Cleaning engine & engine compartment
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 11,799
Likes: 10
From: Houston Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Re: Cleaning engine & engine compartment (vettenut)
I don't believe in hosing theses engines down due to the electronics. What I do is wipe everything down that's easy to reach. For those hard to reach areas I use an assortment of paint brushes to brush the sand/dirt/dust away. If the engine compartment is really dirty it takes me a couple of hours to do a thourough cleaning. After that, it's just a couple of minutes once a week or so.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,332
Likes: 7
From: Dayton, Ohio
Senior Member
CI 5-6-7-8 Veteran
Re: Cleaning engine & engine compartment (vettenut)
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 883
Likes: 3
From: wilmington DE
Re: Cleaning engine & engine compartment (vettenut)
Here's a process many of us use.
Engine Cleaning Procedure courtesy of Mean Green
1. Spray down the engine compartment with the hose (I took off the fuel rail covers and made sure to get everything free of loose dirt and dust).
2. Then close the hood and start the car and let idle for about 5 minutes to warm it up and then shut it off.
3. Using Simple Green (Full Strength, no dilution), amply spritz everything you want clean.
4. Close the hood and go drink a beer (or in my case, wash the Fuel Rail covers with hot water and Dawn and let dry).
5. Next spray out the engine compartment completely.
6. Spray Armour All or equiv (303) over those same surfaces. Avoid the belts and wiring. Use a lot on the fender covers and the radiator shroud.
7. Close the hood and go and Spray 303/Armour All on the Fuel Rail covers.
8. Open the hood and reinstall the Fuel Rail covers and you’re done.
Won't take more that 20 minutes and your engine will look like it just came off of the showroom floor.
Engine Cleaning Procedure courtesy of Mean Green
1. Spray down the engine compartment with the hose (I took off the fuel rail covers and made sure to get everything free of loose dirt and dust).
2. Then close the hood and start the car and let idle for about 5 minutes to warm it up and then shut it off.
3. Using Simple Green (Full Strength, no dilution), amply spritz everything you want clean.
4. Close the hood and go drink a beer (or in my case, wash the Fuel Rail covers with hot water and Dawn and let dry).
5. Next spray out the engine compartment completely.
6. Spray Armour All or equiv (303) over those same surfaces. Avoid the belts and wiring. Use a lot on the fender covers and the radiator shroud.
7. Close the hood and go and Spray 303/Armour All on the Fuel Rail covers.
8. Open the hood and reinstall the Fuel Rail covers and you’re done.
Won't take more that 20 minutes and your engine will look like it just came off of the showroom floor.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 6,376
Likes: 21
From: Traverse City MI
Re: Cleaning engine & engine compartment (stevenll)
Careful with Simple Green, it will weaken your aluminum over time. I usually just take some warm water and a few drops of dish soap and a sponge and wipe everything down, then wax the engine. Once you get the underhood area cleand up it does not take much to keep it that way.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 6,376
Likes: 21
From: Traverse City MI
Re: Cleaning engine & engine compartment (6318)
6318,
see these for more details:
http://www.logsa.army.mil/WEB-PAGE/2000/573/573-35.pdf
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/ma.../cleaners.html
Of course we are driving cars, not airplanes, and our metal is fairly thick. Brief application and a good rinsing probably will eliminate 99.9% of the risk.
[Modified by Aaron71771, 3:38 PM 4/5/2004]
see these for more details:
http://www.logsa.army.mil/WEB-PAGE/2000/573/573-35.pdf
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/ma.../cleaners.html
The problem is that this product, like many others have been shown to damage critical metal components. Specificaly, it causes a condition called Hydrogen Embrittlement on high strength steel components. What this means is that if you allow the cleaner to sit on high strength steel for any time over 4 hours, it will weaken the metal to a point where it can fail at only 10% of its rated tensil strength. Secondly, it causes crazing of painted surfaces and on aluminum surfaces causes galvanitic corrosion cells to form. It also has been shown to delaminate carbon fiber structures. Plastic can be adversly effeced by application of this kind of clenser. This is why the product is specifical banned for use as a aircraft clenser on all military aircraft.
[Modified by Aaron71771, 3:38 PM 4/5/2004]
