I have an 86 that I put in shows the I find in my town and in towns near it. I don't have a very good paint job but its a really nice metallic dark blue and since I live in such a small hick town my car gets a lot of attention (just to explain why I even bother putting it in shows). Anyway my engine is really a mess, I spend hours on end just wiping it down with rags and simple green, does anyone have any tips on how to make my engine nicer. I eventually want it to be show worthy but thats in the distant future.

I have an 86 that I put in shows the I find in my town and in towns near it. I don't have a very good paint job but its a really nice metallic dark blue and since I live in such a small hick town my car gets a lot of attention (just to explain why I even bother putting it in shows). Anyway my engine is really a mess, I spend hours on end just wiping it down with rags and simple green, does anyone have any tips on how to make my engine nicer. I eventually want it to be show worthy but thats in the distant future.

hmmm... well, steam cleaning should do it, but if you have to do it by hand, Goop or GoJo hand cleaner works wonders. You can clean your sparkplug wires and almost everything else with it. Use the gritty hand cleaner for rough metal like the intake and the smooth stuff for everything else. You can spraypaint the engine bay if you cover the engine (especially the air cleaner) and other components. That's engine clean up on a budget, and it worked for me! :-D

hi i have a lil trick i used to clean my engine tire cleaner and gunk will give u a good look i used it on my car and friends and it really show after ur done good luck hopefully it works for u

Joe 1978elcamino 350cid

GOT A WATER HOSE? ? ?...

THIS IS THE EASYEST WAY I HAVE FOUND TO CLEAN THE OLE POWER PLANT.

JUST GET A CAN OF "GUNK" AND SPRAY IT ON A WARM MOTOR. LET SIT FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES. HOSE IT DOWN... REPEAT IF NESSARY IF THE TICKER IS REALLY MESSY.

AND REMEMBER, A CLEAN ENGINE IS A SIGN OF A PROUD OWNER.... :) :) :)


http://elcaminocentral.com/users/james84elky/pictures/Monday_at_Recycling.jpg

To really make things look nice, you gotta take as much off the engine that you are mechanically comfortable to remove and reinstall. Battery, ignition wires, alternator, belts, pulleys, hoses (except a/c), radiator, carb/fuel injection system, dist, etc etc... all of it...then you can really get in there and clean the nooks and cranies. You can clean all those parts on a bench prior to reassembly. Its a ton of work, but the end result is sure evident. Send us a picture when you get done...a before, and after shot.

Brian

A detail shop in my area (Cincinnati) has a new process. Instead of pressure-ized steam cleaning, they us a dry cleaning type of additive in the power wash. It cuts the dirt and leaves a nice surface shine behind.

They charge $75.00, due to the waterproofing of all electronics and carb.

I'm in need of it again, pricey, but very easy and nice.

Check around your area at the detail shops, maybe it's easier to power wash then do it yourself.

Elky77

Add some color. For a nice cheap touch get some of that wire loom covering in a color other than black. Rewrap your wires and anything else it will fit around like fuel lines and even the hoses for the windshield washing fluids.

Another really cheap and easy trick is to spray all the hoses (and pretty much anything that is not chrome) with Armorall Tire Foam. After a wash, I use it on my tires (which is nice 'cause you can spray it on wet tires), then I pop the hood and give it a good spray. What is nice about the foam, is that you don't have to go back and wipe it off.

It may sound strange but PineSol works great in cleaning up the engine compartment. It really works great on aluminum, it will remove all the stains. The only drawback is the smell that will linger for several days. I run the engine and get everything warm and then liberally spray PineSol (I use a solvent gun) all over the engine and engine compartment, use a brush on stubborn areas. Let sit for 15-20 minutes and then rinse with a strong stream of water. PineSol really removes the oil and grease so you will have to relube the hinges, latch etc. I then blow off all the water because letting the water dry will cause unsightly water spotting. Then I go over all rubber and plastic parts with Armorall or similar product. To clean up the wiring I cover any bare wires with the split convuluted tubing. Shine up any plated items and your engine compartment should improve significantly.

Thanks for the tip. Pine-sol is a helluva lot cheaper than "engine degreaser". For years, I've kept a spray bottle of 100% mineral spirits in my garage. The stuff is great for cleaning tools, adhesive residue, etc. Now I'll have to keep a Pine-sol bottle too!

I worked in a shop that rebuilt high performance air cooled VW engines. We had a big vat of diesel fuel in which we soaked the aluminum case and heads in. After a day or so we rinsed the aluminum parts off with water and you wouldn't believe how clean they were. Even all the baked on carbon in the combustion chambers came cleanly off.

This weekend, I picked a spray bottle of some off-brand orange degreaser (for household use). I sprayed it on, thinking it would be better than pine-sol, with less than spectacular results.

I then switched to my old stand by, 100% Mineral Spirits. I keep this stuff in a spray bottle in the garage, as it is great for cleaning up tools, removing adhesive residue, etc.

Well let me tell you, the mineral spirits just melted the oil away! I sprayed it on a warm engine, waited 10 minutes, and sprayed it again for good measure. Hit the thing with the garden hose, and Violla!

It's not strong enough to remove any paint, but I wouldn't get it on finished surfaces.

I've been using Orange Blast for the last year, it is amazing stuff. Dirt, grease, and grime just melt away. Don't buy the diluted version, you want the full strength engine cleaner avaialble in some supermarkets and auto parts stores. http://www.greased-lightning.com/products/orangeblast.html

Here's what I do to brighten up the steel lines like the gas line, vacuum line to the brake booster, and the brake line from the master cyl. Get a can of aluminum/copper/brass cleaner of the wadded-up cloth variety at any auto parts store ( for about $5.00 ) and with very little effort, will make the shine!
I also tried them on a pair of door sill strips that I had laying aroud and it made them shine like new with a little effort. Hint: if you try this on the car, make sure you don't get any on the carpet as it will turn the carpet black.

Keep the hints coming guys! :thumbsup:

I also tried them on a pair of door sill strips that I had laying aroud

That stuff would probably work well on the stainless steel bed trim, and rally wheel trim rings too.

Stainless steel loses its luster because of all the little fine scratches that accumulate after many years of use. It takes something more aggressive than a metal polish to bring back the new car shine.