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I have done a lot of research on how to safely clean and dress engine on my c4. Everyone has a different view. Use this don’t, don’t use water etc. Does anyone know how to correctly clean and dress engine professionally that won’t damage any components to my engine. Thanks for your help.
There is no one right way. Degreaser, brushes, rags, elbow grease and time. Be careful around electrical components. You don't want to soak the engine with your garden hose. And.....never use a pressure washer on the engine. One or twice a year I spray CD-2 engine Detailer, but there are other good products for this as well.
That is the most true statement you'll get from this thread.
I'm ALL about fast/effective/results. I'm totally against hours/"elbow grease", time and a potpourri of solvents. I've got better things to do.
Therefore, I use a power washer and Eagle 1 Etching aluminum cleaner (Alumabrite), which is an chemical that dissolves a microscopic layer of aluminum leaving "fresh cast"/original/new look that is impossible to beat. The product does this on cat aluminum in about 1 minutes. Spray on, wait ~1 minute, power wash off, hitting everything else under the hood at the same time. Towel dry the engine to avoid spotting and you have a "new/old stock" looking engine in minutes.
The electrical components are capable of being hit by a deluge of water; they all o-ring sealed. Only the opti spark is somewhat susceptible to water so LT1 owners should be cognizant of that and maybe avoid direct dousing of the LT1 distributor. The rest of the stuff? It don't care. Spray it w/aluminum chemical, wait a minute, power wash, dry. Enjoy your show-car ready looks.
How good does my method work? Look for yourself IN THIS THREAD, where I just cleaned up an old, garbage throttle body. Spray it on...rinse it off...done.
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Last edited by Tom400CFI; Sep 10, 2019 at 12:45 PM.
How does Eagle 1/ Alumabrite affect painted surfaces? LT4 has red paint on parts.
It doesn't.
If it could get under the paint, then it would dissolve the aluminum that the paint is adhered to...paint would flake off. I've not had a problem with that in the 10+ years that I've used the stuff.
There truly is no one right way to do it, but here is how I cleaned all my Vette engines:
1) Open hood (this is very important - helps make the engine cleaning much easier)
2) Spray Simple Green (in a spray bottle) all over the engine (avoiding your alternator and electrical contact areas)
3) Let it sit for a few minutes to really breakdown the grease / dirt (but dont let it dry)
4) With a soft brush agitate the Simple Green you just sprayed
5) Rinse engine bay with hose set to MIST...VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT DRENCH YOUR ENGINE BAY - Make sure you cover your alternator and avoid the OptiSpark
6) Rinse that same brush well to remove all the dirt
7) Now take your car wash liquid and with that brush wet, add a drop of car wash right onto the brush
8) Use the brush and agitate all the surface areas you can, making sure you create a good about of suds - this will pick up and remove more dirt
9) Now you can remove the suds two ways - I usually get a big towel and just dry all the sudsy sections - but you can use a hose on MIST again if you want
10) Now go dry off the major areas that are wet of water has formed puddles. I prefer to use a leaf blower to get everything nice and dry
11) Now go start your engine and let it get warm - this will help evaporate any remaining water the towel or blower couldnt reach
12) Now grab a microfiber towel and MeGuiars PROTECTANT and spray it into the towel and rub it all over the black parts of the engine (plastic, rubber, etc). Do not use on exposed/shiny metal surfaces.
I know its a lot of work - but my Vettes were all show winners and these are the results:
There truly is no one right way to do it, but here is how I cleaned all my Vette engines:
1) Open hood (this is very important - helps make the engine cleaning much easier)
2) Spray Simple Green (in a spray bottle) all over the engine (avoiding your alternator and electrical contact areas)
3) Let it sit for a few minutes to really breakdown the grease / dirt (but dont let it dry)
4) With a soft brush agitate the Simple Green you just sprayed
5) Rinse engine bay with hose set to MIST...VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT DRENCH YOUR ENGINE BAY - Make sure you cover your alternator and avoid the OptiSpark
6) Rinse that same brush well to remove all the dirt
7) Now take your car wash liquid and with that brush wet, add a drop of car wash right onto the brush
8) Use the brush and agitate all the surface areas you can, making sure you create a good about of suds - this will pick up and remove more dirt
9) Now you can remove the suds two ways - I usually get a big towel and just dry all the sudsy sections - but you can use a hose on MIST again if you want
10) Now go dry off the major areas that are wet of water has formed puddles. I prefer to use a leaf blower to get everything nice and dry
11) Now go start your engine and let it get warm - this will help evaporate any remaining water the towel or blower couldnt reach
12) Now grab a microfiber towel and MeGuiars PROTECTANT and spray it into the towel and rub it all over the black parts of the engine (plastic, rubber, etc). Do not use on exposed/shiny metal surfaces.
