Cleaning Engine - bone removal.

[LeeRS]

What’s the best approach to cleaning the engine as best as possible to remove oil, grime and general crap.

Doing track days I want to be able to come back from track, clean down the engine and be ready to go again.

As it stands, the bay is grimey and would be hard to tell if there was a new oil leak after a day on track.
I want to be able to give it a good going over, without having to remove the engine and go full aqua blast.

I don’t mind getting my hands dirty and spending time doing it but just wondering what the best approach is.

Obviously i will be taking off inlet manifold, elbow to air filter etc and wondered what other people did for a general clean of the bay.

It doesn’t need to be show spec but would like to be able to notice a new oil leak when it arises.

 

[Bluebeard]

The best engine bay cleaner I’ve ever used was Sonax Motor and cold cleaner. Absolutely superb stuff.
Make sure you cover up the plugs (they’re about as water tight as oxygen) and the alternator as they like to f**k up too.
Other than that, plenty of brushes, rags, and clean water. You’ll be golden.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I like to jetwash the fusebox area vigorously before parking the car up for several days then acting all salty when it won't start.

Be careful not to fill the plug holes up with too much water, chore as you have to take the inlet back off to sort.

Otherwise what the Master of Crumbs has said above is how I would go about it.

 

[NickReilly063]

TFR and a Steam Clean did mine - it did cough and splutter a little but dried out fine.

 

[Mr Underhill]

 

[LeeRS]

TFR and a Steam Clean did mine - it did cough and splutter a little but dried out fine.

This is what I want the finish to be like. So just shed load of TFR and a steam cleaner?

What about cleaning things inside the arches such as driveshafts that are oily, shocks / springs etc.

Same approach and will be ok blasted with water aswell?

I just don’t want to put water where I shouldn’t. Lol

 

[Robbie Corbett]

This is what I want the finish to be like. So just shed load of TFR and a steam cleaner?

What about cleaning things inside the arches such as driveshafts that are oily, shocks / springs etc.

Same approach and will be ok blasted with water aswell?

I just don’t want to put water where I shouldn’t. Lol

You get the same effect with degreaser, a brush and a jet wash imo.

Get water everywhere, just not down plug holes and bag the alternator because as Crumble says above they are hopeless. I wouldn't go berserk on the fuse box or ecu either.

I can't find any particularly good photos but this is me a few days after a massive power steering leak (fluid f**king everywhere)... jetwash and degrease.

This is my spark plugs a few weeks later (they were a month old)... good reminder to not fill the holes up with water!

Other than that just go for it.

 

[LeeRS]

That looks mint! (Bar the plugs)

Any tips for covering the plug holes?

 

[Mr Underhill]

This is what I want the finish to be like.

TBF i had my engine out on the above picture. I used a degreaser to wash all the oil off, then painted the block with Black VHT paint, touched the rocker cover up with VHT Silver paint (using artist brushes) and had everything else aqua blasted. On the plastics I just used a degreaser, then back to black plastic restorer.

I have done an engine in situ though, see pic below from my track car. And used the same technique as above. The inlet, rocker cover, fuel rail guard etc was Halfords VHT Silver.

Any quality degreaser will work on anything under the arches, driveshafts etc.... Once it's all clean use paint, VHT, etc.....to make it all pop.

Don't be scared to strip things back as far as you can, so once you build it back up, you get the effect of the whole engine being clean.

I've never ever used a steamer on any of my cars under the bonnet. It depends on how obsessive you are i guess 😜

 

[Mr Underhill]

When you realise the OP was talking about Nick's engine.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Edit - but if you have access to a steam cleaner I bet it would be even easier to remove the grime.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

That looks mint! (Bar the plugs)

Any tips for covering the plug holes?

If you have the inlet off I would pop the plug leads out, leave plugs in and shove rags down the holes then just not go too wild over them. If you have access to compressed air then a blower gets all the water out great.

 

[NickReilly063]

I wish I had talent to take out engine's Mr Underhill - that's why I'm only trusted with a Steam Cleaner -

I was lucky to jet wash the underneath on a garage ramp before doing the gravitec and lanoguard protector -

 

[Mr Underhill]

I wish I had talent to take out engine's Mr Underhill - that's why I'm only trusted with a Steam Cleaner -

I was lucky to jet wash the underneath on a garage ramp before doing the gravitec and lanoguard protector -

Yours is the best one on here IMHO. Goals.....

 

[NickReilly063]

And there’s me thinking 🤔 yours is - was going to book mine in with you for the engine doing.

Yours is the best one on here IMHO. Goals.....

 

[MarcB]

Not the best but you get the idea.

 

[DaveDreads]

Bone removal?

 

[LeeRS]

Bone removal?

Was meant to say none removal lol.

 

[MLB]

I wish I had talent to take out engine's Mr Underhill - that's why I'm only trusted with a Steam Cleaner -

I was lucky to jet wash the underneath on a garage ramp before doing the gravitec and lanoguard protector -

Even on a ramp, I don't think a jet wash would get mine looking like that 😂