| Engine Cleaning Tips |
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Here is how to clean your engine compartment well.
Prep work:
- Disconnect the battery cables
- Next, take some aluminum foil, it is a great tool for wrapping things.
- Remove your air intake hose, and close off the now open throttle body with foil, and tape it there with duct tape.
- Wrap the distributor with it, and the alternator (this is why we disconnect the battery...aluminum foil and hot wires do not mix).
- Also, close off the air cleaner housing, where the intake hose was connected.
NOTE: If you have any openings on the engine(aftermarket breathers, things like that) close them off too.
Cleaning:
Now, I REALLY like Castrol Super Clean, it is awesome stuff...My dad's Grand Am, with the 2.5 that leaked oil like the Exxon Valdeez theu the valve cover for 150,000+++ miles came clean to bare iron with it with no scrubbing at all. And unlike Gunk, it leaves no residue behind. Spray the stuff everywhere.
- Really soak the engine down with it.
- Wait about 5-10 minutes, and then use the garden hose with a nozzle for the highest pressure it can give you.
- Hose things off, avioding directly spraying any exposed
electrivcal/electronix stuff. Some water on them is OK, after all, ifyou drive the car in rain, they get wet anyway, so they canhandle it
Try to avoid pressure washing them though.
- Keep hosing until it is clean and shiney. Chances are, painted engine surfaces that were covered in crud are going to look brand new, or bare meteal anyway, as the oil and crud over the years has probably loosened even the paint from the engine.
- You may have to spray more Super clean in really tough areas, but I doubt it.
- Let it dry for a little while, remove the foil, reinstall the air intake hose(which you have also cleaned by hand by now..main reason for removing it was to clean under it),
- Reconnect the battery and change your oil after this, just in case some got into the engine.
After a quick drive the engine should now be dry and look very clean. Pick up some engine paints, disconnect the battery again, and mold some more foil to cover things you do not want to paint(easier than paper to use for this!) and start detailing away.
In a few hours you could have an engine compartment that looks better than the day Ford delivered the car to the dealership...
v8thunder
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