plugboy

Hi
what the best product to use for cleaning an engine and to make it look brand new? i want me engine to shine and look flawless but it has a ton of crap and dirt in it. Any DIY's or things to check out?

omeletduefromage

spray it down with simple green while the engine is cold. let it sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse it off with a hose. try to avoid power washing because the pressure will put water in places where it shouldnt be. and avoid the fuse box and alternator. there meant to get wet from rain but dont over do it with the water. if some dirt is left then reattack with simple green and a wire brush. after everything is rinsed off and dry. take wd40 to all the rubber and black plastic parts so they look shiny and new. dont use armour all because it makes rubber crack and you dont want a radiator hose to crack on you form armour all

187sks

Don't wire brush anything that's painted.

I use Gunk's Engine Brite to clean/degrease my engine. It works pretty well, but I'm not a perfectionist. I pretty much spray it on, let it sit for as long as it says, then spray it off. If I miss spots I'll touch it up with more Engine Brite and a rag. Engine Brite isn't particularly better than other foaming engine cleaners, it just worked well enough for me that I didn't have to look for another product.

For cleaning/protecting rubber or vinyl parts I suggest 303 Aerospace Protectant. WD40 is petroleum based, which in general is not a good thing to expose rubber parts to long term. I wouldn't worry about getting WD40 on a rubber part, but I wouldn't suggest routinely applying it either.

omeletduefromage

yea i only do the wd40 twice a year. in the spring when its finally warm enough outside to detail my car, and then again right before winter for that i hope my engine stays clean the entire winter cleaning routine. i wouldn't put it on more than that because it can also cause it to crack since it is petroleum based but ive been doing it to all my cars for about 6 years now and haven't had a problem.

Visionz

You could always use silicone spray also on the rubber parts.

omeletduefromage

yea what he said yeahthat.gif