Ok detailing gods, I joined just to seek your wisdom on this - ENGINE BAY FILM

[BlueBavarian]

Alright guys, here's the situation. I'm restoring an 89 E30 M3. I cleaned the engine bay with Detailer's Pro Engine Degreaser. It worked well, but revealed (do not think it caused) a strange film that is all over the plastic pieces of the engine bay.

I can make this film flake off with my fingernails, but i have not found anything that will take it off. I have tried DP Engine Degreaser, Simple Green, Einzett Plastic Deep Cleaner, Brake Cleaner, PB Blaster, Tuff Stuff, even tried wire brushes and 2000 grit sandpaper in combination with these, but stopped when these left scratches). My test piece is the distributor cap cover. If I ruin it I'll just get another.

Filmy


See where i scratched it off with my fingernail on the left


Here's the rest of the engine bay. Its on the intake and valve cover, both of which will be repainted, but i would like to clean it off the other pieces rather than replacing every bit of trim in the engine bay.



I believe the car was owned by someone in the past that thought they understood cars but didn't (given the amount of zip ties and electrical tape I've removed in the restoration). I wouldn't be surprised if they used Armor All or some other low grade cleaning product to try to "shine up" the engine bay, creating this film.

So, what say you? Guide me in the paths of engine detailing.

[brondondolon]

It can be 1 of 2 things. Either its a protective layer BMW put on the plastic way back when or the fool who owned it before sprayed clear coat on all the plastic pieces to prolong the clean look. Either way it looks like old clear coat. For me i wouldnt mess with trying to remove all that as it would take forever. If you spray it with something like megs hyper dressing it will most likely blend in the spots without clear coat. Hope that helps.

If you are really anal about things and want it off no matter what it takes i imagine something like "Jasco" will remove it. However, ive never used it on plastic so that might require some research as its some pretty strong paint remover.

[TurboToys]

that looks like it would be the coating thats on your parts. a lot of cars from that era have that kind of coating.

the trick to getting rid of it is to use a soft scotch brite pad and goof off, put plenty of goof off on it and start working it. removing it may mean you need to re-coat it if the plastic is damage underneath, or find a good dressing that can hide the defects. try it out.


if it really is clear coat, your best bet may be to buy a soda blaster, clean it off, and re-coat

[HUMP DIESEL]

I agree with brondondolon, looks like paint of some sort, possibly a clear coat.

HUMP

[hernandez.art13]

That doesn't look good. Looks like the chemical might have eaten away the plastic.

I find it strange that you are having these problems with a product like Detailers Pro. Since a lot of the stuff is top notch.

I would imagine this would have been the case if you used something harsh like a chemical from Home Depot..., but not a DP product.

Well I'm not a God so I'll just subscribe.

Good luck and hope you can get the help your seeking.

[Mike Phillips]

There has been in the past, products for dressing engines and engine compartments that basically left a clear film over everything.

I know Meguiar's sold a product like this that has since been discontinued. It restored a like new finish, (usually dark and clear appearance), and dried to the touch with a non-sticky finish.

I don't think it left a coating like your pictures shows but it could be there are or were other products like it that did leave an actual clear film all over the place?


Here's the deal, if an engine degreaser isn't remove it you're going to have to try something else.

Safe options would be citrus based options or possibly products intended to remove graffiti?

Maybe try some Mineral Spirits or Lacquer Thinner?

p.s.

I buffed out an M3 for the 2002 Bimmerfest that you can see on the label of SwirlX. The BMW badge and grill were photoshoped out to make the car look more generic but that is the Beemer I buffed out.

[BlueBavarian]

Wow thanks for the quick responses guys! Quite an active group here. Thanks for your thoughts Mike, I've watched your videos an they are very helpful. And thats a great M3! I may be heading to full respray town on mine though. Clearcoat failure on red cars sucks

I think you guys are right. Just found this on Pelican Parts' DIY on painting the intake manifold...

"Now we have to clean and prep the intake manifold. Chances are, there is a yellowish film all over the manifold. This is called Cosmoline. BMW used to ship the cars from Munich with a protective coating all over the cars. This is what the Cosmoline is for. Most dealers used a special solvent to remove all the Cosmoline. Usually they neglected to clean the engine off, leaving the yellowish film. In order to paint the manifold, we will need to clean it off. I’ve found that acetone works best to get all the Cosmoline off. Try to find an acetone that contains xylene, as this is an industrial cleaning agent and will work well to clean off the Cosmoline. Clean every inch of the manifold. We need to create a clean surface so the paint will adhere. Once clean, use some painter’s tape to cover the mating surfaces for the intake runners and also for the throttle body."

Anything you would recommend for cosmoline? Acetone will probably melt the plastic parts.

[Mike Phillips]

or the fool who owned it before sprayed clear coat on all the plastic pieces to prolong the clean look.

For me i wouldnt mess with trying to remove all that as it would take forever.

If you spray it with something like megs hyper dressing it will most likely blend in the spots without clear coat. Hope that helps.

I'd agree with the above....


Ugh... that's a project I wouldn't want to tackle....

[BlueBavarian]

Yeh its going to be easier once i pull the engine to rebuild it. Looked up Mineral Spirits and ABS plastic...looks like they dont like each other.
Chemical Compatibility Database from Cole-Parmer

[brondondolon]

I'm sittinig in my car thinking about this and one thing that just popped up into my head is the previous owner could have used turtle wax black forever black tire spray on it which is pretty much a can of clear coat if you ask me.

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