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How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
*Note* DP has been replaced with McKee's 37.
One of the most overlooked aspects of car care and detailing is our engine bay. Why? Because when you polish paint, there is no fear of damaging a $283 sensor or having water go into your intake, causing potential engine failure. Take a second and think back to the first time you started researching paint correction and the proper steps necessary to ensure success. At first, the thought of touching your precious paint with a power tool made you cringe, until you learned that, like anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way of doing things. Fast forward to present time and try to imagine going without your Flex XC3401 or Porter Cable 7424xp and picture all the swirls, water spots and scratches that you previously ignored until you discovered a machine polisher. Now if that doesn't make you cringe, nothing will.
Step outside for a minute, pop the hood on your engine bay and take a look at what you see. Unless you're one of the few that details their engine bay on a regular basis, what you're going to see is dirt, grease, and more dirt. At this point you're probably asking yourself..."How have I neglected to clean my engine all this time?!" And the answer is simple: you didn't know how. With this guide and a little help from one my favorite product lines - Detailer's Pro Series - you'll be on the fast track to an engine bay that's as clean as your BBS wheels that you meticulously detail after every wash.
Overview
This is what your typical engine looks like on a daily driver. There is literally years upon years of built up dirt and grease.
*Warning: These pictures are not for the faint of heart.*
Looks pretty nasty, right? Let's dig a little deeper and zoom in.
What to be aware of
Modern engines are complicated machines that are monitored by various computers all ran through a complex electrical system. While most of these components can safely get wet, you want to err on the side of caution and cover them up when detailing an engine.
Components to cover up on a modern car:
- Alternator
- Intercooler
- Coil Packs
- Electronic Control Unit (ECU)
- On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) Port
- Air Intake Systems (Exposed)
- HID Ballasts (Headlights)
- Alarm Housing
- Electircal Plugs
Now if you look at the above list and go "HUH?!" Don't worry! You don't have to be an ASE certified mechanic to safely detail an engine. You can pretty much narrow that list down to three key things:
- Alternator
- Air Intake Systems (Exposed)
- Electrical Plugs
To make it simple, an alternator is the heart of your vehicle's electrical system. On most vehicles this is a very expensive component to replace. The alternator is generally easy to locate and regardless of the vehicle, they all look the same.
*Photo courtesy of HowStuffWorks "Auto"*
The air intake, as the name implies, is how the engine breathes. Air goes through a filter and is fed into the engine. Most new vehicles have an air intake system that's not exposed. If your vehicle has an aftermarket air intake system, it will be exposed. If your air intake is exposed, simply cover it up with a grocery bag. You do not want water going into your air intake when you detail your engine.
And the last thing to look out for are electrical plugs. A modern engine is filled with dozens of electrical plugs that run various sensors. Below are two very dirty examples of what an electrical plug looks like.
Covering up the important stuff
An effective means of covering electrical plugs is with saran wrap and masking tape where needed. This will ensure no unwanted components will get wet when you detail an engine.
It's better to spend a couple extra minutes doing it the right way. It doesn't have to look pretty for photographic reasons.
To cover major electrical components when detailing an engine, aluminum foil works best. Aluminum foil is easy to work with and although it doesn't create a watertight seal, it still protects components from getting wet. When you're cleaning an engine, you'll be using a gentle stream of water, not a full blast. The components aren't getting dunked in pool so they don't have to have a watertight seal.
Alternator covered with aluminum foil. Remember, when detailing an engine, you don't want the alternator to get wet.
To play it safe, you should also wrap the dipstick with masking tape or saran wrap when detailing an engine.
Getting started
First and foremost: Never detail a hot engine. Once the necessary components are covered up, it's time to get started! Start by spraying a low-pressure stream of water all over the engine. You do not want to spray a high-pressure stream of water when detailing an engine. The goal with the initial rinse is to remove loose dirt and grease.
