Engine cleaning

Thinking of giving the engine a good clean today, just wondering what would be good to do it with. Im planning on going to halfords to get it BTW so no fancy stuff.

its a real pain in the ass trust me.....if you want a mint engine bay I would say the only way is to strip it, pull the engine gunk it all and then have the bay sprayed and all the parts taken off cleaned

if your not doing this then I would say a ton of cloths gunk and some brasso for the metal

I use AutoGlym rubber/trim protector on the hoses, come up nice and shiny.

Lots of kitchen towel and cloths, I don't like using degreaser much as it's not nice on your skin. (Wear gloves!).

Autosol for metal bits.

An old toothbrush can be handy.

well i was probably gnna take parts of it off the engine and give it a good clean. Dn't know whether to give the cam and spark plug covers a respray (just in black) and make em look a little cleaner.

Just get the thing steam cleaned, with traffic film remover added to the jet, nothing beats it.

Just get the thing steam cleaned, with traffic film remover added to the jet, nothing beats it.

Anyone local does this Chris?

I do, but we need to get Jane out before I do it, she thinks it environmentally unfriendly. She thinks it blocks the drains, but I put old petrol down them afterwards, to clear them out, so she's wrong.....

but I put old petrol down them afterwards, to clear them out, so she's wrong.....

I do, but we need to get Jane out before I do it, she thinks it environmentally unfriendly. She thinks it blocks the drains, but I put old petrol down them afterwards, to clear them out, so she's wrong.....

PMSL

I'm choking to death on my chips now after reading that out to the office!

Thinking of giving the engine a good clean today, just wondering what would be good to do it with. Im planning on going to halfords to get it BTW so no fancy stuff.

welcome to a whole world of obsessive behaviour lol

Quick check - i thought steam cleaning was frowned on a bit as it can get damp into electrics. any bits need bagging up at all?

m.

Quick check - i thought steam cleaning was frowned on a bit as it can get damp into electrics. any bits need bagging up at all?

 

m.

electrical bits i would imagine

distributor cap, fusebox / ecu etc.etc.

well 5 hours later its looking marvelous. I put my greasy elbos to good use aswell as a load of auto and kitchen degreasing stuff.

10 minutes with a steam cleaner, all modern underbonnet electrics are pretty much sealed even against ham fisted steam cleaner usage, never had a problem with anything none Lucas and post about 1990, done dozens and dozens. I do my own car at least 4 times a year. I hasten to add that "steam clean" is used loosely, I don't advocate true superheated steam cleaning (which few garage "steam cleaners" will achieve anyway), but hot water pressure washing with water around boiling point.

cheers chris!

m.

How much will steam cleaning remove Chris? Will it for instance get rid of oxidisation (the white salt like stuff) off of an engine?