Engine detailing supplies/procedure
Racer
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Willoughby Hills OH
I brought Meguiares engine bay detailing bottle, haven't used it yet as I have been to lazy to venture into the cleaning of the bay.
Make sure you cover up important stuff, others will chime in with exacts
Make sure you cover up important stuff, others will chime in with exacts
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,709
Likes: 3
From: Savannah GA
There's no kit I am aware of, but you will want some spray engine degreaser, a parts washing brush for the really crusty areas, some carburetor cleaner for the fuel related areas. A roll of aluminum foil is invaluable for easily masking off hoses, wires and whatever else you want to keep paint off of... simply wrap it and spray. A couple cans of matte black, some engine paint a roll of blue painter's tape and perhaps some new valve cover gaskets would be a good shopping list to start. Once you get started you will likely see other areas (like the brake master cover and the headlight vacuum canisters) which look best in another finish than black... get an Eastwood's catalog and look around a bit... they offer an amazing array of specialty finishes so you can get as detailed as you wish.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,111
Likes: 32
From: Damascus MD
It all depends on how nice you want the engine compartment.
I ended up taking everything off of my 70 that I could unbolt before cleaning. It really made the job much easier. I cleaned up each individual part and painted where correct before reassembly.
I also did not use a spray on degreaser right away. I used plastic putty knives and a lot of wire brushes to get most of the grease and grime off.
Then I used plastic brushes with a simple green type product to get the remainder of the dirt and grime off.
I then carefully masked everything off to paint the motor. I prepped one last time by using lacquer thinner to make sure it was all clean and ready for paint.
If you are just looking to clean up, use the spray on cleaner and a few brushes. The spray on does not work as well as one might think without scrubbing.
Have fun. It is definitely worth the effort every time you pop open the hood
I ended up taking everything off of my 70 that I could unbolt before cleaning. It really made the job much easier. I cleaned up each individual part and painted where correct before reassembly.
I also did not use a spray on degreaser right away. I used plastic putty knives and a lot of wire brushes to get most of the grease and grime off.
Then I used plastic brushes with a simple green type product to get the remainder of the dirt and grime off.
I then carefully masked everything off to paint the motor. I prepped one last time by using lacquer thinner to make sure it was all clean and ready for paint.
If you are just looking to clean up, use the spray on cleaner and a few brushes. The spray on does not work as well as one might think without scrubbing.
Have fun. It is definitely worth the effort every time you pop open the hood
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,116
From: Crossville TN
If the engine & compartment is a greasy, grimy mess, you only want to cover up items that can be damaged by your cleaning procedure. Electrical wiring needs to be cleaned also. Only cover it up if you are using a pressure washer and/or pressurized steam cleaning.
You probably want to remove the air cleaner...so that the element doesn't get soaked and that nothing goes into the carb. You may want to cover the distributor and put a plate or cap on the carb to keep stuff out of the intake.
The easiest way to get the 'heavy' stuff off is to buy some good engine degreaser and take the car to the local quarter car wash. Soak the engine, etc. down with degreaser; wait 10-15 minutes and wash off with hot soapy pressurized water. You may need to do this 2 or even 3 times to get the difficult stuff off. But, that's better than using a scraper and/or toothbrush to get that grime off.
You probably want to remove the air cleaner...so that the element doesn't get soaked and that nothing goes into the carb. You may want to cover the distributor and put a plate or cap on the carb to keep stuff out of the intake.
The easiest way to get the 'heavy' stuff off is to buy some good engine degreaser and take the car to the local quarter car wash. Soak the engine, etc. down with degreaser; wait 10-15 minutes and wash off with hot soapy pressurized water. You may need to do this 2 or even 3 times to get the difficult stuff off. But, that's better than using a scraper and/or toothbrush to get that grime off.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Aug 31, 2011 at 10:13 AM.
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 4,930
Likes: 11
From: AnyTown NJ
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
It all depends on how nice you want the engine compartment.
Then I used plastic brushes with a simple green type product to get the remainder of the dirt and grime off.
If you are just looking to clean up, use the spray on cleaner and a few brushes. The spray on does not work as well as one might think without scrubbing.
Have fun. It is definitely worth the effort every time you pop open the hood
Then I used plastic brushes with a simple green type product to get the remainder of the dirt and grime off.
If you are just looking to clean up, use the spray on cleaner and a few brushes. The spray on does not work as well as one might think without scrubbing.
Have fun. It is definitely worth the effort every time you pop open the hood
Exactly what I did with my 82...as a final touch I used Meguiar"s Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner & Wenol metal cleaner/polish....here's the end result.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
Along with the engine bay, the area that houses all the wiper linkage below the windshield (on my '80) looks like GM put a black sealant in there with a fire hose. It cakes the WSW fluid supply lines and a vacuum hose. It looks like crap, is it best to leave it alone or is there a safe chemical to clean it up, or is the seemingly gross amount necessary for sealing the car properly?
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 202
Likes: 1
From: Millstone Twp NJ
Along with the engine bay, the area that houses all the wiper linkage below the windshield (on my '80) looks like GM put a black sealant in there with a fire hose. It cakes the WSW fluid supply lines and a vacuum hose. It looks like crap, is it best to leave it alone or is there a safe chemical to clean it up, or is the seemingly gross amount necessary for sealing the car properly?
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
Still wouldn't mind doing a general tidy of the area, I even found a couple of the rivet pins, or the rusted remains of them, that the assembly guys left behind in there. Amazing!
