[dmarland]

Any suggestions on how to clean the engine without jeapordizing the any parts or electrical equiptment?

 

[ddouglas77]

Use either Gum Out's "Premium Steam Clean" or Gunk's "Engine Bright Gel". Put a plastic bag over your distributor or remove your distributor cap and put sil-glyde around the base of it to create a stickless seal. Most electronics under the hood are splash proof, so just don't spray them head on, it won't hurt if they get splashed.

 

[72 GTV 1750]

carb or brake cleaner ... with a small brush and rags ..... then paint with high. temp paint

 

[Tifosi]

Brake cleaner can damage paint just as effectively as brake fluid.....

 

[alfafan61]

Gunk and the environment

What product is safe to spray on the egine and hose off if used in the driveway?

 

[GuyC]

alfafan,

I would think it is not so much what you use to clean the engine, as the gunk that comes off that I wouldn't want in the driveway.

 

[Alfacliff]

I used a foaming engine cleaner ( many brands, used several) with kitty litter under the car to catch the grease. later went to carb cleaner and a wire brush to finish.
cliff

 

[ghnl]

Some formulas of brake cleaner are not kind to rubber, either.

I have read that Simple Green - if left to sit too long - is not good for aluminum.

Stick with one of the 'engine degreasers' in a spray can. Apply to a warm (but not hot) engine, scrub it in with an old paint brush, re-apply more de-greaser then rinse it off. I put some old cardboard plus newspapers underneath the car to catch the worst of drippings then slide that out (and toss it all in the trash) before hosing off the engine. Carb cleaner can be used on stubborn areas. And WD-40 is useful afterwards - since it is a Water Displacment formula (#40 one presumes).

 

[jdw1222]

72 gt - that looks awesome. Good job man!

 

[Joe Papa Sr]

alfafan,

I would think it is not so much what you use to clean the engine, as the gunk that comes off that I wouldn't want in the driveway.

Right! I agree! (the I agree part was just so I would be able to post, must have a minimum of 10 characters...LOL)

Kinda stupid system, huh?

 

[72 GTV 1750]

72 gt - that looks awesome. Good job man!

THANKS JDW .... HERE A BETTER PICS WITH THE ORIG. EURO AIR BOX

 

[Stan Murray]

If you want your cylinder head acorns to look nice and black, Use gun metal blue on them. The blueing works on steel but won't have any effect on aluminum, so you don't have to worry about getting it on the alluminum, but it does do well on the head washers too.

Pertty engine ya got there!

 

[Favali]

I use Groit's oil cleaner (biodegradable) together with Mothers aluminum cleaner on the aluminum parts and Mother's wax on the painted sections of the engine bay. The hoses get treated with Groit's rubber cleaner. If I can reach it, it gets cleaned, waxed, or something.

I will do this about 2x per month or if I get caught in a rainstorm. Once completed if you keep up with it, it is actually pretty easy.

Soon the valve cover and air intake plenum will get a rubbing but not polished.....Seems to work okay for me and the BB folks who have seen the car always comment on the engine bay. An engine bay is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[paulbinct]

looks beautiful - now I know how nice my S4 can look under the hood!

Is the brake MC painted or was it always that color? Mine is either black or rusted, I do not recall.

 

[Zunige]

Any suggestions on how to clean the engine without jeapordizing the any parts or electrical equiptment?

There have been some excellent suggestions on this thread. Just note that your '85 engine has (or should have) a fair amount of cadmium finished parts, such as the oil cap, radiator cap, hose clamps and various screws. If you use a cleaner that is too harsh, it will strip this finish off.

Best regards,

 

[okiealfaaddict]

I use Simple Green and a pressure washer. Then I rinse well and blow dry with compressed air. Rinsing well is important, because Simple Green "may" be corrosive to aluminum (it's debatable). Works for me and my engines and cylinder heads have no signs of corrosion.

 

[Favali]

looks beautiful - now I know how nice my S4 can look under the hood!

Is the brake MC painted or was it always that color? Mine is either black or rusted, I do not recall.

Paul,
I replaced the MC and overflow bottle about 4 years ago. That is the original color.

I had the water pump and front seal replaced this summer...the seal was the culprit to an oil leak. Now it is time to put the car on ramps and wash the underside of the engine. With rubber gloves and old towels, I spray it with the cleaner, rub what I can reach, and hose it down. I also have a pretty nasty soft brush for scrubbing.

My wife thinks I suffer from high school flashbacks......
Rob
(See you at Limerock next week?)

 

[paulbinct]

What day is the car corral (spelling?) at LRP? Sunday? I might have to go just to see your engine bay! I just bought a bunch of Meguir's products to get the outside of may car buffed up, and now I have to do the engine bay, too!

 

[sjmst]

I use Groit's oil cleaner (biodegradable) together with Mothers aluminum cleaner on the aluminum parts and Mother's wax on the painted sections of the engine bay. The hoses get treated with Groit's rubber cleaner. If I can reach it, it gets cleaned, waxed, or something.

I will do this about 2x per month or if I get caught in a rainstorm. Once completed if you keep up with it, it is actually pretty easy.

Soon the valve cover and air intake plenum will get a rubbing but not polished.....Seems to work okay for me and the BB folks who have seen the car always comment on the engine bay. An engine bay is a terrible thing to waste.

Love the s4 engine bay!

 

[Favali]

What day is the car corral (spelling?) at LRP? Sunday? I might have to go just to see your engine bay! I just bought a bunch of Meguir's products to get the outside of may car buffed up, and now I have to do the engine bay, too!

Monday.....if you do not have a ticket, see the post under Events.

If the rains come, the engine will suffer from a 5 hour ride from Vermont in the rain......what a beating the wet road dirt does to an engine bay. I wanted to remove the wheels and clean the wheel wells and suspension but I will not have time before my ride to CT on Saturday.

Back to the topic, I do not think Griot's products cause havoc with plated or aluminum parts.....and its biodegradable which is good for me as I am 1/2 block off Lake Champlain.