Engine cleaning?

[SADLER 18]

Hi guys,

Just looking for some advice.

Going to be tidying up the engine bay over winter, I don't want to take the engine out so going to my best with the engine in.

Just wondering if any one has any tips on products to get the block cleaned up? Think I will be taking the inlet and other bits of the get them painted.

Would appreciate the advice.

Cheers jake

[VR6Pete 1,455]

Hi Jake,

 

I went down the vapour blasting route with my inlet manifold and rocker cover and then polished the faces of the inlet.

 

 

for the block, black hammerite will do the job once you've given it a good cleaning up with engine degreaser. takes a lot of elbow grease though...

 

other things like replacing bolts for stainless ones, and getting brackets etc... shot blasted and powder coated really does tidy things up a bit

 

Re-wrapping looms / wires in cloth tape also freshens things up, with a little color coding

 

Baby wipes are pretty good for detailing the engine bay as well and getting into those hard to reach places.

 

you will no doubt scuff your knuckles so get that swear jar out too!

[Lukey. 381]

While you have the inlet off replace the rocker cover gasket too as that will leak oil immediately all over your fresh painted engine.

Go to a motor factors and get a full box of aerosol brake/clutch cleaner, this stuff will blast the crap off everything along with a lot of effort scraping/wiping etc.

Hammerite will work well as an engine paint, I repainted my whole engine top to bottom with it with no issue, I don't envy you doing it with the engine and gearbox still in, it took me about 3 or 4 days to fully degrease and clean my engine and gearbox and paint it all when I had the head and gearbox out which gave much better access to all the nooks and crannies.

[SADLER 18]

Thanks for the advice guys, really appreciate it. As stupid as it sounds, never even thought of painting the engine with hammerite.

 

Sounds like its going to be a bit of a pain de greasing the engine but will definatly be worth it once its done.

 

Is there any particular bolts that you would recommend changing Pete? Your engine bay looks amazing by the way, love the samco hose's, been looking into getting some black ones once iv sorted the bay. 

 

Luke, it would be much easier to take my engine out like you did, just don't really have anywhere to do it other than my drive, so think its going to be scrapped knuckles and plenty of swearing for me haha.

 

Over the weekend then I will buy:

- lots of engine de greaser 

- cloth tape

- hammerite

- baby wipes 

- rocker cover gasket

and get other bits like bolts and things painted along the way. 

 

Thanks for the advice lads, helps out alot. 

[Lukey. 381]

Yea I didnt just take everything out to paint it lol I did the headgasket, full timing chains and a load of other stuff at the same time, just having it all out I can see how hard it would be to acess in situ

[SADLER 18]

Haha I know, would be pretty mad to do that lol

It will be hard I imagine, will just have to see how I get on, if it is a nightmare I will just try and do the best I can lol

[VR6Pete 1,455]

There are companies where you can just take all your nuts / bolts etc... and they will match them up for you !

Naturally some could be high tensile but the majority of on show bolts are not torqued up much anyway.

Many thanks for the comments on my engine bay ! Taken a lot of work and still room for improvement!!

Club Chairman

[SADLER 18]

Thanks for all the advice Pete.

I'm going to get things started this weekend. When I have eventually finished it I will post up a picture.

Thanks again