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Cleaning Engine - bone removal.



LeeRS

ClioSport Club Member
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

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
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

ClioSport Club Member
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

ClioSport Club Member
  182 Trophy Rs265
TFR and a Steam Clean did mine - it did cough and splutter a little but dried out fine.
 

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LeeRS

ClioSport Club Member
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

ClioSport Club Member
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.

wE95NpFyI6-a6XuF5ryGNqY=w1241-h931-s-no?authuser=0.jpg


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

X1exjl3mCWgp-XK-EFrK1aAY=w698-h931-s-no?authuser=0.jpg


Other than that just go for it.
 

Mr Underhill

ClioSport Club Member
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 😜


9A7FF212-1E4B-4DD7-BD05-D5E245E88D56.jpeg
 
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NickReilly063

ClioSport Club Member
  182 Trophy Rs265
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 -
 

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MLB

ClioSport Club Member
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 😂
 


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