Engine cleaning

dnme

I was thinking of power washing the engine and compartment on the car. I was gonna hose, let degreasant sit for a few minutes and hose again. Is this ok or will it do harm?

wildefalcon

dnme wrote: »

I was thinking of power washing the engine and compartment on the car. I was gonna hose, let degreasant sit for a few minutes and hose again. Is this ok or will it do harm?

It might - powerwashers can disrupt some electronics.

Is it a diesel, petrol, modern, older?

Alternative approach is to use the degreasant and a paintbrush, followed by the hose, at a trickle, over the cleaned part, working downward.

dnme

Its a 1.3l petrol, old - 1998. What if I left her running while I wash?

Spray on AutoGlym degreaser (or similar but I have used the AutoGlym) after spraying electical looking stuff with WD40. Agitate with an old paintbrush and rinse off with a normal hose avoiding the starter and alternator. Allow to dry (run engine) and spray tyre stuff on the plastics (air box etc) and she'll be gorgeous. I have before and after pics of 3 cars I did this to I'll post if you want. Off to the gym now though, so 'twill be later

dnme

RoverJames wrote: »

Spray on AutoGlym degreaser (or similar but I have used the AutoGlym) after spraying electical looking stuff with WD40. Agitate with an old paintbrush and rinse off with a normal hose avoiding the starter and alternator. Allow to dry (run engine) and spray tyre stuff on the plastics (air box etc) and she'll be gorgeous. I have before and after pics of 3 cars I did this to I'll post if you want. Off to the gym now though, so 'twill be later

Post away James

vectra

RoverJames wrote: »

Spray on AutoGlym degreaser (or similar but I have used the AutoGlym) after spraying electical looking stuff with WD40. Agitate with an old paintbrush and rinse off with a normal hose avoiding the starter and alternator. Allow to dry (run engine) and spray tyre stuff on the plastics (air box etc) and she'll be gorgeous. I have before and after pics of 3 cars I did this to I'll post if you want. Off to the gym now though, so 'twill be later

Agree with the method above but instead of using tyre spray ( These can sometimes be sticky messy stuff and attract dust) I use good old WD40 and a wipe down afterwards. Brilliant job

andyseadog

another vote for auto glym engine and machine cleaner here!

here's my thread about it, and a quicky on the bottom about how to work with it.

here's my results pics

before



after

Atlantic Dawn

andyseadog wrote: »

another vote for auto glym engine and machine cleaner here!

Great results, I was going to buy some myself but it put me off the fact that the instructions said to spray it on the engine and then wash it off with water. How did you get on applying it?

doOh

did u clean it with a brush or something ? Or just sprayed stuff w8ed few minutes and then just wash it off ?

andyseadog

i let the engine cool, misted it on very lightly as its very strong stuff. left it sit for a few minutes then worked it in with a small paintbrush, then i just rinsed it off with a garden hose, but im sure a pressure washer would be ok, as long as its not too direct.

i left the car run with the bonnet shut for a half hour or so to dry the engine, then opened it and let it cool again, then dressed the plastics with tyre shine and the painted/ metal surfaces with detailing spray.

only downside is that the dust clings quite badly, but its nothing a quick wipe with a cloth once every week wont sort out

vectra

andyseadog wrote: »

only downside is that the dust clings quite badly, but its nothing a quick wipe with a cloth once every week wont sort out

This is why I use WD40 and a wipe down.. Months later my engine would be still looking good

andyseadog

vectra wrote: »

This is why I use WD40 and a wipe down.. Months later my engine would be still looking good

i havnt tried wd40 on the engine, i must try and see if it helps. does it not leave a greasy/ streaky finish?

i've tried several products in the engine bay and none seemed to work, i thought it may have to do with the open fronted nature of the ZR. in the summer i get flies, in the autumn i get leaves in there all over it

I don't find the tyre foam too sticky but I buff it in too with a damp cloth, forgot to add that

Smelly old L series before and after ........





