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Cleaning the engine compartment and making it look showroom new. Looking to try and keep my engine compartment looking clean and shinny. Have tried several products that claimed claimed they would clean and shine by cleaning with a car wash or high pressure washer and rinse with their product and let dry. Nope, it left water spots everywhere and no shine. This has been on several different vehicles in the past five years. Almost all car lot vehicles have been cleaned and shined by some means. The recent C5 purchased from an individual, looks that way now and I| want to keep it that way as well. Hopefully others have learned how to do this and will share their method with me. Thank you in advance.
I just use Greased lighting and a tooth brush with a shower nozzle at low isolated pressure.
i so a lot of spend and clean just eith rags. I try to avoid water in the electronics.
I also use aluminum cleaner carefully to remove oxidation on aluminum.
dealers often use steam cleaners but most new engines are not dirty enough for that anymore. Then they soak them in a silicone detailer.
I haven’t had any problem using simple green from a hand spray bottle along with a soft wheel brush, soft!, a small paint brush, and a toothbrush. Use a garden hose with a gentle misting nozzle to rinse. Armor All to taste…
For a touch up I use former bath towels. One damp and one to dry. Easily gets 95% of visual dust and dirt.
As a young man working as a porter at Lattof Chevrolet we used this stuff that came in a 55 gallon drum. It was cleaner and dressing in one. I never realized how good it worked until I tried to seek the same results. I went back in 2008 to ask what the magic shyt was and the dealership was closed... Good times working there. I started there in 83, I was 16 and went to school with the owners daughter (Liz) since Kindergarten. On Saturday Morning if you got there early we would move the most valuable used car hot rods parked in the service bays the night before. We'd start them all in the bays (to get the choke off) saving the best for last to move over to the front of the used car lot. I drove all kinds of big block cars and some really tweaked small blocks. Some of the best times of my life. Just around the block, but jeez, it was a amazing experience as a young man. Learned to respect cars and how quick they could go from strait to sideways with the blip of the throttle.
Anyway...
I've had good luck with the Griots brand engine cleaner. Get a good brush and scrub after it sits for a few minutes. Cool to the touch engine temps. Use towels or fender covers to keep this off the paint (cleaner and dressing) There is a video of some Groits chick that says to use a pressure washer, Don't! do it. Gentle stream of water for a rinse is all you need. Then a leaf blower/LP air to dry. Once dry, use some of the Griots dressing, again mask your paint of over spray. I think the stuff looks great without being greasy. The dressing can be made glossy by applying a more heavier coat (beware of curtains).
Cleaner: https://www.griotsgarage.com/engine-cleaner/
Dressing: https://www.griotsgarage.com/engine-...g-12-5-ounces/
Montana car (lots of dirt roads) one month after I bought my car in 2022. This is after cleaning the engine with the products above.
Oh ya, you can also try hairspray as a dressing. I know friends that did that back in the day, but I always drove beaters. I'm sure hairspray formulations have changed now due to a certain endangered frog somewhere huffing the stuff.
YMMV
The only thing I did yo both these engines is Greased Lighting scrubbed and light wash.
I then use retailers from Chemical Guys Gel Coat to 303 protectant.
The key is get it clean then coat. The Gel Coat is oil based and gloss can be controlled with buffing with a clean towel or damp towel.
The Photo here was before I used NAPA Aluminum Cleaner. I used it in the aluminum bits to restore the original finish on them.
The Fiero I used Aluminum polish and scotch brite to restore the original finish. The aluminum pipes I used fine steel wool. Them the trans axle aluminum wheel cleaner. The thing is experiment and try different things. Often other cleaners and detailer can result in the devil you want.
I find oil based is best but you need a clean surface and then wipe and buff. I used it in many areas even the black strut towers on the Fiero that are metal.
But experiment. You will be surprised by the results. Just loading it up under heavy silicone can result in dirt sticking to things. this is why I wipe things down after a soaking.
@Prop Joe Joe, once the weather gets warmer, you got to come over to my house and help me make my under hood compartment look like that. Damn that looks good. I’ve never sprayed water on an engine before, and I’ve never worked in a detail shop or dealer. But damn, even your alternator is perfectly clean.
I recall reading that in some cases water can get down into the valley area and into the knock sensors and they rust. When I replaced my oil pressure sensor I check my knock sensors and they were fine.
My car was used when I got it and I wanted to check if maybe in the past someone went crazy and got water into the valley area.
I just spray it down with Simple Green and gently use the garden hose. Does a nice job and does not leave a residue on aluminum - I used Purple Power once and that did leave a white powder. Follow up with some "natural shine" or other "not too shiny" treatment on the plastic and rubber...
Cleaning the engine compartment
