For those of you who could eat an omelet off of your engine bay, how do you keep it so clean??????????

I assume you don't get a power nossle and just blast it!

 

Detailing the engine is actually much easier than it looks, IMO. Its just a matter of having the right products and the confidence to work in there. Here is an outline of how to do an engine detail.

1. When doing an engine detail we recommend the engine be a little warm, so turn on the engine for about 1 – 2 minutes and then turn it off. If the vehicle has been driven or is hot from previous driving it may be too warm for an engine detail.

2. When the engine is at a safe temperature you can start the process. Cover any exposed electrical components (usually there are a few electrical plugs you can cover) and anything else you do not want water in with aluminum foil. Cover any exposed air filters and intakes so they don’t flood with water.

3. Spray the engine with a light mist of water. Spray degreaser over areas with grease build-ups and other heavy deposits. Avoid spraying metals and other mechanical pieces. We recommend a 3:1 dilution of Poorboy's World Bio APC. Start spraying it low or deep in the engine and work your way up towards more easily accessible areas. Let it sit for approximately 1 - 3 minutes. If you use a stronger degreaser you may want to rinse it sooner.

4. Spray down everything to remove all the degreaser and dirt and grime with a light mist from a hose. You don't want to use high-pressure water or tons of water if avoidable. The debris should be loose now and fall off easily, don't rely on pressure from the hose to break up the contaminates.

5. Now I spot treat any areas that didn't get clean and the metals. I'll use an old rag and spray some degreaser on it and clean up any areas I see that need a light touch up. Don't forget to clean the hood that has been flipped up.

6. Make sure you have removed the tin foil and all other products used in the detail from the engine bay. Start the engine and let is run for at least 30 seconds to help dry some of the water. Be careful touching the vehicle after because it can get hot fast. Then finish drying anything that may need it.

7. Now I recommend treating all the (non-mechanical) vinyl, plastic and rubber pieces with a protectant such as the 303 Aerospace Protectant. Apply this to a cloth and wipe down anything that’s rubber, vinyl and plastic that’s non-mechanical. This will help prevent premature fading and keep the surface looking great. The 303 Protectant has a low gloss matte finish that looks great and helps prevent dust build up. Additionally if you have any exposed metal you can polish them now. We really like the deep polishing power of the P21S Finish Restorer. You can also apply a sealant to any painted areas in the engine bay or the under side of the hood.

8. Step back and admire a clean and sharp looking engine bay.

 

Punchit, do you work at a detail shop? That was a great write-up.

 

Yea I detail a lot, sadly enough I haven't done this process to my ride in a bit, mainly for others. I just did my exterior detail so I'll add the engine bay to my list of things to do soon.

 

When you do yours, do you mind taking some pics of the aluminum foil wrapped areas, so we can get an idea of what needs wrapping? Then you could insert the pics into your above post and have a complete DIY and they'll make it a sticky! Maybe? hehe

 

I don't have any pics right now and I really don't know when I'll get around to the engine detail. I'll try and take pics the next time I do it though. As for covering up electrical components, just look for any exposed connections. When in doubt just cover it in tin foil, can't hurt. Getting water on a connection is usually not a problem but its always better to be safe then sorry.

 

very nice write up.

 

Thanks and nice write up.
I've used WD-40 (as the last step) for all the plastic parts and rubber hoses and that seems to work really well. Do you think WD-40 will do harm to those parts?

 

WD-40 has lots of solvents in it that will not help the vinyl, rubber or plastic surfaces. It will look really shinny but it won't actually get absorbed into those surfaces to keep them looking fresh. Some people use Pledge and other cleaners and in my opinion they should never be used in the engine. The great thing about the 303 Protectant is that you can use it all over your car. You can apply it to the doors, dash, seats, tires and really just about any other rubber, leather, vinyl or plastic surface. It leaves a low gloss shine and doesn't seem to attract dust like other thicker protectants I've used.

 

Punchit - any pics on the places we should cover up??? I know it's been a while, you should have cleaned your engine by now right??? =P

Thanks in advance

 

Excellent writeup...thanks Punchit! Might motivate me to get out and do this to my engine this weekend instead of just the normal 303 wipedown I do.

 

He also don't forget to brush really dirty spot and to blow water out of spot where it accumulate while spray the engine down with water. Also they have a new engine thats good on all the surface of the engine bay. It's called CD-2 engine detailer

 

Has anyone tried the SONUS Engine detail spray? I read an article on Autopia about engine detailing, and they recommended this spray for restoring the finish after detailing
SONUS ENGINE SPRAY SEALANT

I may give it a try in the spring, and I'll let you know if it helps to restore the OEM look under the hood.

 

My thoughts are this, if you drive the vehicle in the rain, then everything under the hood gets a little wet anyhow. So, i do not cover anything. I am very cautious not to spray degreaser on the alternator or belts, and I never directly spray down the electrical stuff. I just do it very carefully. I use everythign from a tire cleaning brush to a tooth brush to clean a customers engine.

 

First not that much gets into the engine bay with the cover underneath the engine bay. So you can't really say everything gets a little wet.