The Good Stuff - Doing it right the first time
If you've read any of my previous how-to articles, then you already know I'm an advocate of working smart, and not hard. When it comes time to cleaning anything with dirt, grease or grime, I like to use a product that's strong enough to clean effectively, but I also don't want to use a product that has a harsh chemical smell. The obvious cleaner of choice for this how-to article was Detailer's Engine Degreaser.
Detailer's Engine Degreaser doesn't overwhelm your senses with a harsh chemical smell, but at the same time it has the power to cut through grease and grime without a struggle. Its formula is VOC compliant and biodegradable. What sets Detailer's Engine Degreaser apart from other degreasers is the fact that its formula doesn't contain any butyl ethers or acidic detergents, which means its safe on rubber, plastic, clear coated and painted surfaces.
Simply spray Detailer's Engine Degreaser on every dirty surface in the engine bay, let it dwell for a couple minutes, and then start cleaning!
The brush of choice for the majority of the cleaning was the Mothers Wheel Brush. Don't let the name of this brush fool you because it can clean anything. It features bristles that are tightly packed together and a soft, ergonomic rubber handle. For around $7, you simply can't beat it.
To clean the nooks and crannies, I once again relied on Mothers. The Mothers Detail Brush features feathered nylon bristles attached to a soft, ergonomic rubber handle. As an added bonus, the brush features a rubber tip which works great for removing dried on wax out of seams. This brush is a must-have for engine detailing.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Some areas of your engine bay will require a miracle brush, and like every other aspect of car care and detailing, Autogeek has you covered. The miracle brush for engine detailing is the Daytona Speed Master Jr. With its soft, 2 inch bristles and flexible stem, the Daytona Speed Master Jr. has the ability to clean parts of an engine that no other brush could.
Part of engine detailing, or any aspect of automotive detailing in general, is the details. No small detail should be overlooked in a detail. To ensure every square inch of this engine was squeaky clean, I used Lake Country's Detail Sticks. If you find yourself looking at your engine bay, scratching your head while wondering how the heck you're going to get it spotless, pick up a set of Lake Country Detailing Sticks and wonder no more.
Once you're finished with the cleaning process, spray a low-pressure stream of water in the engine compartment. Another aspect of Detailer's Engine Degreaser that makes it so good is the fact that it rinses freely. When detailing an engine, you don't want any cleaner or residue left behind.
Drying
After a thorough rinse, you can either dry the engine with a towel, which is time consuming, or you can use what I refer to as "my little friend." That little friend is the Metro Blaster Sidekick and don't let its size fool you, this little thing packs quite a punch. The Blaster Sidekick, like other vacuums and blowers manufactured by Metro, features a quality, all-steel construction. The motor inside the Blaster Sidekick has a peak HP of 1.3 which is enough to blast out an air volume of 160mph/85CFM. Best part about the Blaster Sidekick? It's made in USA!
Dressing the engine bay
Once the engine is clean and dry, it's time to beautify and protect all the plastic, rubber and vinyl surfaces. My product of choice for dressing up an engine bay is Detailer's Trim Detailer. This is one of the newest products in the Detailer's line of car care products and it's fantastic. This aerosol-based polymer spray evenly coats all plastic, rubber and vinyl surfaces leaving a low-gloss, like-new finish. If a little over spray occurs on bare metal or painted components, it won't cause any harm. Detailer's Trim Detailer dries to the touch and it will not attract dirt or dust like oil-based dressings.
To ensure even application on components that have ribs, simply spray Detailer's Trim Detailer on a clean, dry microfiber towel and work it in to the desired surface. Remember that no small detail should be overlooked when detailing an engine.
The finished product
Check out the before and after!
And again.
Now that you have the knowledge to detail your engine like a professional, all you need is the products and a sunny Sunday afternoon. From here on out, there should no longer be any dirty engine bays on AutogeekOnline.net. :dblthumb2:
Featured products
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Nice work Nick and excellent write-up.
