Title: Engine Detailing
Post by: skizot on March 04, 2009, 08:01:06 AM
Stuff I used to do the coolant reservoir with.
http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip (http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip)
Stuff I use as a final step in detailing the engine.
http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,2,2,1 (http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,2,2,1)
Cover all electrical components, including battery, alternator, fuse/relay box as any other misc sensors you can with shopping bags, rags or sandwich bags.
Use your favorite engine degreaser, they all pretty much work the same.
Make sure to only do this when the engine is cold.
After you spray the degreaser, let it sit for the time recommended.
Take a small spray bottle with water in it to reach areas that are hard to get to or that you don't want to rinse with the hose.
Take a garden hose with the pressure set to jet for tough spots and gentle set to delicate spots or near electrical and hose off all the degreaser.
Take a small wire brush or rag to wipe off any excessive dirt in the all the nooks of the engine bay.
Allow the engine to air dry and while waiting:
- Get your favorite car wax and wax all the painted surfaces (Megauirs Nxt 2.0)
- Get your favorite vinyl protectant and wipe down all the rubber pieces (Meguiars Vinyl and Rubber protectant in the red bottle, smells like candy)
- Get your favorite metal polish (Never Dull + Mother's Mag and Aluminum Cleaner) and clean and polish all the AC lines, Power Steering lines/hose clamps, pretty much anything bare metal (not painted metal). You will want to test a portion of what you are going to polish with the Mother's cleaner. If it starts to turn black while polishing, you are good to go, if not, STOP, this means it is not a metal that can be polished. There are so many little pieces of the engine that can benefit from the metal polishing, this step along can take upwards of a couple of hours. Not to mention, if you want to do the pulley and other parts of the engine, it will take some 2000 grit sandpaper as a starting point, before you ever even get to the never dull and then mothers polish.
At this point, you may need to towel dry the rest of the engine bay that is still wet and once done, then apply a nice coat of the CD2 engine dressing to pretty much everything, except what is still covered in plastic. If you have any custom painted surfaced (i.e. throttle body cover, valve cover, etc) you will not want to spray the CD2 stuff on it, but everything else you can. This stuff will also need some time to air dry.
Once you have sprayed this stuff on and while waiting for it to dry, remove all the plastic bags and towels covering everything else and hand clean them with some degreaser (i.e. Simple Green, Orange Citrus or Castrol Purple cleaner). Any of them will work. Just spray onto a towel and clean by hand.
You will also want to clean in and around your battery compartment, under the radiator shroud, behind the engine where all the vacuum hoses and heater lines run and so forth.
Wipe down any remaining overspray from the CD2.
Turn car on an let idle to normal temperature so the CD2 can seal itself and dry up to a nice shine.
Last step is to just buff out the rubber vinyl hoses and you are done.
http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip (http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip)
Stuff I use as a final step in detailing the engine.
http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,2,2,1 (http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,2,2,1)
Cover all electrical components, including battery, alternator, fuse/relay box as any other misc sensors you can with shopping bags, rags or sandwich bags.
Use your favorite engine degreaser, they all pretty much work the same.
Make sure to only do this when the engine is cold.
After you spray the degreaser, let it sit for the time recommended.
Take a small spray bottle with water in it to reach areas that are hard to get to or that you don't want to rinse with the hose.
Take a garden hose with the pressure set to jet for tough spots and gentle set to delicate spots or near electrical and hose off all the degreaser.
Take a small wire brush or rag to wipe off any excessive dirt in the all the nooks of the engine bay.
Allow the engine to air dry and while waiting:
- Get your favorite car wax and wax all the painted surfaces (Megauirs Nxt 2.0)
- Get your favorite vinyl protectant and wipe down all the rubber pieces (Meguiars Vinyl and Rubber protectant in the red bottle, smells like candy)
- Get your favorite metal polish (Never Dull + Mother's Mag and Aluminum Cleaner) and clean and polish all the AC lines, Power Steering lines/hose clamps, pretty much anything bare metal (not painted metal). You will want to test a portion of what you are going to polish with the Mother's cleaner. If it starts to turn black while polishing, you are good to go, if not, STOP, this means it is not a metal that can be polished. There are so many little pieces of the engine that can benefit from the metal polishing, this step along can take upwards of a couple of hours. Not to mention, if you want to do the pulley and other parts of the engine, it will take some 2000 grit sandpaper as a starting point, before you ever even get to the never dull and then mothers polish.
