How To: Detail Your Engine Like a Professional

I have to admit this is a good write up I haven't had the pleasure of reading before. Thank you .... very nice Nick!!!!
 
2006 Pontiac Torrent...1st Engine Detail (7yr old dirt)
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Much Better
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THANKS AUTOGEEK COMMUNITY!!!:props:
 
Great write up Nick,

So it would seem most of the newer cars have plastic covering which makes cleaning a breeze. but on older cars everything is exposed. Is there anything down low in the engine bay that could be effected by water as it going down where one can not reach?

And how do you guys who detail go about such things if asked by a customer. Are some cars just to iffy where you would want to stay away from? If a car is old it may have cracks or leaks you can not see, if something gets wet your to blame. Is it possible to use an engine bay cleaner than maybe just a towel to wipe, than a QD to wipe down followed by a trim spray?

The alternator and intake are easy, the wires are what freaks me out.
 
You are really a pro. Thanks for the write up because it was really informative and useful. I don't know what to say because you nailed it all right.
 
Legacykid said:
The alternator and intake are easy, the wires are what freaks me out.
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The connectors on cars have been sealed for ages; even my el-cheapo 1983 Toyota had sealed connectors. That was 30 years ago.

Pull a connector apart and you'll see a rubber seal/o-ring within the housing. As for the wiring entering the back of the connector, those are sealed as well...if it is a quality car.
 
Am I the only one that caught the fact that there is no information included on how the covered wiring connectors, alternator, etc... were cleaned without using water??? Any tips on that? I know how I do it, but I'm always open to learning better ways.

Input?
 
Darkhorsefive0 said:
Am I the only one that caught the fact that there is no information included on how the covered wiring connectors, alternator, etc... were cleaned without using water??? Any tips on that?
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See one post above your post...^

Unless you have an old car where they didn't use quality water proof connectors, why would you cover them.

My old 1983 Toyota Corolla even had sealed connectors and anything these days, every connector is sealed with O-rings and rubber seals where the wire enters the connector. If they aren't...cheap car.
 
Darkhorsefive0 said:
Am I the only one that caught the fact that there is no information included on how the covered wiring connectors, alternator, etc... were cleaned without using water??? Any tips on that? I know how I do it, but I'm always open to learning better ways.

Input?
Click to expand...

Sorry to resurrect an old thread :)

Electrical connectors, really the plastic part thereof can be cleaned with a cable cleaner. This type of cleaner has a very high dielectric strength that won't cause a short circuit or track, and removes grease and contaminants at the same time. Something like Pow-R-Wash breaks down above 62kV, so 12 V systems are fine :)
Cleaning the metal parts of the connector , such as CRC 32 is OK, but on some plastics, CRC is too aggressive, causes the plastics to go sticky.

Application of the cable cleaner is spray on to a (tooth) brush, rub in then wipe dry with a cotton rag. It doesn't matter if all the chemical remains in the smaller cavities, it won't cause a short circuit.
 
ive been wanting to do mine for a while now but keep putting it off. i just dont want to have any problems afterward. i hope saran wrap and tinfoil is actually good enough to cover the appropriate components. watched a video online last week. this guy claiming how easy it was and you can wet this and wet that. then he goes to start it and it making noises and had blown sparkplugs.

im going to be using mckees cleanse all anyway
 
Darkhorsefive0 said:
Am I the only one that caught the fact that there is no information included on how the covered wiring connectors, alternator, etc... were cleaned without using water??? Any tips on that? I know how I do it, but I'm always open to learning better ways.

Input?
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the magic of the internet. thats why ive been hesitating on mine. the car in this thread for example looks great but for all we know it didn't start after the detail lol. im sure it did but im just saying you never know


anyway, here's my engine if anyone has any tips?

 
From a retail detailing perspective, I would suggest not offering engine shampoo as a service offering. We stopped offering this service over 10 years ago. Too many electronics under the hood to cause issues and headaches. The risk to reward is not beneficial in offering it. Not to sound negative, just providing my two cents from working in the detail world since 2004.
 
fightnews said:
the car in this thread for example looks great but for all we know it didn't start after the detail lol.
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I have never had an issue detailing my engine and I have been doing so since 1983.

If you buy a quality car and back then they were very basic as it is all I could afford, the connectors were all O-ringed as well as sealed at the wiring end where the wire enters the connector.
 
What are your thoughts on this? Skip to 4:20 if you want to get right to it. I think this may be the best way to do it. I've been using a hose for 20 years and never had an issue. However, this machine is intriguing.

YouTube
 
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