:xyxthumbs:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Fantastic write up Nick, thanks!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Wow, that was great! Thanks Nick. For me, the hardest part is getting the right tools to reach all the nooks and crannies inside the engine bay. I forgot about the mini Daytona speed detail brush. I have the large speed brush and it's great for wheels. I've added the small brush to my car (waiting for the CarPro wash mitt to come back in stock to order).
I have to grin a little, I have an electric car so there's no grime, oil, alternator, air intake, etc. But it won't be pretty if I short out the 24KWh battery!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Nice Nick. How long did it take you?
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Wonderfull job there. :)
Extra Tip:
Once your car starts to get dusty and gunky again just spray some foaming tire cleaner like notouch tire cleaner let sit and rinse away. Should leave the engine shiny as well if not some quick detailer ir trim proctectanr should do the work. Always rememver not to give full blast of water and to cover tjoes areas Nick mentioned. Enjoy. :-)
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quick question:
What do you do when you have a Heat Shield under the hood? Some shields are made of some sort of dense foam, very rough to touch and it easily absorb oil and gunk over the years... Any tips on cleaning those?
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Awesome write-up. Just a quick question (2 really), do you not need to cover the battery and protect it from water? Second, for some reason I envision the alternator as being directly connected to the battery, so this isn't the case and foil on it won't give you a big jolt?
I'll definitely be using this as a guide next time I clean my Jeep's engine bay. It was dirtier than the one in your example after just one day of off-roading on a dusty trail with 20 other Jeeps lol. It didn't have the grease/baked on grime, but was full of dust/dirt EVERYWHERE.
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Great write up Nick. How long did that job take?
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Great write-up as always Nick. Thanks for sharing this because i've been wanting to detail my engine, but like you said I was scared to tackle it. :dblthumb2:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
This is the True way of doing a Pro-Detail job / Nice pict. great work!!
I use the help of my Portable Air Compressor, my Detail Spray Gun / my Dressing of choice. And it does a great job also.
I have use the Spray can from Pig-Spit / Great results also
Good info man!!!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Wow Nick, very informative and thought-out write up, very impressive. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day and posting this. The before and after is amazing, how long did it take you? Again, great write up!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Who's nasty Colorado is that? What a nice turn around Nick. CD2 works good under the hood to.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Nice writeup Nick! :dblthumb2:
Who was washing their BMW next to you?
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Excellent write up.
I would like to add a few things. First, a clean engine compartment is actually better for overall long term reliability. When an engine gets really dirty, leaking fluids, dirt etc get in places they shouldn't, this is when things start going bad. So keeping an engine bay clean is not only good for looks, but a good preventative maintenance step as well. Its also much easier to determine (if there is a leak of some sort) where its coming from if everything is generally clean.
Some engine cleaning products actually recommend using them on a warm engine. Not hot but warm. Read the directions. I kinda prefer warm myself because it helps dry the engine quicker and evaporate the rinse water before it can get into places it doesnt need to go.
On my cars, I like to wipe down anything I can reach in the engine compartment with a wet rag relatively regularly, and then dress some of the rubber and plastics. This helps keep it clean, and minimizes the need to do a deep cleaning like Nick described.
One last point, Nick did mention ignition coils, which on most new cars today are on the top of the spark plug tubes. In general, its probably best to try to keep water out of that valley where spark plug wires go in, or the coils sit as well.
It was a great write up.
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Warm/hot engine leaves water spots ur betterboff on cool engine.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek
Nice work Nick and excellent write-up.
:xyxthumbs:
Thanks for providing me with a couple key points on what's important to cover up. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bunky
Nice Nick. How long did it take you?
I'd say about 1.5 hours total. If I wasn't taking pictures I could have probably done it in 1 hour.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bmwgalore
Quick question:
What do you do when you have a Heat Shield under the hood? Some shields are made of some sort of dense foam, very rough to touch and it easily absorb oil and gunk over the years... Any tips on cleaning those?
I'm not familiar with that type of heat shield. Post a couple pictures if you could and we'll go from there. :props:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
flyinion
Awesome write-up. Just a quick question (2 really), do you not need to cover the battery and protect it from water? Second, for some reason I envision the alternator as being directly connected to the battery, so this isn't the case and foil on it won't give you a big jolt?
I'll definitely be using this as a guide next time I clean my Jeep's engine bay. It was dirtier than the one in your example after just one day of off-roading on a dusty trail with 20 other Jeeps lol. It didn't have the grease/baked on grime, but was full of dust/dirt EVERYWHERE.
It's not a bad idea to cover the battery, but I don't think it's necessary. Modern engines and their components are designed to safely get wet, and that includes the battery. It's not a bad idea to remove the battery altogether, that way there is no chance of electric shock or damaging any component directly connected to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
D~ralliart
Great write-up as always Nick. Thanks for sharing this because i've been wanting to detail my engine, but like you said I was scared to tackle it. :dblthumb2:
Be sure to post pictures once you detail your engine. :dblthumb2:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CieraSL
Nice writeup Nick! :dblthumb2:
Who was washing their BMW next to you?
That was Yancy. :buffing:
I'd also like to extend a thank you to everyone that has provided their own tips and tricks in this thread so far. Keep 'em coming! :righton:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Nick,
Very nice write up! One question...
I have a Master Blaster. If only one motor is turned on, is it safe to use for drying the engine bay?
Thanks,
Dan.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BookemDano
Nick,
Very nice write up! One question...
I have a Master Blaster. If only one motor is turned on, is it safe to use for drying the engine bay?
Thanks,
Dan.
Yes, I use it all the time to dry the motors and blow out the water on the coils and sensors. Its super important.
Also, I have found that my Tornadror filled with some super dressing works wonders in getting in all the nooks and crannies. There is nothing better than a clean engine and its the type of thing that customers don't realize how good it can look until its done.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Hey Nick, have you tried PERL as an engine dressing? Stuff looks amazing.
Great write up as well.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ted S.
Hey Nick, have you tried PERL as an engine dressing? Stuff looks amazing.
Great write up as well.
I have actually, and it does work great. I prefer an aerosol-based dressing for engine bays especially because it allows me to make sure no plastic, rubber or vinyl surface goes untreated. :dblthumb2:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Good writeup and great looking engine now!
I will say though that I wouldn't really recommend foil to cover the alternator. There is a stud on the back side of an alternator that a positive wire bolts to and is directly connected to the positive side of the battery so it is always energized, even with the key out of the ignition, unless the battery itself is disconnected or removed. This stud does have a black rubber boot in it to protect it from being shorted out and should be perfectly fine on newer cars, but I have seen many older cars that this boot has deteriorated to the point of falling off or the stud poking through it and even people just removing it all together when they replace an alternator as they think it is just a stupid extra part. I think that if you want to cover the alternator up then you should use plastic wrap or a shopping bag just to be safe.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
crash93ssei
Good writeup and great looking engine now!
I will say though that I wouldn't really recommend foil to cover the alternator. There is a stud on the back side of an alternator that a positive wire bolts to and is directly connected to the positive side of the battery so it is always energized, even with the key out of the ignition, unless the battery itself is disconnected or removed. This stud does have a black rubber boot in it to protect it from being shorted out and should be perfectly fine on newer cars, but I have seen many older cars that this boot has deteriorated to the point of falling off or the stud poking through it and even people just removing it all together when they replace an alternator as they think it is just a stupid extra part. I think that if you want to cover the alternator up then you should use plastic wrap or a shopping bag just to be safe.
Great point! If you're unsure about exposed components in your engine bay, it's better to play it safe and do some research first. I was familiar with the location of said components in the Canyon and I felt comfortable using aluminum foil. If you're not familiar with your vehicle's mechanical and electrical components, it's a great idea to find someone with the same vehicle to see if they have any tips on the location of sensitive components. That's where forums come in handy. :)
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Great write-up, and best of all I learned of a new "tool" (those lake country detail sticks).
