Engine Detailing

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markabby

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damn...nice job guys!

a 100 years ago when i was 16, we did "doll ups" on used cars for dealers. We'd just spray clean the engine compartments down, let them dry, then just clear coat everything in there! lol looked "new".

they looked good for a couple of days, just enough for a buyer to come along.

i'm going to try some of thee products mentioned here on my 2020. great info!
 

Treburkulosis

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Here is the 21 Yukon with just a wash using Iron X Carpro Pink soap with American Detail Garage F bomb sprayed first and then I spray Koch Chemie Motor Plast or MP as its called on the bottle while its wet. As it dries it leaves it looking like this. Spray it drop the hood walk away.


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Black-Wolf

Black-Wolf

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Just got my Billet Technology Engine detail kit complete. Took a while. Won it in a drawing for the military back in November. Took some time to get, but they (mostly) got it right. Working one issue - but highly recommend if you're looking for a way to "bling" up your engine bay!20241020_161804.JPG20241020_162012.JPG20241020_161957.JPG20241020_161946.JPG20241020_161758.JPG
 

Wild one

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Do any of these detail sprays prevent the aluminium corrosion.I see lots of detailed plastic under the hood at carshows,but very few seem to address the aluminium corrosion
 

Buddy

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Do any of these detail sprays prevent the aluminium corrosion.I see lots of detailed plastic under the hood at carshows,but very few seem to address the aluminium corrosion
Motorplast has corrosion protection as a factor in it. It is really good stuff. Been using it a few years now and have a couple friends using it now as well.
Your out west, grab it from Carzilla, great place to buy from.
 

Treburkulosis

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MotorPlast is your best bet for a true protectant that isn't some runny tire shine that attracts dust. I do my motor on my Camaro twice a car show season. We are in the last month of it here. It never attracts dust and it honestly never wears off. That is one thing I can almost bank on not having to touch each week before a show.
 

Wild one

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MotorPlast is your best bet for a true protectant that isn't some runny tire shine that attracts dust. I do my motor on my Camaro twice a car show season. We are in the last month of it here. It never attracts dust and it honestly never wears off. That is one thing I can almost bank on not having to touch each week before a show.
I use a mix of Mothers Protectant and their Back to Black mixed at least 1/2 and 1/2 with water,and it keeps the aluminium corrosion at bay pretty good.Even my 11 year old 300 with 75,000 miles on it still looks good .
But i'm not scared to open the hood at the local carwash and wash the hell out of the engine everytime i take something through the local coin-op carwash.
 

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Treburkulosis

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I use a mix of Mothers Protectant and their Back to Black mixed at least 1/2 and 1/2 with water,and it keeps the aluminium corrosion at bay pretty good.Even my 11 year old 300 with 75,000 miles on it still looks good .
But i'm not scared to open the hood at the local carwash and wash the hell out of the engine everytime i take something through the local coin-op carwash.
It looks good! People like to spray crap on it and call it good. There is an art to it. American detail garage F bomb in a pumper bottle and some good soap like carpro pink shine supply hot shot or p&s body wash with some detailing lug nut brushes and a a good wash mit then motorplast is all I do to get those dirty engines clean.
 

Wild one

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It looks good! People like to spray crap on it and call it good. There is an art to it. American detail garage F bomb in a pumper bottle and some good soap like carpro pink shine supply hot shot or p&s body wash with some detailing lug nut brushes and a a good wash mit then motorplast is all I do to get those dirty engines clean.
I think the biggest issue with detailing an engine bay is to open the hood at the local carwash and wash the bejesus out of the engine bay and engine everytime you wash the exterior. Do you park the truck everytime it rains,not much differance between driving in heavy rain as there is washing the engine at the local carwash,what do you think that fan on the front does when you're driving in rain,it's basically blasting water everywhere under the hood
 

mikeru

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I think the biggest issue with detailing an engine bay is to open the hood at the local carwash and wash the bejesus out of the engine bay and engine everytime you wash the exterior. Do you park the truck everytime it rains,not much differance between driving in heavy rain as there is washing the engine at the local carwash,what do you think that fan on the front does when you're driving in rain,it's basically blasting water everywhere under the hood
We have very hard water where I live so I quickly learned I need to dry everything off after spraying with water or else I end up with a ton of water spots everywhere in the engine bay. So now I hit it with the air hose after hitting it with the water hose. Then I get to wash the outside of the car or truck.
:D
 

Wild one

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We have very hard water where I live so I quickly learned I need to dry everything off after spraying with water or else I end up with a ton of water spots everywhere in the engine bay. So now I hit it with the air hose after hitting it with the water hose. Then I get to wash the outside of the car or truck.
:D
We have local bylaws here that make it illegal to actually wash your vehicle on a driveway,not that stops anybody from doing it. So i do all my detailing at the local coin-op carwash.Helps that i know the owner well and he never says a word about me being in a bay for a couple hours detailing/drying my vehicles off,lol. I make a point of not tieing up his bays when it's busy though,like just after a rain storm or snowfall,as those are his money making days,even though the carwash is more of a tax write off for him,as his real job is being a high priced lawyer, he's also been my lawyer for the last 20 years,lol
 

Treburkulosis

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I think the biggest issue with detailing an engine bay is to open the hood at the local carwash and wash the bejesus out of the engine bay and engine everytime you wash the exterior. Do you park the truck everytime it rains,not much differance between driving in heavy rain as there is washing the engine at the local carwash,what do you think that fan on the front does when you're driving in rain,it's basically blasting water everywhere under the hood
In all honesty I detail our engines like once every 3 months. Mostly just to get any splashed rain that got into the engine cleaned off. The top sides where you see most of it usually stay fairly dry. It’s the oil and grease from neglect that makes them look bad. I have a weed pumper sprayer that I mix this stuff in at 1:4 and soak the engine wash it really good with a good soap and brushes. Spray it off really good and then hit with MP at the end.

