Engine Compartments

[A-37]

I keep my engine compartments looking new with a weekly detail. Pledge spray wax works well on all the plastic covers. Seems more durable than Armorall.

Haven't found an easy way to "spray on, wipe off" the aluminum components like the alternator, etc. that get that oxidized look. Any suggestions?

The first pic is our 2011 Honda Accord EX-L V6. Not too much plastic covering. Nice silver powder-coated intake cover.

The second pic is our 2017 Accord Touring V6. Too much plastic.

Third pic is our 2005 Acura RL (60,000 miles). Everything's covered with plastic including the battery (at lower right).

 

[sar4937]

Park on concrete of course, silicone will slow oxidation.

 

[The Big D]

Why?

I have ZERO interest in how the under the hoods components of my rides look.

Much prefer to DRIVE rather than LOOK.

Be safe.

 

[sar4937]

A-37 doesn't have enough guns to tend to.

 

[snubbyfan]

When I sold Toyota parts the mechanics would do their own engine rebuilds. They'd clean the aluminum components and use high temperature clear coat on them. I don't remember how they cleaned them but I do know that they'd look good.
I wonder how a polished, clear coated alternator would look?

 

[sar4937]

There are cleaners, Oxalic acid and others. The corrode away the oxidation, and probably damage the winding insulation. I would say stabilize the oxidation at whatever point it is at. Silicone spray, or something called Fluid Film made from lanolin would work.

 

[soFlaNative]

Picturing fat old guys fumbling under the hood with Flitz.
Not a pretty picture.

 

[ContinentalOp]

Wait...you're supposed to clean in there...?

 

[swsig]

I used to detail my engine compartment, too, but only once or twice a year. I liked seeing all that shiny metal. (Oooh, shiny!) These days, the engine compartments of my cars consist of giant, ugly pieces of black plastic with a few wires and hoses poking out here and there. It's an act of faith to believe that there are actually engines in there. My motivation to clean the plastic is zilch, so I now exercise my obsessive-compulsive instincts by giving my guns a two-hour detailing after each range visit. I still miss shiny, though.

 

[max]

I keep mine clean. It is pride in my car.

 

[Alk8944]

"Any suggestions?"

Yeah, Unless it is an exhibition car that you show quit being so anal about it! If you want to, spray it with engine de-greaser once a year or so and hose it off at the car wash.

 

[loknload]

With all of the electric and electronic components under the hood how do you detail a really dirty engine compartment?

 

[chief38]

I like my cars & motorcycles nice and shinny, clean and waxed. I do my own detailing and will give you my cleaning procedure.

I wash my car weekly and after washing I use a "drying agent" (Griot's Garage brand spray wax makes the water run off) to dry, apply a secondary wax coating (extra protection against salt, air pollution and sun) and give the vehicle a little extra pop. After drying the car, I use the same microfiber rag to dry the wheels, and then I open the hood and wipe down the engine compartment, all plastic covers, hoses, components with the wet and waxy rag. Since I do this procedure each time I wash the vehicle it is never really all that dirty, never needs extra soap or chemicals, and is always in perfect shape. It has a nice satin look and I really don't care for when someone sprays their engine compartment with the super glossy, greasy and fake looking Armoral type of product. I find if you keep up with your cleaning maintenance on a weekly basis, the car is never all that dirty and easy to bring back into pristine shape (barring a snow storm of course).

IMHO steaming or spraying water with a hose into your engine compartment is asking for problems! Electronics, Computers and Circuitry are just NOT meant to get wet. When a car is new and the rubber seals and gaskets fit tight they do a somewhat descent job of keeping out water and moisture, however as the vehicle ages, rubber and plastic seals deteriorate and therefore introducing steam or water under the cars hood is not a greta idea IMO.

 

[Rastoff]

I like my cars clean. I wash the outside and wash/vacuum the inside. I don't sweat under the hood. I just don't have that kind of time. Maybe when I retire...

 

[chief38]

I like my cars clean. I wash the outside and wash/vacuum the inside. I don't sweat under the hood. I just don't have that kind of time. Maybe when I retire...

Rastoff,

If done each time you wash the car with the used wet and waxy microfiber rag, it takes all of 4 - 5 minutes, that's it!

There is ANOTHER HUGE ADVANTAGE to keeping your cars clean inside and out.........

Whenever you bring your car into a Dealer, Mechanic, Parking Garage, Valet Parking, etc. a clean car gets treated a step above a dirty and neglected car. This is because the person working on or attending to your vehicle immediately sees you are a fussy person, you will notice something out of place or damaged, and as silly as this might sound, clean your car BEFORE bringing it in for a service appointment - you get treated differently!

When I was a kid and parked cars, I always brushed the mud, snow & dirt off my shoes much more thoroughly when I got into a vehicle in pristine shape. A car that was dirty I knew they would not really know the difference. The same holds true when a mechanic works under the hood.

And while this might be a bit of a stretch ....... a clean engine might just run a bit cooler than a greasy, oily and dirty one because the heat dissipates faster - resulting in slightly better gas milage. OK, that might be an "on-paper" factoid, but I just like a clean engine compartment.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My dirt driveway is 1/4 mile long..........Who cares!

 

[4011]

Alternators don't like coatings. I had one ceramic coated and polished.
It ate diodes and front bearings. The shop I used for repair parts thinks the ceramic was holding heat. Chrome ones get so hot you can't touch them. They all get hot but coated hold the heat.

 

[TAROMAN]

I use a combination of Griot's Garage products.
Engine cleaner and engine bay dressing.
Do it about once a year.

As for your raw cast aluminum alternator issue, try Eastwood's Aluma-Blast paint.

 

[max]

Years ago my wife's car had a check engine light come on. She took it in somewhere and when the kid opened the hood, he told her "Lady you got a new engine in here."

 

[Engineer1911]

Now that we know how to clean an engine bay, how about some info about surgically clean brass without individually cleaning/polishing each piece?

 

[BigBill]

I rough polish my brass in a vibrating tumbler with the rough media after decamping them. After they are resized, trimmed to length, primer pocket cleaned they get polished again with the smooth media and a few drops of brass polish so there nice and shiny. Then they get inspected, primed, charged and the bullet seated.

 

[gregintenn]

I used to detail my engine compartment, too, but only once or twice a year. I liked seeing all that shiny metal. (Oooh, shiny!) These days, the engine compartments of my cars consist of giant, ugly pieces of black plastic with a few wires and hoses poking out here and there. It's an act of faith to believe that there are actually engines in there. My motivation to clean the plastic is zilch, so I now exercise my obsessive-compulsive instincts by giving my guns a two-hour detailing after each range visit. I still miss shiny, though.

A FEW wires?!??!!
What are you drving? There's enough wiring under the hood of most vehicles today to reach the moon and back.

 

[1955joe]

when I restored the alt for my classic car I used a small brass brush and then a tooth brush dampened with CLR. repeat till the desired results.....came out looking great

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

I keep my engine compartments looking new.....

I do the same, both inside and out. When I traded in my 1997 Silverado with 200k miles in 2007 for my 2007 Tundra the dealer said it looked like new, and I got $3000 more than Blue Book value. Today my 2007 Tundra has 150k miles and it too looks like new inside and out. Most all of my guns look new as well. Nor being anal, just take pride in my possessions.

 

[rwsmith]

Honestly.....

The OUTSIDE of my cars don't look anywhere near that good.

 

[swsig]

A FEW wires?!??!!
What are you drving? There's enough wiring under the hood of most vehicles today to reach the moon and back.

On my Lexus RX 450h hybrid, the black plastic shroud covers almost all of the engine compartment from the radiator to the firewall, and from wheel well to wheel well. On a hybrid there are lots of wires for sure, but Lexus doesn't want you to see them. Even the 12 volt battery is under a black plastic cover, next to the spare tire well, deep under the trunk. The engine and motor are invisible as well. I think Lexus wants its drivers to believe their vehicles move by magic.

 

[Muley Gil]

I miss the days when you popped the hood open and all you saw was the engine, a fan, an alternator or generator and the battery. Sure, I'm spoiled now with A/C, power steering and brakes, fuel injection, etc, but it sure was easier to work on one back then.

My dad had a 1962 Chevy C50 flatbed stake body truck. It had the 262 c.i. straight six. He could literally stand between the engine and the wheel well and he was not a small man.

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...if your engine compartment looks like this...you keep it CLEAN...

 

[4barrel]

Depends on what keeps you out of trouble.

 

[wood714]

With all of the electric and electronic components under the hood how do you detail a really dirty engine compartment?

Yep, I have a Nissan coupe, that has a motor somewhere under all the stuff.

When I had my 69 SS 396 Chevelle...now that was a motor that was pleasing enough to polish up.