Does my engine need to be cleaned?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 783
Likes: 2
From: Wake Forest, NC
St. Jude Donor '05
Wow! Thats a big pic 
Dan, hope you don't mind, but I hosted this smaller image of the drivers side of your engine as well...
Nice prop rod, by the way
If you want to clean your engine, go for it. Like others have said though, I'd do it yourself. Likewise with the detail work to the interior/exterior. I'd save the $260 they want to detail it for mods. That, and personally, I've never known anybody that can detail a car better than I can do it myself.
Start with a wash with Dawn dish soap... if you really want to go crazy, get a clay bar get and follow up with that... then get yourself a decent quality polish and apply it. If you want recommendations for types of cleaners for different parts of the car, just ask.
As for the motor.... I would use Simple Green like a few other people have said. It's a great de-greaser. Put a plastic bag over your distributor and around your alternator. Avoid spraying the hose directly onto your throttle bodies. Cover them with plastic if your really going to use a lot of hose pressure to get the top of the intake manifold. But you shouldn't need too... Soak the whole thing down in Simple Green and let it sit for 15 minutes or so, then use a light hose pressure for rinsing and rub stubborn areas with a rag.
I'd get some carb cleaner and work on those throttle bodies with that. Never hurts to clean those out every once and awhile. Spray all around the tops and sparay some down into the throats as well and take your finger down there to scrub a bit...
Dan, hope you don't mind, but I hosted this smaller image of the drivers side of your engine as well...
Nice prop rod, by the way
If you want to clean your engine, go for it. Like others have said though, I'd do it yourself. Likewise with the detail work to the interior/exterior. I'd save the $260 they want to detail it for mods. That, and personally, I've never known anybody that can detail a car better than I can do it myself.
Start with a wash with Dawn dish soap... if you really want to go crazy, get a clay bar get and follow up with that... then get yourself a decent quality polish and apply it. If you want recommendations for types of cleaners for different parts of the car, just ask.
As for the motor.... I would use Simple Green like a few other people have said. It's a great de-greaser. Put a plastic bag over your distributor and around your alternator. Avoid spraying the hose directly onto your throttle bodies. Cover them with plastic if your really going to use a lot of hose pressure to get the top of the intake manifold. But you shouldn't need too... Soak the whole thing down in Simple Green and let it sit for 15 minutes or so, then use a light hose pressure for rinsing and rub stubborn areas with a rag.
I'd get some carb cleaner and work on those throttle bodies with that. Never hurts to clean those out every once and awhile. Spray all around the tops and sparay some down into the throats as well and take your finger down there to scrub a bit...
CF "Young" Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,034
Likes: 26
From: Cupertino CA
St. Jude Donor '12
Recently used a can and a half of Black Magic engine cleaner on my rather dirty '86. Hosed it down afterwords and rubbed off the puddles. Engine looked like new (as new as a 100K+ engine could look 
).
).
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
Originally Posted by EMBPILOT
positive vrankcase ventilation, i do believe. replace every 3 oil changes, 12 bucks.
correct except spelled with a 'c' crankcase. (of course I've always referred to them as pollution control valve LOL)
It plugs into your valve cover and appears to be pretty nasty looking in your picture.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
Originally Posted by RICEKILA
photobucket.com cost 25 bucks if I remeber right
I use the free photobucket with out problems!
However, I clean my engine using simple green, a brush, scotch brite pad and then I drive down to the local highpressure coin car wash to blast away the grime.
My opti likes it JUST FINE!
Mike
Last edited by aboatguy; Nov 19, 2005 at 12:52 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,263
Likes: 414
From: Muskogee OK
Cruise-In VI Veteran
no i meant your valve covers, the edges look a little grimy. My 84 looked like yours. The vc seals were so old and brittle they litterally crumbled into a gazillion pieces when i took them off to port the intake.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Sparks Nevada
Originally Posted by flannel_man
no i meant your valve covers, the edges look a little grimy. My 84 looked like yours. The vc seals were so old and brittle they litterally crumbled into a gazillion pieces when i took them off to port the intake.
Annd... The picture i posted is of the Passenger side(without the air cleaner) the one with the aircleaner is the drivers side.
The PVC is on the drivers side and i changed it a few months ago.
-Dan
