OMG This is Amazing

[scrub]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Here is a photo of the tools we used to clean the engine compartment. Notice the gloves and the safety glasses. The two most important tools.



Mike

Hi Mike,

I've got my first dealership detail coming up. The dealership wants engine cleaning. I haven't doent hat yet. I'm really looking forward to your steps to clean an engine.

Thanks

[Atterspug106gti]

Newbie here - hello all

That bay does look great. Cant wait for the guide too as the English summer lol is almost upon me and I want to get things looking tip top

Whats the availability of these products like in England?

[Stepinfetch]

That before and after picture is amazing! I cannot get these products at a auto store or anything? They look like they have to be ordered.

[cafemoc]

I don't have pressure washer.
When I went to Harbor Freight store, I saw this was on sale. Its Steam Cleaner, 120 volts, 1500 watts, 183.5° Max. temp, 1.5 quart water tank.

It was less than $90, but I am wondering if this type of cheap steamer is worth for detailing job, especially clean engine, clean wheels...etc

I have bought Hyper Dressing and Safe D-Greaser, and ya Hyper Dressing works very well, at first I couldn't believe!

[Buellwinkle]

I wouldn't use a pressure washer on a car engine. Sure it works but consider two things, one, you are probably going to use a caustic degreaser, a high pressure spray will get it on places you don't want like on you or the car's paint, secondly, you may break electronic sensors and components by forcing water into them at high pressure. Consider that on some cars like MB and BMW, an ECU can cost $1,500. My MB dealer does free details when the car is 1 year old and they pressure washed my engine and broke a sensor and the car wouldn't run and took 2 days in the shop to fix it. I'll never let them clean my engine again.

I use my pressure washers only on my dirt bikes.

What works for me, since I don't really want to deal with it at my house. I go to a coin op car wash and stick a few bucks in the machine, set it on engine cleaner and have at it and rinse with their spot free rinse, works pretty good and then I go over the engine with a rag to get the spots I missed. Then I go home and by then the engine is dry, spritz on some hyperdressing and walla, and engine that looks like it should be in a car show. The rest of the car will look like **** from the overspray but that's a good excuse to clay and wax.

I used to soak my engine in a caustic degreaser like Gunk and it works but then were does all those nasty chemicals go when I hose it down the storm drain, can't be good.

[cafemoc]

Originally posted by Buellwinkle
I go to a coin op car wash and stick a few bucks in the machine, set it on engine cleaner and have at it and rinse with their spot free rinse...

I am not familiar with coin op car wash, but what "engine clearner" actually does?
Is that still pressure wash with some cleaner...?
I was impressed with your CR-V engine compartment.

Thanks.

[Buellwinkle]

The coin op car washes are typically a strip of concrete walls about 10' apart that are open front and back. You drive in and there's a wand and a coin box that you put money into and select from about a half dozen choices like rinse, pressure wash, soap, engine cleaner, wheel cleaner, etc. You select what you want and it comes out the nozzle. This appeals mostly to the many people that live in condos/apartments that don't have the luxury of being to go out in front of their homes with a bucket and hose and wash their cars. Heck, you can go over with a bucket of Meguiars carwash and wash your car and use them just to rinse. They are all over but are not in prime retail locations so you have to seek them out. I have my driveway and garage so I'm not their primary customer but two things I do there because I don't want to soil/stain my driveway/street, 1) power wash heavy caked on mud from my dirt bikes, 2) clean engines. The engine cleaner and rinse are not high pressure, about the same as a garden hose and I've never had problems after cleaning a motor and it's $2, so it's cheaper in many cases that buying the chemicals and doing it yourself, afterall, how often do you need to clean the engine compartment. Engine cleaner is just a nasty caustic chemical that strips the grease and grime on a motor so rinse it well. It dries by the time you get home in time to do the Hyperdressing.

BTW, that's the first time I cleaned the engine on that '97 CR-V. Not bad for 8+ years worth of grime.

[cafemoc]

Originally posted by Buellwinkle

BTW, that's the first time I cleaned the engine on that '97 CR-V. Not bad for 8+ years worth of grime.

Not bad? That's understatement, your CR-V looked fantastic, it looked better than new

[Stepinfetch]

One of the problems with my engine compartment is that the paint in there has NO clearcoat and is dulled. If I apply any cleaner or wax the paint starts to come off. What can I do about this?

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

If the paint in the engine compartment is starting to peel or flake off, there is little that can be done except to sand down and re-paint the areas. Sorry.

Tim

[cafemoc]

even mine is just a couple of years old, still paint came off when I clay engine compartment area. I just spray with Safe D-Greaser, then Hyper Dressing after that.
I have another question.
Under the bonnet, there is black material, its paper or some soft of fabric to cut down noise/sound.
How can I clean this material, and make 'em rich dark black?
Mine is somewhat gray, and dirty looking.

[corvetmike]

Cafemoc and myself were going to do a car detail last Saturday and we had a no show so we decided to do the engine compartment on my truck, so it wouldn't be a total loss for the day.

I put tinfoil on the alternator and some other electrical wires with connectors, just to be safe and then I sprayed the entire engine compartment with Safe D Greaser and hit the grimey areas with a brush and other hard to get areas with a tooth brush.

Then we sprayed the engine compartment with a hose and nozzle to rinse off the Safe D Greaser.

Then thourghly sprayed the complete engine compartment with Hyper Dressing. We only spent 30 minutes on it. Not bad for a quickie!!!

Before



After



Hyper Dressing is one amazing product.

[Mike Phillips]

That is an amazing transformation...

[gb387]

corvetmike... Wow that looks great!

[cafemoc]

Truck looks great, corvetmike increase his truck's resale value by at least $1K

Its amasing for 30 minutes job