Here's my engine on my (original owner) 12 year old truck (though I cheated a bit and have always kept it this clean)
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...e1-2250005.jpg
One advantage of always keeping it clean is all the bright metal retains its brightness, whereas if you neglect it and clean it after a decade of grime has been sitting, even though it's clean it just doesn't have that original brightness.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Beautiful engine bay SR99! And it's 12 yrs old? Wow, looks better than new! One of the nice things about a truck is more room to work in..
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Excellent write up. Now I want the side kick! Great :laughing:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mobile detail
Yes, I use it all the time to dry the motors and blow out the water on the coils and sensors. Its super important.
Also, I have found that my Tornadror filled with some super dressing works wonders in getting in all the nooks and crannies. There is nothing better than a clean engine and its the type of thing that customers don't realize how good it can look until its done.
Thanks. That's good to know.
Regards,
Dan.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Alex22
Warm/hot engine leaves water spots ur betterboff on cool engine.
I have to somewhat agree with Jaretr1, especially if you're cleaning a heavily soiled engine like the diesels I am always working on, not just road grime.... Oils and Fuels are much easier to remove from engine surfaces when the engine is warm. I've always pulled my plugs apart and put a dab of dielectric grease on the seal and the socket just to keep water ect ect out. I got some work to do to make mine look like SR99's though.... Mine is clean but DAMN :dblthumb2:
NICE Writeup Nick !!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
flyinion
Second, for some reason I envision the alternator as being directly connected to the battery, so this isn't the case and foil on it won't give you a big jolt?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
crash93ssei
I will say though that I wouldn't really recommend foil to cover the alternator. There is a stud on the back side of an alternator that a positive wire bolts to and is directly connected to the positive side of the battery so it is always energized, even with the key out of the ignition, unless the battery itself is disconnected or removed.
This stud does have a black rubber boot in it to protect it from being shorted out and should be perfectly fine on newer cars, but I have seen many older cars that this boot has deteriorated to the point of falling off or the stud poking through it and even people just removing it all together when they replace an alternator as they think it is just a stupid extra part.
I think that if you want to cover the alternator up then you should use plastic wrap or a shopping bag just to be safe.
The shopping bag is a good tip and a great way to get more use out of all the plastic shopping bags that tend to accumulate over time.
I also use these to cover up side mirrors so you don't fill the inside of the mirror housing up with water that will then drip the rest of the time you're detailing the car. Simply cover the mirror housing before washing and then use a spray detailer to actually clean the exterior of the housing and a glass cleaner on the mirror.
See this article,
The lowly plastic bag tip
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...icBagTip05.jpg
The idea or practice behind using plastic wrap and tinfoil is you always FIRST cover the component with the plastic wrap, that's the "waterproofing" portion of protecting components.
After wrapping anything you want to protect with plastic wrap then you can use tape and/or tinfoil around the plastic to help secure the plastic in place.
I've never just used tinfoil and don't teach this in any of my classes, it's always plastic wrap first and then tape or tape and tinfoil over the plastic.
And you're right about older cars, if they did have the protective rubber cap over the stud and wire on the back they are often missing or punctured and this would cause a short problem to put a conductive tin foil cover over the alternator by itself.
Another tip...
Don't disconnect the battery in a customer's car without first getting permission as you risk losing anything saved in any type of memory device, for example station pre-sets in the stereo at a minimum.
When in doubt about any car engine and what should be protected, check out this article,
Engine Detailing
How to use a Discussion Forum to Detail an Engine
:)
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek
The shopping bag is a good tip and a great way to get more use out of all the plastic shopping bags that tend to accumulate over time.
I also use these to cover up side mirrors so you don't fill the inside of the mirror housing up with water that will then drip the rest of the time you're detailing the car. Simply cover the mirror housing before washing and then use a spray detailer to actually clean the exterior of the housing and a glass cleaner on the mirror.
