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Thread: Engine bay cleaning tips

  1. #16
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    Guntersville Al.
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    I've been wanting to go to that down town thing ya'll have over there. First Friday.

    It was an honor to have
    my ASS kicked by you!
    Rest In Peace!
    Paul T. Casey

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    South Carolina
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    No matter how much I cleaned my motor the brown and corroded upper intake made it look like crap no matter what. After I sprayed it with high temp silver paint it really made it pop and look clean again. Also stay away from degreasers that leave a white res after its rinsed even
    03 300a. black #1695 of 7839 born 6/20/02.
    Adopted 3/31/11. Sold


    03 300a black #1199
    TERMINATOR SWAP
    430rwhp. Done by mo's

  3. #18
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    essextrash, maryland
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    Slickster, take sand paper to it. mine looked like crap too, and i just did a quick scrub with 200-250 grit sanding block at it cleaned up nice. Still waiting for a time i can polish it like cer0413's!

  4. #19
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    May 2006
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    Seattle, WA
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    5,683
    Subscribing to this thread for future reference
    2003 Trilogy Supercharged Marauder

  5. #20
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    Mar 2013
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    Southwest Florida
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    I gotta do mine soon too. What brand(s) of cleaner are environmentally safe (and effective) so I can do it in my driveway? No, I am not an environmentalist, but we live on a canal and wouldn't want any runoff to get in the canal. The dolphins wouldn't come around anymore, then!

    "RescuRauder", Born on 09/02/2003 & rescued on 04/05/2013. #236 of 3214 and #62 of 1237 in Black. CAI, Some kind of tune, Kooks Headers, X-pipe w/Hi-Flow cats, Magnaflow mufflers, Resonators removed, 4.10's, Metco U&L CA and Watts link, Drilled & slotted rotors, now BOOSTED!! Eaton Swapped 12/29/19!!
    Sold! 1986 Mustang GT Vert, Black, 5spd, new short block, Powerheads, Crower 15511, gears, exhaust etc.

    1968 Ford (Galaxie) XL fastback, 390, factory buckets & auto on floor
    2011 Shelby GT500, Kona Blue with SVT Performance Pkg & Navigation, VMP tuned ~550rwhp/550rwtq. Finally Blown!

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Timbuk3, MI
    Posts
    2,441
    NavySeabee - I use 1/2 Simple Green ...
    Regarding using Simple Green (excerpted from the FAQ at Simple Green's web site) ...
    Aluminum — Is it safe to use Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner on aluminum?

    When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green Industrial Cleaner & Degreaser, and Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green product residues.

    Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.
    Because of the high amount of aluminum components in the engine bay, I opt not to use Simple Green (or any product like it).

    Engine bay cleaning supplies include (though is not limited to) ...
    • various sizes of paint brushes.
    • DAWN dish soap. *Add water to make a cleaning solution.
    • smalll brass wire brush. *To clean-off aluminum oxidation. Follow-up with silicone spray.
    • mineral spirits. *For any stubborn, build-up.
    • lemon Pledge.


  7. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    121
    No (regular) Simple Green on aluminum for me, I've see how it can "cloud" the finish of bare aluminum or areas where the anodizing/clearcoat is compromised. Don't they make a version that's aluminum-friendly, suitable for aviation/etc. applications?

    I try to avoid products that will attract or retain dust and dirt. I like a "dry" type finish that can be easily cleaned during each wash (with just regular carwash shampoo or a rinseless wash like Infinite Use Detail Juice) without the need to redo in a big way all the time.

    For Black Plastic & Rubber-

    Clean with Griot's Rubber Prep
    Seal with Utlima's Tire & Trim Guard Plus
    Maintain with ValuGard's Fast Finish

    Even if you don't have time to do the FastFinish, the Ultima keeps things looking nice for a long, long time.

    If you don't want to bother with the Ultima Sealant, the FastFinish alone is great on most surfaces, but it needs redone after each wash.

