Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 23

Thread: Cleaning an engine bay

  1. #1
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0

    Cleaning an engine bay

    Hello all

    I have an engine bay, with no engine, but with 20+ years of crap and oil to remove, before I can give it a little spruce up.

    I have tried brake cleaner, and muc-off, as I had them to hand, and a pressure washer.

    It's still grimey.

    What's the best stuff to use, to get it all squeaky clean, so I can give it a cheeky wet&dry then some kind of rust protection?

    I dont have the space, inside storage, time or inclination to do a full strip of the bay, but I would like to get the exposed stuff better protected while the engine and box are out of my way!

    Thanks for any suggestions

  2. #2
    NE and Merch Rep type Vigilant teSte's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    The Durham Coast
    Posts
    10,107
    Rides
    1
    Paging PDH


    I thought steam cleaning was the best way but I am the village idiot as I never clean my cars

    Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Guest R3K1355's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Yorkshire
    Posts
    12,175
    Rides
    0
    If there's no electrics and stuff in the way a steam cleaner would do, if there is still some stuff in there then it's good old elbow grease.

    I found Cillit Bang was pretty good with engine bay grime.

  4. #4
    Guest
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Glasgow-shire
    Posts
    1,974
    Rides
    0
    Heavy duty degreaser like G101 will do the trick.

  5. #5
    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Bas Vegas
    Posts
    92,896
    Rides
    0
    Gunk
    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

  6. #6
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0
    I shall invest in some of these things, and probably a scrubbing brush, and see how I get on. Really dont want to get involved in stripping the engine bay to attempt perfection though, so not sure how much I will achieve.

  7. #7
    Dorset & Hants Rep pointz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    southampton
    Posts
    7,892
    Rides
    0
    Gunk is pretty good stuff but not the aerosol, get the liquid stuff and spray it on with an old flash spray type bottle!

  8. #8
    Now with 400bhp....
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    South west
    Posts
    36,381
    Rides
    1
    Have you tried brake cleaner? Not sure how it would be with the paint though???
    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

  9. #9
    Guest ben8000's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    widget widget widget
    Posts
    3,064
    Rides
    0
    Neat Traffic film remover. It will strip off anodising, so be careful of that.

    Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    Astonish Engine Degreaser is what I've used in the past.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astonish-C16.../dp/B004RXS04O

    Less than £4, spray on, leave for a bit then agitate with a washing up brush or similar then rinse off with a powerwasher or hose.

  11. #11
    Guest
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    walsall/tamworth
    Posts
    6,744
    Rides
    0
    cillit bang. they usually have it in the pound shop.

  12. #12
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0
    Brake cleaner I used a whole can of, it helped for sure, but wasn't quite tackling the really stuck on stuff.

    I'll see what I can see in terms of these other suggestions at local shop places, and report back Thanks chaps!

  13. #13
    Guest spm_steve's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    New Milton (down South in HANTS)
    Posts
    2,645
    Rides
    0
    Ben, i'd highly recommend POR15 degreaser.

    Cost effective as it works best when applied dilute in hot water to as much as 10:1 ratio.
    Use it dilute with a hand held spray bottle and It'll remove pretty much anything with minimal agitation needed. Then just rinse thoroughly.
    I've not found it to affect any finishes so far either.

  14. #14
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0
    Excellent, I'll grab some of that I reckon Just need to get it done now!

  15. #15
    Guest DLowe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Stoke on Trent
    Posts
    7,887
    Rides
    0
    I "obtain" a De greaser from a company called mykal from work and it's extremely good, painted it onto a mate motorcycle chain that had about 4 yrs of commuting crappie and grease upon grease and it stripped it back to shine metal in under 30 secs... and as it's used on hv cable joints is perfectly safe around plastics and rubbers. The company pay around £10 a gallon for it, be worth a google see if you can find it cheaper than here:

    http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/precis...asers/2638095/

    Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

  16. #16
    Yorkshire Rep CMR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Pontefract, Yorkshire
    Posts
    1,096
    Rides
    0
    Gunk is what I've always used to tidy up dirty bays, that's with engine in though.

  17. #17
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0
    Gah, really dont want to get involved in trying to paint the engine bay outside in the cold, with no chance of a nice finish Seems like it ought to be done, but I am going to hate the finish.

  18. #18
    Flamethrower
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Eaton Bray
    Posts
    18,653
    Rides
    0
    I use a trade spec alloy wheel cleaner (alkaline) eats through most things and jet washes off clean

  19. #19
    The Welsh Whinger! pdh 14a's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Swansea
    Posts
    24,624
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Vigilant teSte View Post
    Paging PDH


    I thought steam cleaning was the best way but I am the village idiot as I never clean my cars

    Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
    Lol, nah I'm not that good,always buy cars around 3 years old! Brush some Gunk around and Jetwash feck out of them and preserve! Never tackled an old car from purchase

    You only need two tools in life - wd-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the wd-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

    And if you can't fix it with a hammer,you've got an electrical problem!

  20. #20
    South West Rep Evilchap's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    18,022
    Rides
    0
    preserve... what's your preferred process for that?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •