BigBlob202 showed me this technique for detailing your engine.

Pictures copyright of http://www.srcstc.com/

Some of you may use this technique, some may not, but here it is.

1. Run your engine for a few minutes to warm (not hot) it up. The grease and dirt can be removed easier when its warm.

2. Second, cover all parts inside you engine that CAN'T get wet with tinfoil or plastic bags and rubber bands. (Distributer, alternator, electronic connections, etc.)

3. Spray EVERYTHING with a degreaser. (I use Simple Green Degreaser.) Use the whole bottle, don't hold back. Let it sit for 15 minutes, the degreaser has to have time to do its magic.

4. Rinse your engine lightly with water to remove the crud and cleaner.

(Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you get the results you want.)

5. This step is key! Grab a bottle of WD40 and spray EVERYTHING. Wipe away any excess. You'll probably want to empty the can. This will give everything a newer than new glossy shine. All your faded plastic and tubing will come back to life. Don't rinse the WD40 off with water, leave it as is.

You can also use Pledge if your afraid the WD40 might atract dust.

6. Remove all tinfoil or plastic before driving.

Here's a before and after picture using this technique.

BEFORE:


AFTER!:


Be sure to post any before and after pictures you might have if you try this. If you have any comments or suggestions, please post! Thanks.

 

Thats nice. You ever heard of some people who "steam clean" there engine bay of there car before they sell it?

 

Nope.

 

The problem with the simple green is that it will EAT the hell out of aluminum and remove the protective coating on a lot of metal parts, leaving them more prone to oxidization. Also WW40 is very flamable so be carefull when you drive the truck with that much on there Steam cleaning and dumping some finish 2000 is a safer way to get this done.

 

An old detailer trick is to spray the engine down with Diesel. It will cut the grease.

Then steam clean the crap out of it.

 

For light oil, grease and dirt I use Scrubbing Bubbles! (yes, the bathroom stuff)
It is safe on the paint and cleans really well. Plus it leaves my engine bay smelling really nice!!! HA hA

 

And removes that pesky soap scum!

 

I just applied thistechnique to my engine today. (18 year old never-been-cleaned 22RE.) It looks incredibly better. Ofcourse I will continue to clean hard to reach places later. I was amazed how the faded plastic became glossy once again. I'll post pics later.

 

i did mine yesterday, 22re, using gunk degreaser, 1.5 bottles of it, and maybe its just me, or my engine is stubborn but it looks the same to me, old and dirty!

 

I buy 5 gal of citrus cleaner to do my engine and undercariage.

 

Some pro's use a light spray of acrylic laquer brighten up the engine compartment after cleaning.

 

It's all about the oil! Whatever you use, if it has some type of oil in it, your engine will shine!

 

Are those the only steps? I tried it that way and it didn't do much. I tried scrubbing with a fingernail brush and it worked better. I was hoping it would work without scrubbing so I can get the hard to reach areas.
The cleaner/degreaser I am using is NBC cleaner degreaser http://www.cleaninglink.com/bb_msds/...-Degreaser.pdf
It works great on the rubber parts and all (probably bad though) but it still leaves the dirt spots. What if I took a pressure washer to it with a 45 degree tip?
You can spray this stuff on a tire and see all the brown stuff dripping off.
But if you don't mix it with water and it hits some type of grease/grime it will react and give off a noxious odor.

 

AHH POWERWASHER I myself don't recommend powerwashing only because theres a higher chance of you gettin things wet that you don't want to get wet. What I did the first time was sprayed the degreaser. Let it sit. Then as I gently rinsed it away, I used a wire brush, and steel wool to scrub away the dirt. (Note: Becareful where you use the wirebrush because it scratches.) I did this a few times before everything was looking clean - but dull. So I applied the WD40 and everything became shiny!

 

I shall try again. Maybe I should use a "Reach brand" toothbrush. The parts that I hit with the fingernail brush look brand new.

 

A toothbrush is a good idea. I know BigBlob202 used one to clean spots on his engine with great results.

 

Well, I just finished. I did the whole thing a second time and still looked the same. I had a mix of cleaners and didn't realize it, So I went with NBC degreaser with no water added, looks 1,000,000 times better. I sprayed some on my tires as well and the crap was just oozing out of them.
edit: On the third attempt I became a lil scared cause she was giving me a little bit of a hard time starting. First two times she started right up.
I think I screwed up my outside temp sensor or something, It is reading 10-15° below what it is outside.
I have a thermometer here that is at the most 2° off from my truck.
I will try disconnecting the battery for a while to see if it resets.

 

Oven Cleaner

 

Now THAT is a good idea

 

I have a quicker method that looks as good as the pictures above. When I go to the car wash I spray the engine with the high pressure soap or degreaser and let it sit while I wash the rest of the car. Rinse when done with the high pressure spray. Don't worry, it's a Toyota and everything is waterproof under the hood. Pull out and spray everything under the hood with the foamy tire shine spray. I use the STP Son of a Gun brand. Close the hood and drive home. It looks good for a long time.