    Corroded alternator casings/etc. (what is that finish anyhow? Zinc?) and other lightly corroded bits clean up easily with Wurth's Rost Off and a brass brush. The Rost Off doesn't attract/retain dust and dirt the way I expected it to, it leaves a pretty dry finish. I've also done OK with KRC7 (a product made for bathroom fixtures) but that needs to be rinsed, or at least wiped off.

    sflrainmaker01- You might want to look into citrus-based products like P21s Total Auto Wash. But if it's really nasty, give some thought to the greasy stuff you'll be cleaning off...don't want that being part of the runoff either.

    Sometimes I'll clean off nasty grease with a solvent and rags/paper towels, which I then just throw away. Solvent and a toothbrush can work well too. And the solvent evaporates, so no need to rinse afterwards.

  8. #23
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    Mar 2013
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    Southwest Florida
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    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    sflrainmaker01- You might want to look into citrus-based products like P21s Total Auto Wash. But if it's really nasty, give some thought to the greasy stuff you'll be cleaning off...don't want that being part of the runoff either.

    Sometimes I'll clean off nasty grease with a solvent and rags/paper towels, which I then just throw away. Solvent and a toothbrush can work well too. And the solvent evaporates, so no need to rinse afterwards.
    Luckily, there isn't a lot of grease. It's mostly like everyone else is saying-the aluminum intake and coil covers look like crap. There is also a lot of white "spots", like maybe the previous owner tried to clean it but didn't wash it all off very well.

    "RescuRauder", Born on 09/02/2003 & rescued on 04/05/2013. #236 of 3214 and #62 of 1237 in Black. CAI, Some kind of tune, Kooks Headers, X-pipe w/Hi-Flow cats, Magnaflow mufflers, Resonators removed, 4.10's, Metco U&L CA and Watts link, Drilled & slotted rotors, now BOOSTED!! Eaton Swapped 12/29/19!!
    Sold! 1986 Mustang GT Vert, Black, 5spd, new short block, Powerheads, Crower 15511, gears, exhaust etc.

    1968 Ford (Galaxie) XL fastback, 390, factory buckets & auto on floor
    2011 Shelby GT500, Kona Blue with SVT Performance Pkg & Navigation, VMP tuned ~550rwhp/550rwtq. Finally Blown!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    445
    After i clean i use back to black on the plastics. They look fantastic.

    1983 Hurst / Olds 2016 OCA Nationals Best in Class winner
    1985 Monte Carlo SS
    1970 Buick GS Stage 1
    2003 300A Car #2053
    14.6941 e/t @ 97.53 mph w/ JLT intake & MartyO tune

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    121
    sflrainmaker01- What surfaces have thoser "white spots"? My p71 had them on the all galvanized/zinc(?) plated parts but they cleaned up OK and have stayed that way now that I'm the guy maintaining it

    My upper plenum wasn't all that bad so it cleaned up OK too, I haven't worked on the cylinderheads yet though.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
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    1/2 the time I get water in the spark plug wells. It hits the firewall and runs down the coil wire.
    You may want to remove the coil covers after to check for water.

    I have had good results with 50% simple solution in a spray bottle.
    1/4 Mile Time 11.542 @ 121.19 MPH
    195,000 Miles & 275+ Runs Down the 1,320’
    541.57 RWHP & 476.64 RWTQ on DynoJet
    Tuned by Aric at Injected Engineering
    Vortech Super Charger V-2 “T” Trim, 19 PSI
    8 Rib Belt, Innovators West 10% Overdrive Dampner
    Air to Air Intercooler, Mini-race Bypass
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    Snow Performance Water-Methanol Injection
    Kooks Headers & X Pipe
    GT MAF, 60lb injectors, Dash 8, Aero Rails, Twin Ford GT Pumps,
    Kinsler Fuel Filter, Kenne Bell Boost-A-Pump
    Monroe Sensatrac, Metco Control Arms, Addco Rear Sway Bar
    31 Ford Spline Axles & Detroit Truetrac, 4:10 Ford Racing Gears
    Dynotech MMC Driveshaft
    A-1 Performance Trans, Forced Tailshaft Lube, Carbon Clutches
    3,500 RPM Stall Precision Industries Torque Converter
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    AeroForce Scan Gauges , Auto Meter Oil, Fuel & Boost Gauges
    Kenny Brown Dead Pedal, 35% Tint, Silver Star Head Lights
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