Engine Bay Cleaning
Engine Bay Cleaning
Author
Discussion

morebeanz

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

265 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
I'm not sure there's too much to worry about when cleaning a Cerb engine, but what have I missed in my list of things to cover/remove while engine bay cleaning?

battery
100amp fuse
coil packs?
starter?
alternator?

Anyone have any experience of this could confirm...

Thanks

dirty boy

14,859 posts

238 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
Don't use a hose and water?

I use plenty of rags and to polish up some bits I used a dremmel 'thingy' with various attachments.

Worked for me, just takes quite a while.

As a side note, anyone on here painted their calipers?


Tanguero

4,535 posts

230 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
Injector connectors
Throttle pots
Oil pressure sender
Water temperature sensor
Air temperature sensor

ETA If you do use degreaser and a hose, make sure that you dry the 'V' under the alternator drive belt before you start the engine with the bonnet open...

Edited by Tanguero on Wednesday 9th June 15:59

amazon

3,704 posts

240 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
dirty boy said:
As a side note, anyone on here painted their calipers?
yes

Nothing fancy though. Cleaned them up with a dremmel as it happens, then masked them off, sprayed them matt black (several times), then handpainted AP Racing in yellow.

I say all this, without knowing your question was going to be though tongue out

Rufus Roughcut

535 posts

204 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
amazon said:
dirty boy said:
As a side note, anyone on here painted their calipers?
yes

Nothing fancy though. Cleaned them up with a dremmel as it happens, then masked them off, sprayed them matt black (several times), then handpainted AP Racing in yellow.

I say all this, without knowing your question was going to be though tongue out
Similar but not the same, I painted mine yellow with black highlights. Lets just say I wouldn't recommend using Halfrauds Brake calliper paint, PITA to apply and chips off easily.



Sorry OP... slightly off topic smile

morebeanz

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

265 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
dirty boy said:
Don't use a hose and water?

I use plenty of rags and to polish up some bits I used a dremmel 'thingy' with various attachments.

Worked for me, just takes quite a while.

As a side note, anyone on here painted their calipers?
If you saw the amount of greasy, oily dirt hanging round my engine, you'd understand why a light spray of cleaner and a couple of rags just won't cut it. To be honest, I aspire to getting it clean enough so that a light spray and wipe will do from then on! hehe

I hadn't intended to take a hose spray to it, but I was considering a steam cleaner.

I hadn't felt that all electical connections as needing cover as many of them are principally water resistant as they are, and careful handling should leave them ok.

ridds

8,372 posts

273 months

Wednesday 9th June 2010
quotequote all
Never have a problem washing mine. I used Universal Cleaner diluted 50/50 with water and then a hose.

Obviously don't hose down the centre of the Vee or directly under the header tank....

Ireland

3,517 posts

243 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
I generally just wipe clean under the bonnet, never wash it out for fear of causing problems.


Rufus Roughcut said:

BTW I assume this is the work of a single man ?????

Her-indoors would slaughter me if any part of my car came near the table.

biggrin

Neat job though.

morebeanz

Original Poster:

3,283 posts

265 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Ireland said:
Her-indoors would slaughter me if any part of my car came near the table.
You're not kidding! I'm only barely allowed to make use of the garage as I might leave dangerous substances around for the kids! biggrin

boss1uk

260 posts

203 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
degreaser spray and a hose. In a rain storm it gets so wet under their any way. just dont jet wash it. Hose pressure and a bit of care has never given me any problems. its a Car, a special car but still a car thats made to drive in all weather as mine does regularly

Storer

5,024 posts

244 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
My engine bay has a sticker (which looks original) telling you not to pressure wash/steam clean the engine bay.

I think you will regret doing it when lots of electrical gremlins emerge afterwards.

Besides, all that oil stops the chassis rusting smile

markh1

2,846 posts

238 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
I had a clean up of my engine bay last night. I used a citrus degreaser and a rag with a toothbrush to get to the awkward bits. On the black hoses a spray with cheap tyre blackener and wipe with a rag made them look like new.

When the cerb was on its old chassis and I was removing all the waxoil from that I just used the same, citrus degreaser, rag and a toothbrush. It is a messy job and spraying it with a hose will not really help to remove any of the dirt and grease. You need to roll your sleeves up and get in there elbows deep old boy! hehe

schimg

1,923 posts

282 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Been doing a lot of this sort of thing on mine too...didn't use a hose bit like the rest ...degreaser...dremel - wire brush...ended up replacing my front calipers (not planned cracked thread)..

.my wife painted the new ones with smooth yellow hammerite.used this on the calipers of my chimaera and cerbera both are fine...

on my .will post some pics up when I have finished spending every spare moment get the car back on all fours - mot and stuff...


Tanguero

4,535 posts

230 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
morebeanz said:
dirty boy said:
Don't use a hose and water?

I use plenty of rags and to polish up some bits I used a dremmel 'thingy' with various attachments.

Worked for me, just takes quite a while.

As a side note, anyone on here painted their calipers?
If you saw the amount of greasy, oily dirt hanging round my engine, you'd understand why a light spray of cleaner and a couple of rags just won't cut it. To be honest, I aspire to getting it clean enough so that a light spray and wipe will do from then on! hehe

I hadn't intended to take a hose spray to it, but I was considering a steam cleaner.

I hadn't felt that all electical connections as needing cover as many of them are principally water resistant as they are, and careful handling should leave them ok.
Perhaps a hose would have been better than the pressure washer then... boxedin

Rufus Roughcut

535 posts

204 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Ireland said:
BTW I assume this is the work of a single man ?????

Her-indoors would slaughter me if any part of my car came near the table.

biggrin

Neat job though.
She's suffered for 18years cloud9

Yep, I do get into alot of trouble, especially when I fill the house full of exhaust fumes wobble (I have an integral garage).
The trick is to do stuff when she's out shopping wink I've even been known to buy her some Next vouchers eek that gives me about 4 hours of tinker time .....although she's getting wise to that now.


verminator

723 posts

261 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Yep, i painted my calipers. My car is light blue, so i painted the calipers gold and highlighted in black far better than that gaudy yellow imho. Got the paint from a model shop. They still look good and i painted them 8yrs ago. My wheel centres are also gold so that helps set them off nicely.

Rufus Roughcut

535 posts

204 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
verminator said:
Yep, i painted my calipers. My car is light blue, so i painted the calipers gold and highlighted in black far better than that gaudy yellow imho. Got the paint from a model shop. They still look good and i painted them 8yrs ago. My wheel centres are also gold so that helps set them off nicely.
I was going to paint mine Gold,,,, knew they would look ccensoredp though IMHO winkbiggrin

dirty boy

14,859 posts

238 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Not sure what colour to do my calipers.

Car is purple, so don't want to clash. May just go black with yellow detail again.

verminator

723 posts

261 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
Oh, you little bh. biggrin

peteA

2,761 posts

263 months

Thursday 10th June 2010
quotequote all
dirty boy said:
Not sure what colour to do my calipers.

Car is purple, so don't want to clash. May just go black with yellow detail again.
My car is a blue / purple colour (Ford Imperial Blue - original ford focus RS) and I painted my calipers gloss black with the AP racing logo high lighted in yellow...I think it looks good (much better than gold or yellow...far too flash!)

I have black SP12's rather than silver spiders but still think it will look good.

That is a nice looking car by the way!