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engine cleaning

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Hey guys, im a novice when it comes to mechanics and cars. Ive seen a few rados with spanklingly clean engines, what would be the best route for me to achieve a similar result. I was thinking a wire brush and some type of acid or solvent cleaner?? I wanted the samco hoses at first but thought there would be no point if the enginge itself was all greasy, so here i am. Any suggestions???

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time, effort, busted nuckles and an obsessive personality :D

 

you can simply jet wash, but can put loads of water in the electrical connections, wont get it shiny either

 

the best way is to strip it out completely! failing that do it bit by bit, a couple of sizes of wire brushes, some solvent based cleaner for metal bits, soapy water for plastic and rubber bits

 

if your doing it in the bay then be prepared for a bad back :(

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OK gunk it is then. Would be ideal to take the engine out and do it professionally.....but im not a professional :lol: so here goes. Cheers guys

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Would be ideal to take the engine out and do it professionally.....

But you can take out all sorts of other bits, airbox, battery, washer bottle which will give you more access to body work to clean.. unless you really do mean to only clean the engine itself.

 

Also attacking it from underneath and taking the bumper off will give you lots more places to get stuck into :nuts:

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Thats a good point, would defo make sense to take out the "easy" bits, but i think im scared in case i screw something else up

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I gave mines a quicky clean today using auto glym engine cleaner. I'll post the before and after pics in the morn. It's a good product 8)

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Ive had a look into a few products, im not sure if they all work in the same way, but im not sure if spraying the engine down with water is a good idea, do all these products work in the same way?

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Thats a good point, would defo make sense to take out the "easy" bits, but i think im scared in case i screw something else up

 

just take your time, do a wee sketch of the bits you remove and lable connectors up so you know what goes where.

 

sooner you start getting your hands dirty the better :D

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Autoglym engine & machine cleaner gets my vote....simple to use,no mess,no water needed,just spray on wipe off with cloth or use a brush for the more awkward parts.

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dont stress to much about getting the bay wet , theyre made to withstand driving through puddles and its good to rinse off any road salt thats got in there

 

cover the dizzy and ecu , and dont direct water onto anything electrical

 

take lots of pics if you are worried about putting it together , it does help alot taking stuff like the airbox , battery and washer bottle out

 

i find it best to use a combination of cleaners , what one misses the other one gets , then some poundshop carb cleaner and a toothbrush on any grimey elec connectors

 

once its done , wd40 all the elec connectors and grease the bonnet catch , cable and thrott linkage etc

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Autoglym cleaner followed by vinyl protector every time. Hosing Gunk off once gave me a dry bearing in an alternator. Stinks, too!

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Well here goes guys, suns out might tcut the body 1st, but im hoping to get somewhere with engine this weekend, ill try and get some pics up when done

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Argh.. don't use T-Cut..

 

Get Autoglym Super Resin Polish - it does wonders on red Corrado's! Follow it up with their Super Gloss Protection and then a coating of wax of your choice :)

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Why not t-cut?? The driver side and roof was badly faded, completely different colour to the rest of the car. Oh btw i did t-cut and the bloke in halfords recommended auto glym resin polish. Did the most amazing job :clap: . Do you think it would further make a difference if i buffed it with super gloss too??

 

I couldnt get hold of the meguirs but they had some auto glym engine cleaner, it does say to hose off excess, is this really necessary, im totally trying to avoid water!!

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Why not t-cut?? The driver side and roof was badly faded, completely different colour to the rest of the car. Oh btw i did t-cut and the bloke in halfords recommended auto glym resin polish. Did the most amazing job :clap: . Do you think it would further make a difference if i buffed it with super gloss too??

 

I couldnt get hold of the meguirs but they had some auto glym engine cleaner, it does say to hose off excess, is this really necessary, im totally trying to avoid water!!

 

To be honest i wouldnt listen to what someone who works in Halfords has to say. I'd go for something less abrasive first off, like Jim said. Then if that doesnt work, try a cutting compound after - but always as a last resort :D

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That was the theory I had, start with something less abrasive, originally i was going to get it mopped professionally, but thought lets give good ol t-cut a go and to be honest its done the trick....for now anyway. I did try and seal it with some super resin polish..would that be enough or should i add another product?

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Autoglym engine & machine cleaner is what you need.....no need to hose off just use a paint brush to agitate in and use a cloth to wipe off....easy peasy japaneasy.

most if not virtually all will agree that hosing the engine bay down with water is a massive no no even when the electrics have been covered up. junk is a terrible stinky/messy product that wants chucking in the nearest bin. so get some sun on your back this fine bank holiday and go for a mega clean engine bay.

 

and p.s as said before don't listen to anyone in halfords....there only a quarter of a step up from macdonalds staff.......do you want t-cut with that ?

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Oh well i suppose the damage is done now. I might just add some high gloss polish to it soon. I must say this has to be the best condition ive seen my car in, just couldnt stop looking at it, the red was even deeper and shinier. But back to the main point AG engine cleaner it is, im on the case first thing.

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This is the result of 15 mins using autoglym engine and machine cleaner and a dish brush from poundstretcher. It doesn't look like much, but before this the whole area was completely black with grime and engine oil from the rocker gasket leaking. There was even puddles of oil!

 

after1.jpg

 

I gave this area a rinse with water afterwards but kept the hose low down and the engine started fine. The rocker cover and inlet manifold were done in the bath, much to my wifes delight! :lol:

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Well im off to try it im using the same auto glym but im going to try not to use water and see how that goes, wish me luck

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