At this point, you may need to towel dry the rest of the engine bay that is still wet and once done, then apply a nice coat of the CD2 engine dressing to pretty much everything, except what is still covered in plastic. If you have any custom painted surfaced (i.e. throttle body cover, valve cover, etc) you will not want to spray the CD2 stuff on it, but everything else you can. This stuff will also need some time to air dry.
Once you have sprayed this stuff on and while waiting for it to dry, remove all the plastic bags and towels covering everything else and hand clean them with some degreaser (i.e. Simple Green, Orange Citrus or Castrol Purple cleaner). Any of them will work. Just spray onto a towel and clean by hand.
You will also want to clean in and around your battery compartment, under the radiator shroud, behind the engine where all the vacuum hoses and heater lines run and so forth.
Wipe down any remaining overspray from the CD2.
Turn car on an let idle to normal temperature so the CD2 can seal itself and dry up to a nice shine.
Last step is to just buff out the rubber vinyl hoses and you are done.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: skizot on March 04, 2009, 08:02:00 AM
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-1.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-2.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-3.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-4.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-5.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-6.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-2.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-3.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-4.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-5.jpg)
(http://homepage.mac.com/srudowitz/0125/0125-6.jpg)
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: ROLO on March 04, 2009, 08:09:54 AM
Nice write up ! I always wanted to put the degreaser and hose it down.. but I'm scared I'll mess up ... Your engine is spotless.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Mike on March 04, 2009, 08:35:22 AM
The shine in your engine bay is just not normal! Very very nice.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: ibcnunv on March 04, 2009, 08:37:11 AM
Nice write up!!!Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: CrazyCreashunz on March 04, 2009, 09:55:52 PM
Hands down, cleanest freaking engine bay! WOW! Good job dude
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: suleman_manji on March 04, 2009, 10:35:38 PM
Good god that's CLEAN! I might just do this after class tomorrow. Need something to do lol
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Anonymous on March 04, 2009, 11:35:08 PM
Nice write up and job Skizot. Since the weather should start warming up soon, I'm definetly going to approach this job on my car.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: fabulous010 on March 05, 2009, 12:29:34 AM
looks brand new. great job!
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: dizzle on March 05, 2009, 12:42:28 AM
very nice write up. looks so clean makes me want to lick it haha. i hope to do this soon before this big car meet im going to on the 29th.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Abailey4 on March 05, 2009, 09:43:40 AM
Great write up! I still havent developed the balls to do this yet cuz my luck just isnt good at all.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: timot_one on March 05, 2009, 04:00:45 PM
Very nice. I just cover the alternator and battery and use engine degreaser and a hose. I need to spend more time detailing my engine compartment though. I'll have to do that this spring when the weather doesn't totally suck. Can't wait to see this in person.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: rich on March 05, 2009, 07:42:57 PM
come polish my shit scott.....i mean...not my shit, well, yeah my shit in the engine bay lol
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Jellynuts on March 05, 2009, 08:58:07 PM
I mentioned it in the old g7a, and I'll mention it again, you've got the sickest engine I've ever seen! It just looks like a toy model or something (with all compliments intended)!
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: RTexasF on March 06, 2009, 08:05:13 AM
Beyond impressive, simply astounding!
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Deep Gloss on March 07, 2009, 10:46:51 AM
Sick!
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Abailey4 on March 07, 2009, 01:25:39 PM
^ When you get comments like these from our detailing guru's you know you've done a good job!
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: Abailey4 on March 09, 2009, 07:39:56 PM
Damnit I knew I should've looked at this thread before I did the engine. I need to grab some of that CD2 stuff but it looks pretty good for now though. I'll grab some on the next go around.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: timot_one on March 10, 2009, 10:58:01 PM
I had a chance to see Scott's engine on Sunday and it is immaculate. I also got to see him do some work on Ben's engine that day, and he definitely knows what he is doing. You guys should listen to this man if you want your engine to look like it is new.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: RTexasF on March 22, 2009, 07:13:58 PM
Anyone can clean up the engine and use CD2, a no brainer. But, to have EVERY area perfect and all metal shined to the max takes major dedication, a fanantic, or both. Again, kudos for such superb work. I for one, do not have that dedication to the engine compartment. Purty is close enough for me. Now the paint is something else.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: ikethegreat on April 09, 2009, 08:49:20 PM
Man do you even drive that thing? Looks brand new. I wish I had the patience to do something like this. Very nice.
Title: Re: Engine Detailing
Post by: v6sicksspeed on April 10, 2009, 10:59:14 AM
damn, you can eat off that! makes me want a sandwich.
nice write up
nice write up