Do you clean your engine???

[dmreitz]

Ok, am I crazy? Am I the only one who actually pops the hood when I wash my car and cleans and shines up the metal and plastic in the engine compartment? ...or does everyone do this?

I just want to keep this baby looking like I just got it!!

 

[Gatorac]

Here's an easy way to keep it looking like new under the hood.

Everytime you wash the car hose out under the hood real good. Then spay everything down with armour all foaming tire spray. Keeps it looking great and the dirt won't stick.

 

[Petzuk]

Griot's has a good engine cleaner... Costly, but it does a good job, and leaves a pleasant "engine" scent (whatever that means).

:shrug:

 

[dmreitz]

Originally posted by Petzuk
Griot's has a good engine cleaner... Costly, but it does a good job, and leaves a pleasant "engine" scent (whatever that means).

:shrug:

"Pleasant engine scent", huh? I like that...

 

[King Cobra 03]

Originally posted by Petzuk
Griot's has a good engine cleaner... Costly, but it does a good job, and leaves a pleasant "engine" scent (whatever that means).

:shrug:

i got there quick shine and tire detailer kit to day, that s&#t worked great, looks better then when i brought it home from the dealer!( my idiot wife even saw the diffrence)

 

[ygohome]

I detail the engine every time I wash the car. But I havn't tried spraying any engine cleaner or "armorall like" products on it. I just use a damp rag and a couple cans of compressed air to get the hard to reach spots.

 

[Vetteater]

Whats up fellas, just wanted to throw in my two cents worth. I own and have owned a detail shop for 6 years and have been doing it professionally for about 9 years. There is absolutely nothing wrong with spraying your engine bay down...However, you 4cammers that have the covers on top of the plugs might want to be careful spraying water directly onto them, they may leak and cause you to have a miss. This may not be likely due to the nice thick rubber gasket that surround the underside of them. I would NOT recommend spraying Armour All on the plastic parts of the car...IT WILL EVENTUALLY DRY WROUGHT THE PLASTIC PIECES!!! Go to your local parts store and buy and actual engine protectant. It will give an Armour All shine without the harmful effects over time. As far as cleaning, any kind of degreaser that is diluted 4 parts water and 1 part cleaner will be enough to get any grime off..especially with your vehicles being so new.
After degreasing washing and protecting, start your vehicle and let it run while you wash the car. By the time your done washing open the hood and look at the bewt you have bling blingin under the hood. Then wipe your painted surfaces down with a soft cloth and if your anal about your stuff like I am, use some spray wax on the painted surfaces when your completely done.

I hope I have helped and can help further:thumbsup:

 

[03BlackMamba]

You can always tell how well someone takes care of their car by looking at the underside of the hood, the engine compartment, inside/ends of the doors, and of course the inside of the trunk lid, etc. Reminds me of my Mom when she reminded my sister to check the guys shoes (shine) the first time she went out on a new date.......Yup, I kept "my" shoes shined then and still do today.....but I must admit the Black Mamba Cobra shines the best tonight......Love That Black........and it's great shine....
PS -- Griot's is only 15 minutes from my garage..........Do they send you as many catalogs as I get????

 

[03BlackMamba]

Vetteater...... Great insight.... Thanks.....Keep the info coming.....
My dealer did not prep the engine compartment when they did the detailing...... I have been picking away at it. After traveling from Dearborn by train to the west coast it did get dirty. What about the white chalk marks on the various engine components??? What is that all about and what do you use to remove it???

 

[03DOHC]

I'm too lazy. I just take it to the detailer every now and then.

 

[harry gilbert]

I found that spraying some Simple Green onto the warm (not hot) engine, followed by a rinse keeps the grime off, and the heat quickly evaporates any moisture. I keep the hood up until things have dried out. Then I wipe the rubber hoses, etc. with some Armor-All or similar treatment. Also a good time to clean battery terminals, check belts and hoses for wear, etc.

 

[KingKobra]

I used to spray down my old car... the engine compartment was really clean. Then I started hearing that it could short out electrical/computer components, so I stopped. Sound crazy?

 

[DD2000GT]

Simple Green is the best stuff I have found for cleaning the engine bay. I keep two big bottles on hand at all times in my garage.

 

[genus5033]

I've scheduled my Black beauty to go to the detailers once a month. I used to do my '95 but just don't have the time anymore.

 

[Vetteater]

Originally posted by 03BlackMamba
Vetteater...... Great insight.... Thanks.....Keep the info coming.....
My dealer did not prep the engine compartment when they did the detailing...... I have been picking away at it. After traveling from Dearborn by train to the west coast it did get dirty. What about the white chalk marks on the various engine components??? What is that all about and what do you use to remove it???

I think the chalk marks are so that the atomaton that is assymbling the engine knows that "part A" mates to "part B"...LOL I'm not sure, But I do know that to take it off is REAL simple. Laquer thinner, you can purchase that in the auto body dept at the parts store. Put a LITTLE on a towel and dab it off. If there is chalk on a plastic piece be gentle, DO NOT RUB, it will burn the plastic. Just dab and you will be just fine. And to reply to the Simple Green...That stuff is GREAT for an over the counter chemical. Might want to dilute it some if you have any polished pieces though, it will tarnish the finish. if your parts are the stock "coated" pieces, you are in the "Green". Pardon the pun.

 

[AV8R]

Simple Green.

This is what I do.

First, run your car to get the engine up to operating temp. Let the car stand a few minutes. Next, spray the engine down with simple green. Let sit for a couple minutes then hose down with low pressure water. Then go and take your car around the block to get the engine good and hot. Park the car and keep the hood closed. You basically have an oven now that will boil/evaporate all the water under the hood virtually leaving no water spots.

Jason

 

[ssssnake]

Yes, I clean the engine compartment every time I wash. I don't hose it down because it's not that dirty. Just wipe down with a damp rag. I also open all doors, trunk and wipe down. Polish the exhaust tips and go around the bottom rim of the car. Armor All the tires. I used to do that to the hoses and varous rubber parts on the car but dirt seems to stick on the Armor All.

 

[KingKobra]

Originally posted by AV8R
Then go and take your car around the block to get the engine good and hot.
Jason

That shouldn't take too long with this Cast Iron Block. It's like a fire-stone pizza cooker, this thing.

Finally, something usefull for this god-aweful smelly Simple Green I got laying around.

 

[cobra03wife]

Just my opinion, but I'd stay away from the degreasers like GUNK, etc. The Simple Green works great and won't dull the finishes.

Just a FYI. If you spray off the top of the battery, MAKE SURE you rinse off around the battery. The battery vents acid gases and it collects around the battery. Mainly the top because of the electrial connections. The run off will corrode the metal around the area if you don't rinse it well.

And yes, I wash the engine down about once a month. Simple soap and water works great unless you have some grease and grim build up.

Mac03Cobra

 

[sbc.cobra]

ssssnake
I used to do that to the hoses and varous rubber parts on the car but dirt seems to stick on the Armor All.

i've been told by more than one person to dilute the armor all w/ water...it will give it a shine (not quite as much) and won't attract as much dust.

:beer: