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Hi everyone, I am in the process of replacing my drivetrain on my 88 GXL.
While I have access to my empty engine compartment I want to clean it.
After using two cans of engine degreaser, spraying with a general purpose cleaner, and spraying with lestoil at the recommended 1 cup to a gallon on hot water.
I still have a coating of grime that will not wash off!
Do I really have to go at this with a toothbrush and cleaner to remove it?
There has to be a quick and easy way to clean off years of grime without ruining the remaining paint that still exists!
Repaint the engine bay. Too much effort will remove the single stage paint and you won't be left with anything to clean except chassis. Go ahead and get the bay painted
Repaint the engine bay. Too much effort will remove the single stage paint and you won't be left with anything to clean except chassis. Go ahead and get the bay painted
I am getting close to putting the replacement engine & transmission back in!
To paint the engine bay would require me to disassemble everything still attached.
This will require weeks of work to do, I would like to clean what I can with these pieces in place without damaging them.
I am going to attempt to clean up with a general-purpose cleaner and a toothbrush, don't mind spending a few hours doing this.
I will treat the rusted pieces and call it a day! The next guy or gal can do the repainting!
I have used Autoglym Engine-Machine cleaner for years on bothn my RX7 and Acura RL and it does an amazing job imho. It's a UK product but you can get on both the UK eBay and Amazon sites. It can be purchased stateside online at some highend shops too, at a large mark-up, Google "Autoglym Engine-Machine Cleaner," read the reviews, check-out the videos and make-up your own mind.
Might try some Goo Gone. I had a car that had been treated with Rusty Jones undercoating back in the day and it left the under side of the hood and inner fenders coated with a thick goo. Repeated spraying with Goo Gone and power washing melted it away. You'll also have a fair bit of hand work and elbow grease to do. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts or magic wands to wave to get good results. The satisfaction in the end is the best reward. A before and after shot of the engine bay I speak of.
Might try some Goo Gone. I had a car that had been treated with Rusty Jones undercoating back in the day and it left the under side of the hood and inner fenders coated with a thick goo. Repeated spraying with Goo Gone and power washing melted it away. You'll also have a fair bit of hand work and elbow grease to do. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts or magic wands to wave to get good results. The satisfaction in the end is the best reward. A before and after shot of the engine bay I speak of.
OMG, it's beautiful!!!
If I only had the time. How long did it take for all this detailing? A year I bet.
I will get some Goo-Gone and try it, how did the original paint hold up to it?
heavy coat of WD40 let it sit
wash the WD40 with dish soap or degreaser (and some scrubbing and brushing), rinse and it'll take the grime with it
may need repeats
NOTE: As Banzai said, WD40 is flammable so do this with a cool engine, take the appropriate precautions and wash thoroughly
Last edited by neit_jnf; Apr 25, 2024 at 12:06 AM.
How long did it take for all this detailing? A year I bet.
How did the original paint hold up to it?
I started cleaning it last fall and over the winter disassembled the engine bay to have complete access and put it all back together, rebuilding the ancillaries and detailing everything. I also dropped the exhaust and partially disassembled the suspension and detailed the underside. Didn't affect the paint at all. There are still a couple spots on the inner fenders where the paint was chipped or scratched. I plan on going over those with some touchup paint. Here's a pic of the engine bay stripped down. It took about 3 months. I'm in the process of doing the same thing to another car at the moment.
WD-40 does do a good job at cleaning and putting a gloss on things, but it also leaves a film residue and is quite flammable, even after it has dried. Not always a good idea in an engine bay! Washing it off is probably a good idea.
heavy coat of WD40 let it sit
wash the WD40 with dish soap or degreaser (and some scrubbing and brushing), rinse and it'll take the grime with it
may need repeats
NOTE: As Banzai said, WD40 is flammable so do this with a cool engine, take the appropriate precautions and wash thoroughly
I will try using WD40, is letting it sit overnight the right thing to do?
I also will try some mineral spirits while I'm at it. Both solvents will be followed by a rinse of lestoil and water.
I will let everyone know if I need to scrub the area with a toothbrush and Q-Tip's!
Hi everyone, I am in the process of replacing my drivetrain on my 88 GXL.
While I have access to my empty engine compartment I want to clean it.
After using two cans of engine degreaser, spraying with a general purpose cleaner, and spraying with lestoil at the recommended 1 cup to a gallon on hot water.
I still have a coating of grime that will not wash off!
Do I really have to go at this with a toothbrush and cleaner to remove it?
There has to be a quick and easy way to clean off years of grime without ruining the remaining paint that still exists!
I will try using WD40, is letting it sit overnight the right thing to do?
I also will try some mineral spirits while I'm at it. Both solvents will be followed by a rinse of lestoil and water.
I will let everyone know if I need to scrub the area with a toothbrush and Q-Tip's!
I never tried overnight, try 30mins to an hour, you don't want it to dry out.
I then use dish soap like dawn in water with a brush or rag/towel to scrub. Lestoil should work too.
might be speaking out of turn here, but aren't mineral spirits just two shakes away from paint remover?
Yes! Careful with those!
I've also used non-chlorinated brake cleaner but it's dangerous! Once I had the fumes catch fire from a citronella candle that was 10-15 ft away... The hose was on so I sprayed it quickly and nothing happened... Imagine the oh-sh moment when your peripheral vision catches the flame traveling from the candle to your car in what seemed like slow motion 😅
Yeah my advice is, just give the 'bay a quick clean every time you wash the car, and a wipe every time you open the bonnet. Even if you just get a bit of it every time, it will end up clean.
degreaser, wd40, silicon spray, friggen tyre foam. All of the above, either or. I would stay away from power washing. If it doesn't come off with the pressure from your thumb on the end of the hose you need to wipe, scrape or brush it off
Big bucket of dish soap and a rag. If it's good enough for the little duckies, it'll work for degreasing the engine bay too. Rinse and let dry well, then go through priming and painting as needed.
might be speaking out of turn here, but aren't mineral spirits just two shakes away from paint remover?
I have used mineral spirits as a cleaning agent for years now. It never acted as a finish remover, I just used it to clean the grime buildup in a gas cap cavity where soap and water did not do the job. After scrubbing with a toothbrush it loosened the grime which I rinsed away with some general purpose cleaner and water. Looks brand new and it did not effect the paint in any way!
Tip: Let the MS sit for a couple of minuets before scrubbing, let the solvent do the work.
Yeah my advice is, just give the 'bay a quick clean every time you wash the car, and a wipe every time you open the bonnet. Even if you just get a bit of it every time, it will end up clean.
degreaser, wd40, silicon spray, friggen tyre foam. All of the above, either or. I would stay away from power washing. If it doesn't come off with the pressure from your thumb on the end of the hose you need to wipe, scrape or brush it off
What is this "wash the car" thing you speak about?!
I've also used non-chlorinated brake cleaner but it's dangerous! Once I had the fumes catch fire from a citronella candle that was 10-15 ft away... The hose was on so I sprayed it quickly and nothing happened... Imagine the oh-sh moment when your peripheral vision catches the flame traveling from the candle to your car in what seemed like slow motion 😅
Oh it was heart pounding! I didn't know Brake Cleaner fumes are heavier than air or so it seemed. The candle was on the floor 15 ft or so away and the flame looked like traveling on an invisible wave from there to the engine bay, and the sound! WHOOSH!
Oh it was heart pounding! I didn't know Brake Cleaner fumes are heavier than air or so it seemed. The candle was on the floor 15 ft or so away and the flame looked like traveling on an invisible wave from there to the engine bay, and the sound! WHOOSH!
Chemistry is cool when you know about it, if you don't know, it's Magic!
Sometimes good, sometimes not! The graveyard is full of people who mixed the wrong household chemicals together!
If you are not sure, research it online, it only takes a minute.
Hi again,
I am slowly cleaning off the oil and grime, now I am down to using a toothbrush and mineral spirits, rinsing with general purpose cleaner, then water. The hard-to-reach areas get the Q-tip treatment! Thirty minutes of this and I'm done for the day, unless I have some liquid refreshment.
The following picture is the worst area I have to deal with, should I dismantle this side to get access to the rust? Or just turn a blind eye and spray and pray?
I have areas that still have factory undercoating on them, it comes loose with mineral spirits and a toothbrush, again, slow going!