13 year old Toyota 3S-GE, no before pic unfortunately for this one, also I hadn't done anything to the plastics




.... the ZTs propulsion...



after

Tragedy

Do mine! It looks even worse than your before picture

andyseadog

some nice results james!

doOh

Tragedy wrote: »

Do mine! It looks even worse than your before picture

Your airfilter is gone :P

PS RoverJames how many more cars u own ? lol Great Job

doOh

doOh wrote: »

Your airfilter is gone :P

PS RoverJames how many more cars u own ? lol Great Job

Only have the one Over the last 4 years I've had 8 cars though so at times there would have been two in my name but only one on the road.

-Corkie-

I thought you said you were putting no more pics of the Toyota.. Shes pure class..

dnme

I take it most autoparts shops will stock autoglym?

Matt Simis

I cleaned the S8's engine this week, fairly quick job of it really.

• Had previously WD40'ed and Silicone Greased the electrical connections.
• Let engine run till luke warm
• Removed engine cover plastics and cleaned them with Halfords tyre cleaner.
• A later step in this process is to paint the Intake manifold.. it was caked with gunk and flaky surface so used a small amount of Brake Cleaner (this isnt recommended as its fairly severe on plastics and other parts if let loose).
• Washed the engine itself down with running tap water, then used an Air compressor to blast water and oily crap away. Unlike a power washer Im not blasting water into the engine, just air to displace.
• Let engine run a while to aid the evaporation.
• Painted the intake with High Temperature Silver Spray and left it a few hours.
• Still wasnt bright enough IMO so I painted it again with Aluminium look spray (normal temp, but it doesnt seem to get hot enough to matter).
• Cleaned engine plastics with a High Gloss plastic trim cleaner.
• Put back on engine plastics

Seems like a lot of steps, but as you can clean the plastics as the paint dries, it really wasnt more than a quick tidy.


The Before picture I have from the previous owners forsale photos (crappy way to present something forsale..):


After

-Corkie-

-Corkie- wrote: »

I thought you said you were putting no more pics of the Toyota.. Shes pure class..

Of all the yokes I have had I do miss her, although the cost of susperstrut suspension parts was always a bit of a niggle, and she was lowered a bit too much. Savage yoke though.

Adam

hi lads, newb here, having some cat problems! getting a smell of cat urine from the air in the car, but's it's only coming through when turned to dashboard blowers, not windscreen or footwells. it's an '06 baseline golf, can anyone advise on how to go about cleaning this? not really worried about the appearance of cleanliness so much as getting rid of the smell! thanks in advance!

TestTransmission

Adam wrote: »

hi lads, newb here, having some cat problems! getting a smell of cat urine from the air in the car, but's it's only coming through when turned to dashboard blowers, not windscreen or footwells. it's an '06 baseline golf, can anyone advise on how to go about cleaning this? not really worried about the appearance of cleanliness so much as getting rid of the smell! thanks in advance!

I'd check under your bonnet first for a dead cat.

Adam

oh no it's ok, i've been under the bonnet, there's paw prints on the engine cover. i have cats myself but i'm pretty sure it's a stray that knocks around outside the workplace, little git!

dnme

I envy all those with plastic engine covers. They look great when cleaned. And as for the cat in the engine trick?

Yes I've started a few engines in my time only to hear a thump, smell flesh burning and see a paw or two flying out underneath. What a way to go :eek:

vectra

Dilute some Olbas oil and spray a little into the air vents in front of your windscreen and also along the underside of the front of the car, also into the grill etc.. that will clear your air and clear off the cats as they detest the stuff

Adam

vectra wrote: »

Dilute some Olbas oil and spray a little into the air vents in front of your windscreen and also along the underside of the front of the car, also into the grill etc.. that will clear your air and clear off the cats as they detest the stuff

cheers, i knew there was something like that i just didnt know what it was called! any idea where i might find it?

vectra

Adam wrote: »

cheers, i knew there was something like that i just didnt know what it was called! any idea where i might find it?

Chemist or good supermarket like centra or s/v