DIY: 10 minute engine bay detail

[Razr]

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Yikes.... Regardless of your results, I would NOT follow any of the advice given.

No-one's making you

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

First and fore most, when applying a degreaser your engine should actually be warm to the touch prior to application.

The Engine Cleaner I use specifically states to apply it to a cool engine, and logic dictates that it's going to be difficult to get much soak-in time if the engine is warm or hot. Maybe it's just a matter if what's warm to you and what's warm to me? We never get daytime temparatures below 30c (86f) here, so I couldn't comment on whether effectiveness is reduced at lower ambient temps.

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Have you ever noticed what occures to your tires with the use of most tire "sheen" products? (there are exceptions of course) Due to the heat, they actually end up turning rubber a nasty brown/yellow colour after time....

It cannot be due to heat, otherwise my tires and engine would *always* be brown - It's 41c (106f) as I type this BTW :) I have seen what you're describing though, and have always attributed it to people who think that tire shine products are somehow or other a substitute for cleaning. From what I've seen, layering tire sheen over old dirty tires time after time, is what leads to brown tires.

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

would you honestly want that occuring with all the rubber components of your engine, such as mounts, hoses, etc.?

For this one, I'm going to let some pictures do the talking.. Here's my last car, at 2 years of age, having had this exact type of engine detail peformed on a weekly basis (so 104 times):

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Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Lastly, once soaking up the majority of water after washing an engine bay, you can actually let the car run for a said amount of time to quicken the drying cycle.

Good advice, thanks!

[JDM_EK3]

Originally Posted by Razr

The Engine Cleaner I use specifically states to apply it to a cool engine, and logic dictates that it's going to be difficult to get much soak-in time if the engine is warm or hot. Maybe it's just a matter if what's warm to you and what's warm to me? We never get daytime temparatures below 30c (86f) here, so I couldn't comment on whether effectiveness is reduced at lower ambient temps.

Then unfortunately the product you're using isn't that great of an engine degreaser. Most well known engine degreasers, will even go to the extent of asking you within their instructions to warm up the vehicle. The reason they would like your engine warm to the touch, is that it actually helps loosen the build up and helps in preventing the engine degreaser from evaporating too quickly.

[forpinks]

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Then unfortunately the product you're using isn't that great of an engine degreaser. Most well known engine degreasers, will even go to the extent of asking you within their instructions to warm up the vehicle. The reason they would like your engine warm to the touch, is that it actually helps loosen the build up and helps in preventing the engine degreaser from evaporating too quickly.

I tried degreaser when the engine is hot once...

Well... its an old honda civic "93" my buddy used to own... well I sprayed that "solder seal" engine degreaser when he came to my place and ask me to wash it bcoz his going for a group meet, so I hustled and sprayed it with E.D. and about 3 seconds after I sprayed it, nasty smelling smoke came out... then I hit the freakin header! and it went to flames! quickly he grabbed his "NOS lookin" fire extinguisher and sprayed the hell out of it!


the engine lining he installed got melted a bit and he told me to just stop it... and he just went to the club meet with a nasty lookin engine with a burnt hood padding...

what I'm saying is some cars need the engine cold just to clean it safely...

[PetersRedYaris]

Why degrease an engine that isn't greasy? As a note, those degreasers are powerful, so be careful not to get them into parts with bearings (ie. the alternator pully, A/C compressor pully)...
I just use low pressure water every time I wash the car and my cars stay nice and clean under the hood. Yes, I'm careful where I spray.
I would only clean under the hood by this method if I were tring to sell the car. Your pictures look great!

[Razr]

Originally Posted by PetersRedYaris

Why degrease an engine that isn't greasy?

Good question, and a simple answer really - obviously to break down any new grime that's on the engine, but also to remove the previous application of dressing/protectant, so you're working with an absolutely clean surface.

It's a little of a catch 22, but it works great

[JDM_EK3]

Originally Posted by forpinks

I tried degreaser when the engine is hot once...

Well... its an old honda civic "93" my buddy used to own... well I sprayed that "solder seal" engine degreaser when he came to my place and ask me to wash it bcoz his going for a group meet, so I hustled and sprayed it with E.D. and about 3 seconds after I sprayed it, nasty smelling smoke came out... then I hit the freakin header! and it went to flames! quickly he grabbed his "NOS lookin" fire extinguisher and sprayed the hell out of it!


the engine lining he installed got melted a bit and he told me to just stop it... and he just went to the club meet with a nasty lookin engine with a burnt hood padding...

what I'm saying is some cars need the engine cold just to clean it safely...

The engine is not ment to be "HOT", it's ment to be "warm to the touch".

[Razr]

Originally Posted by JDM_EK3

Then unfortunately the product you're using isn't that great of an engine degreaser.

I'm sure there's better/more expensive engine cleaning products out there, but it does the job just fine - the proof is in the pudding, as they say