See this article,
The lowly plastic bag tip
http://www.autogeekonline.net/galler...icBagTip05.jpg
The idea or practice behind using plastic wrap and tinfoil is you always
FIRST cover the component with the plastic wrap, that's the "waterproofing" portion of protecting components.
After wrapping anything you want to protect with plastic wrap then you can use tape and/or tinfoil around the plastic to help secure the plastic in place.
I've never just used tinfoil and don't teach this in any of my classes, it's always plastic wrap first and then tape or tape and tinfoil over the plastic.
And you're right about older cars, if they did have the protective rubber cap over the stud and wire on the back they are often missing or punctured and this would cause a short problem to put a conductive tin foil cover over the alternator by itself.
Another tip...
Don't disconnect the battery in a customer's car without first getting permission as you risk losing anything saved in any type of memory device, for example station pre-sets in the stereo
at a minimum.
When in doubt about any car engine and what should be protected, check out this article,
Engine Detailing
How to use a Discussion Forum to Detail an Engine
:)
Great tips Mike. :dblthumb2:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
shoeless89
Great work Nick!
Gracias! Im the MAN
Since I had plenty of Detailer's Engine Degreaser and Detailer's Trim Detailer left over, Jason went ahead and detailed the engine in his Toyota Tundra last Saturday.
Before
During
Rinsing
Dressing
After
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Thanks to Nick's article, I detailed my first engine today!
I purchased the Detailers Pro Engine Degreaser (item#DP-600), Lake Country detailing sticks (item# LC-89-099) and the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush Jr (item#DSM-2000). I highly agree that these three items work well for this task.
This vehicle is 8 years old and has only had the engine rinsed a time or two in 8 years so it was really grungy! The engine degreaser worked well on engine parts and underside of hood and cowl painel painted areas. The only two brushes I used were the speed master jr brush and the detail sticks. I did have an old wash rag to also rub certain areas as well. This took me 3-3.5 hours from start to finish on a really dirty full size truck engine. Aerospace 303 protectant was used to finish coat plastic and hoses. This gives a clean non shiny look. It took about half of a 32 oz. bottle of engine degreaser for me to accomplish this on a really dirty engine. I hope to do this again in October and this should go much easier this next time.
Thanks again Nick, Mike and all others who contributed to this thread!
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
How much do all those products cost?
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Quote:
Originally Posted by
silvermesa
Thanks to Nick's article, I detailed my first engine today!
I purchased the Detailers Pro Engine Degreaser (item#DP-600), Lake Country detailing sticks (item# LC-89-099) and the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush Jr (item#DSM-2000). I highly agree that these three items work well for this task.
This vehicle is 8 years old and has only had the engine rinsed a time or two in 8 years so it was really grungy! The engine degreaser worked well on engine parts and underside of hood and cowl painel painted areas. The only two brushes I used were the speed master jr brush and the detail sticks. I did have an old wash rag to also rub certain areas as well. This took me 3-3.5 hours from start to finish on a really dirty full size truck engine. Aerospace 303 protectant was used to finish coat plastic and hoses. This gives a clean non shiny look. It took about half of a 32 oz. bottle of engine degreaser for me to accomplish this on a really dirty engine. I hope to do this again in October and this should go much easier this next time.
Thanks again Nick, Mike and all others who contributed to this thread!
Looks great! :righton:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Coakley Carwash
How much do all those products cost?
In my original post you'll find a clickable link to each product in the Autogeek store. :props:
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
Thanks for the write up, I've been looking for something to clean.
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Re: How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional
I do most if not all of the preventive steps in this write up when I detail an engine but I use different products such as APC (switching to OPC) and a different brand dressing.
I also use a power washer hose nozzle that is about 2 feet long to get down into the bay.
My question is it is a good idea to have the engine running when using the hose to rinse? I have noticed that local car washes will pressure wash the engine before going thorugh the tunnel with the engine running.
What I like to do is hose, then start the engine immediately and use a leaf blower to dry while engine is running.
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