How to detail a car engine

[quamen]

Hello to all you fellow s10 owners out there. I dont know if many of you know me, but i own a small Mobile Auto Detailing company, Called Rich's Mobile Auto Detailing. I will post some articles for you guys to read so you can make your s10 look as good as possible.

This article is for engine detailing. Detailing your engine is much easier than many think, and can save you alot of money by not having to pay somone to do this service. Typically, a mobile detailer like myself can detail a engine in about 15 minutes or so, and get 50 dollars or more, not bad hey?

Anyways, dont be afraid, just read and and follow these steps to a smoother running and easier to work on engine. I will post a pic of my engine in a few weeks as my business is going to open due to nice weather coming in.


1. Pop hood, and take a plastic bag and cover your fuse box and alternator. Use a plastic sandwich bag and tie it with a rubber band of some sort, also cover your distributer if you have one Now take wd40, yes wd40 and spray it all over the engine, especially on the spark wires. What this does, it puts a thin but protective coating on the engine peices. This can help aid in making your vehicle kick over easily. .

2. Most important, is to keep your fenders wet and have a good layer of soap suds on there. This is because some chemicals used are so strong that they can cause your paint much harm, as in peeling of the paint, permanent streaking etc!! Some chemicals are so strong as well, they can cause injury to yourself as well.

3. I like to have good eye sight, dont you? Dont feel dumb putting on some goggles, just do it to protect your vision.



4. Spray your favorite degreaser on the engine to break down some of that grease. Grease lightenings orange blast, is a great product to use.

5. Wait about 5 mintues, and you can take a scrub brush if you like and just cover over some spots that you noticed that had a heavy grease build up.

6. Spray engine down with a good blast of water, BUT DO NOT SPRAY THE LINING UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THIS WILL FALL DOWN ON YOU! JUST SPRAY THE ENGINE DOWN ONLY!!

7. Take a look at your results. Not happy, repeat steps 4-6.

8. After your happy with how the engine looks, remove bags and let the engine run dry and then towel dry the under neath painted areas.

9. Dress then engine pieces such as, hoses, plastic coverings etc.

10. I would reccomend now, even if you are not washing the whole car, is to wash the fenders and rinse VERY WELL. Some of those degreasers used are not for paint, and can hurt your paint.

11. Your all done, took less then 30 mintues, and your engine looks like new!! Meguiars makes a great product, Engine Kote, it dose a nice job on the engine peices.


It is late right now, but i think i covered everything. This process is very very easy, but any questions feel free to give me a call or email

Rich's Mobile Auto Detailing
570-806-2019
richsmad@yahoo.com

[Got-20z]

cool info man... that could make a good sticky

[isofilez]

thanks for sharing.

[low_eskimo]

whats a good way to clean up and brighten porus aluminum pieces that may have become discolored with age such as AC pumps, alternators and intake manifolds?

[quamen]

There are many aluminum polishes on the market today that work great. You know there working great when a black substance is formed after the rubbing of the product. Mother alumium polish, meguiars, eagle one and more. You can use a terry cloth that will give you a little bite for the product to work. These areas can be tricky I guess due to the locations if there deep in the engine or whatever, but good luck. On s10s thought, shouldnt be hard everything that you mentioned is pretty much in reach.

[quamen]

Oh yeah i think i forgot to mention this. It is better to just apply the dressing to the plastic peices with a cloth or spraying it evenly and lightly on the hoses etc. Sometime people spray it all over and this can play havoic on somes sensors. This happens when people try to spray it on peices the sprayer cant reach and it ends up everywhere. Many pros like to use dressing that is in a aresol can due to the fact you can get everywhere with minimal waste and mess.

[XchaosX]

ok i got a ? it's not about the engine compartment but when my truck got painted they didn't cover my x wheels up the greatest and i got some over spray on them this stuff has been on there for about 1.5 yrs anything you can suggest also yellow road paint on my white paint anything foe that besides wet sanding and posibly reclear coating

[quamen]

They did the same crap to me about my wheels on my truck when I had the chrome. They got paint on my wheels and I also have a white x. What I did was actually clayed bar the wheels, polished and waxed them which turned out great. As in overspray removal for the body itself, it is very hard to say not by seeing it, how much you have to do or the quickest step. But since you dont want to wet sand that is extreme cases only,last resort do the below and you should be good.

Do this and I bet it will come out, but it will take time, but I almost guarentee results. Clay bar the area, follow it with a product called Klasse All In One, http://www.properautocare.com/wax.html
then follow with wax.

Also remember that goo off stuff, that works great in removing overspray. clay bar, use goo off and then polish and wax. It will take elbow grease,but it will save you 400 bucks from a shop doing it. IT can easily be taken off with patience. Good luck. ANy more questions feel free.

So 2 alternate steps.

1. Clay bar
2. Goo off
3. Polish
4. Wax

1. Clay bar
2. Klasse AIO
3. Wax

Try the first step first since you can get those things locally, also AIO is very tricking in applying it thin enough and wiping it off without streaking. Good luck

Rich's Mobile Auto Detailing
570-807-2019
"We Come To You"

[XchaosX]

thanks for the info i'll give that a shot

[bryan11joseph]

yeah, thanks man - i might have to try that

[digital_xtreme]

Wow everything under my hood looks brand new... it looks like it did when i first bought it. What i did was wipe all the dirt and crap off that i saw and then sprayed everything with WD-40. I made sure i didn't get it on the belt or pullies or in the alternator.. but i sprayed all my wires and tubes and they look brand new. Anything i couldn't reach or didn't want to clean off i just sprayed with it and WD-40 left it shiny and clean.

I used to clean and shine up my goped that i used to own with WD40 so that the dirt and crap would come off and it would be left with a shinny finish but ever since this thread gave me the idea to use it under my hood i'm glad i did this.

[BLAZ1N]

im a mobile detailer also

i usually leave the engine running while spraying

and i dont cover anything but the alt and the air filter if its not in a box (like mine)

Waxworks Inc.
Atlanta, GA
770-312-1058
"The car wash on wheels"


hey, you did it