I know its a lot of work
That is a LOT. You could eliminate steps 2-4 and 6-9 by using a pressure washer. Alternator will be fine.
Originally Posted by Mayor111
my Vettes were all show winners and these are the results:
My 88 35th Anniversary Edition (L98):
Your cars are beautiful ....but help me out here. I pulled this turd out of a barn...a junk yard dog, it was. 1/2 w/a pressure washer and Eagle 1 and this is what I got now....
My alternator still works!
Last edited by Tom400CFI; Sep 10, 2019 at 03:34 PM.
That is a LOT. You could eliminate steps 2-4 and 6-9 by using a pressure washer. Alternator will be fine.
Hey Tom - thanks! I agree, I do a lot of steps to get my engines show ready. No problem using a pressure washer with an L98 but with an LT1 (with an OptiSpark) you would be in big trouble. Can't get that puppy wet at all...
BTW - I like your junk yard dog - wish you lived closer to me - Id go cruising with ya anytime!!
Appreciate all for advice on cleaning, detailing my c4. Just had optispark and water pump replaced so info on keeping it dry is crucial. Any ideas if car washes are a bad idea or is it okay to wash car that way sometimes. I mostly use a waterless wash.
Thanks again
No problem using a pressure washer with an L98 but with an LT1 (with an OptiSpark) you would be in big trouble. Can't get that puppy wet at all...
Maybe an old opti with dried out and shrunken seals but any opti cap worth it's salt is sealed to keep water out. I'm sure GM did enough R&D in regards to the opti and water for it to go into production. I personally have swamped the opti (unintentionally) on my Caprice with 0 negative effects.
Appreciate all for advice on cleaning, detailing my c4. Just had optispark and water pump replaced so info on keeping it dry is crucial. Any ideas if car washes are a bad idea or is it okay to wash car that way sometimes. I mostly use a waterless wash.
Thanks again
Never use an automatic car wash and never use that brush they provide you if you use a stall to wash it yourself. You'll get swirl marks bigtime from the former and nobody ever cleans that brush from the grit it picks up.
Soap it up with the pressure wand, use your own MF towels or mitt, rinse with the pressure washer.
The only RIGHT way, is to completely disassemble the engine, clean, sand, paint, and re-assemble every single part.
But depending on your goals... I try to protect things that need protection from water, and just go to town with everything else. I usually let the car sit out in the sun with the hood up for a few hours, and then check everything, put it all back together (whatever I disconnected or bagged), and then just start it.
Honestly... these cars are much more resilient than we give them credit for.
With the exception of people who have OptiSpark, you can practically submerge your entire engine in water so long as the intake and exhaust aren't blocked.
I do, along with a regular garden sprayer nozzle on hose, I have had no issue hosing down opti(its brand new and well sealed, plug wires all sealed at opti and plugs with dielectric grease. As soon as i'm done I take it out on a 20 mile drive to dry everything back out. Would I spray down opti with a 3000psi pressure washer........Hell No........
I did... but the engine was absolutely filthy... it looked like the power steering line had burst and sprayed the engine bay, and every inch of the car was coated in 1/2 thick of oil crust / crud.
My daughter tore it down completely and we went through probably 20 cans of brake cleaner and another 6 cans of heavy duty engine degreaser. We repainted EVERYTHING.
Engine cleaning
....but help me out here. I pulled this turd out of a barn...a junk yard dog, it was. 1/2 w/a pressure washer and Eagle 1 and this is what I got now....