What I use:
Degreaser:

Soap:


Wash mitt and lug nut brushes are whatever you prefer. I suggest a hair of some sort. Synthetic ones suck.

MP:
https://www.carsupplieswarehouse.co...3J0848yasy5hWJr_GG9EBHII51utFedcaAq8-EALw_wcB

Buy this on amazon and save the shipping.
 

Wild one

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In all honesty I detail our engines like once every 3 months. Mostly just to get any splashed rain that got into the engine cleaned off. The top sides where you see most of it usually stay fairly dry. It’s the oil and grease from neglect that makes them look bad. I have a weed pumper sprayer that I mix this stuff in at 1:4 and soak the engine wash it really good with a good soap and brushes. Spray it off really good and then hit with MP at the end.

What I use:
Degreaser:

Soap:


Wash mitt and lug nut brushes are whatever you prefer. I suggest a hair of some sort. Synthetic ones suck.

MP:
https://www.carsupplieswarehouse.co...3J0848yasy5hWJr_GG9EBHII51utFedcaAq8-EALw_wcB

Buy this on amazon and save the shipping.
I take my ramps and coveralls over to the local coin-op carwash every couple months,and get things up in the air high enough i can crawl under them and wash the hell out of the bottom side ,as i hate working on dirty vehicles,lol. I'm not really a believer in trying to keep things clean using spray on crap and a garden hose,i prefer to wash the engine/transmission/rearend etc. with high pressure soap ,then i'll even use the carwashes spray on wax after washing.Also gives me a chance to look things over for leaks while i'm under it washing it. Probably not for everybody,but i'm a touch a n a l when it comes to keeping my vehicles spotless top and bottom,lol.
 

Wild one

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Save money! Use regular Oven cleaner. It is the same thing, but much cheaper in the grocery store.
I used to use the old cheap no name caustic oven cleaner when you could still find it ,on really dirty used vehicles if i bought one.Had to be quick though,as it'd also eat paint if you left it on to long,lol
 

Sherman Bird

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I take my ramps and coveralls over to the local coin-op carwash every couple months,and get things up in the air high enough i can crawl under them and wash the hell out of the bottom side ,as i hate working on dirty vehicles,lol. I'm not really a believer in trying to keep things clean using spray on crap and a garden hose,i prefer to wash the engine/transmission/rearend etc. with high pressure soap ,then i'll even use the carwashes spray on wax after washing.Also gives me a chance to look things over for leaks while i'm under it washing it. Probably not for everybody,but i'm a touch a n a l when it comes to keeping my vehicles spotless top and bottom,lol.
I used to use the old cheap no name caustic oven cleaner when you could still find it ,on really dirty used vehicles if i bought one.Had to be quick though,as it'd also eat paint if you left it on to long,lol
I've used oven cleaner many many times. It's way cheaper than the specialty pookie from the auto supply.
 

Wild one

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I've used oven cleaner many many times. It's way cheaper than the specialty pookie from the auto supply.
Back when i was younger and all my vehicles were used when i bought them,i used alot of the old caustic based oven cleaners getting them clean enough for my a n a l ass,lol. I still tell people to use oven cleaner instead of the over priced engine degreasers that everybody seems to swear by these days. Just don't let it sit on painted surfaces all that long
 

mikeru

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Back when i was younger and all my vehicles were used when i bought them,i used alot of the old caustic based oven cleaners getting them clean enough for my a n a l ass,lol. I still tell people to use oven cleaner instead of the over priced engine degreasers that everybody seems to swear by these days. Just don't let it sit on painted surfaces all that long
Agreed. You need to be a little careful with oven cleaner. Back when I was more OCD about my engine bays I used to use something called Greased Lighting. It works great and is a lot more forgiving when it comes to which surfaces you get it on.
 

Sherman Bird

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Back when i was younger and all my vehicles were used when i bought them,i used alot of the old caustic based oven cleaners getting them clean enough for my a n a l ass,lol. I still tell people to use oven cleaner instead of the over priced engine degreasers that everybody seems to swear by these days. Just don't let it sit on painted surfaces all that long
Dawn Platinum works really well, too.... but scrubbing is involved!
 

Wild one

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Dawn Platinum works really well, too.... but scrubbing is involved!
I've used dish soap to,the downside to doing it that way with scrub brushes is you'll never get all the nooks and crannies of an engine as clean as you will using a high pressure wand at the local carwash,but it's a good substitute though, alibit it involves a bit more elbow grease and time to get a dirty/crusty used engine cleaned up
 

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