Hi all ,
I have been fiddling about under the hood this weekend , mostly just cleaning things up - trying to get it looking a little better under there (not that it looks too bad already) Anyway , I am sure there are some guys out there that have show quality engine bays and i was wondering if anyone has any tips on what to do with the underside of the hood.
The paint on mine is in pretty good shape but it looks dull/old looking and is not a real dark black in places - so is there anything I can use (besides re-painting it) to bring it back to looking like new.
By the way she's an 82 CE
[cheers]

 

To clean my engine bay, I use Tire Foam!

Just saturate everything, let it soak for 10 minutes, wipe off with some shop towels.

Sounts crazy, but it works. Has good cleaning power and isn't gummy or sticky.

It will come out looking like new.

For shows/cruise nights, I use Stoner Trim Shine, just to give it some added POP!




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P.S.... This method does not work well on chrome or polished aluminum. But works great on anything plastic, rubber, satin black paint, etc..... For chrome I use glass cleaner..

 

Hey Luster
I just had the strangest feeling on De Ja Vu

Thanks for your reply to both posts

Your engine bay looks great - nice job

 

Haha... yeah, I didn't know which one you'd go to first! I started using Tire Foam about 5 years ago. Great engine cleaner.

 

Been using Simple Green (diluted), Tire Shine & Mother's Chrome Polish. I usually spend a couple of hours per week cleaning my engine bay (I consider it therapy).

 

409 works and doesn't hurt paint,,,,,i also use a old spray bottle and add about 15% dawn to water to degrease lite stuff

 

Whatever you do don't spray it with a hose. Your engine has sensors that may get damaged with water. You question was specific to the underside of the hood I believe. There is really nothing you can do that will be worth your time to get the results you will want besides painting it.
Here's what I would do. Mark the hood on the sides of the hinges using a scribe. Mark should look like an L and deep enough to catch a fingernail. Remove the wire for the underhood lamp. Get a friend to help you remove the hood. An area to be careful with is the front of the hood when removing. Stuff some old blankets in the area of the front and top of the radiator. Also on the sides of the hood in the front area use double layer masking tape to protect the paint. A person on each side of the car and each one have a socket-rachet wrench to remove the bolts. If you use one hand and a shoulder to hold the hood up while removing the bolts. Be careful to lift hood upward slowly to not damage the sides or exterior paint. Set hood on an old blanket to not scratch exterior paint. Rough up old underhood paint with a used green scouring pad. After that use a degreaser. finish masking the sides of the hood to prevent any overspray on the exterior paint. Paint with a Krylon semi-gloss or Satin black or John Deere makes a great paint by the name of Blitz Black. Spray one coat and let sit for about a half hour and then spray a second. Carefully reinstall after the paint is dry. If you look closely in the area where you previously scribed you will be able to see the marks to align the hood. This may seem to be a lot of work but I have went into detail so that you won't damage your exterior paint. I hope that this will help!
Steve

 

Thanks to all for your replies - lots of ideas for me to give a try

 

When I had my 82 I would use Meguiars Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner for everything under the hood. I bought one of those sponge handled toilet bowl cleaners. Spray the Meguiars on it and it would squeeze into all those hard to reach spots.

 

vetteguy75,
CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Alan

 

Thanks!!

 

Hey gq82....Soooo after doing that did you rinse off with a hose ?
I'm a little confused bout cleaning engine in my 81' ? Most dudes on this forum are against flushing the engine with water after for fear of damaging electronics.....

 

I spray my 2000's engine with a 50/50 solution of Purple Power and water, let it sit for a period of time and hose it off with water. Haven't hurt my engine or sensors yet. I think the key is you don't need a high pressure volume of water to rinse it.

You could wrap your sensors in aluminum foil for extra piece of mind.