to use it on I may just do that.

 

[radarryan]

Ronny, I did the C4 Trim restorer on the panels under the hood. I do the paint with APC and a coating 1x on the paint under hood for the life of the car. After that ONR wipedowns.

Yeah, similar to that I coated the plastic of mine with CarPro DLux. Literally the entire engine is covered with the plastic, so I figured this was the best thing, since it can handle the heat and last the longest. I would recommend going permanent, either with GTechniq C4 or CarPro DLux, to anyone.

 

[Todd@RUPES]

FWIW, make sure to tape off (or use aluminum foil) to cover any exposed electrical connections.

 

[tropicsteve]

tell the truth ron, you normally just get a new car when it's time to detail under the hood. :rofl

 

[The Driver]

Do you have access to a steamer? If that an apc = cake

 

[WaxAddict]

I'm eager to try Polish Angel ENGINE. For two reasons. I've seen some stunning results in reviews, and it's rinseless. For whatever reason, I don't like to point the hose at my engine. A bit expensive at $30 (500ml) plus probably $12 shipping, but like you. it'd be a once a year thing, maybe two.

 

[Swanicyouth]

I'm eager to try Polish Angel ENGINE. For two reasons. I've seen some stunning results in reviews, and it's rinseless. For whatever reason, I don't like to point the hose at my engine. A bit expensive at $30 (500ml) plus probably $12 shipping, but like you. it'd be a once a year thing, maybe two.

Ouch.

You can just use UWW+ to wipe down engine plastics and parts and it works perfectly and leaves some sheen if you choose not to dress. It cost 3¢ an ounce once diluted... You would be living dangerously if you spent 12¢ to wipe down an engine.

To dress the engine I'll use PB's BnB... It takes maybe takes 15¢ worth.

For major cleanings I'll always use P21S TAW. I get the S100 version from the Harley dealer. It's a very concentrated and paint safe APC that just works extremely well. You only need a single spray to do an area.

 

[spiralout462]

I use Meguiar's M40 sometimes but I usually use a microfiber and maybe UWW+ after a wash so nothing really gets dirty.

 

[WaxAddict]

You can just use UWW+ to wipe down engine plastics and parts...

To dress the engine I'll use PB's BnB...,

For major cleanings I'll always use P21S TAW. I get the S100 version....

Good tips, thanks. Yeah that Polish Angel wants a lot for her stuff.
It's important to rinse P21S/S100 very well, so my S100 stays on the shelf unless the hose comes out.

 

[cleanmycorolla]

I use APC diluted to the needed task in the engine area. I'll use Opti Bond to dress it. Really lasts a while in the engine bay.