Detailing your engine bay will make hoses look darker and metals look brighter. Plus properly cared for hoses, belts, and other rubber/plastic pieces last longer than those which go uncared for.
Famous car designer/builder Chip Foose often refers to a car’s engine bay as the “jewel box” and the engine as the “jewel.” You’ll be amazed by the amount of impact a shiny “jewel” can have when you are showing your car either simply to a friend or to a larger group at a car show.
You should only need to fully detail your engine bay 1-2 times per year depending on your environmental conditions. You can decrease the number of times per year needed to detail your engine bay by regularly using a quick detailer to keep it clean.
What you’ll need . . .
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Water – you’ll need a water source with a hose and a spray nozzle attached. -
Assorted brushes – nylon bristled brushes such as a body brush, old toothbrushes, and detailing brushes work well.
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Chemical cleaner – various chemical cleaners can be used. A quick detailer spray such as Poorboy’s Spray & Wipe can be used for a dusty engine, Meguiar’s Safe D-Greaser or Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner can be used for moderately dirty engines, and Gunk Engine Cleaner can be used for extremely greasy engine bays.
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Engine dressing – CD2 Engine Detailer and Meguiar’s Hyper Dressing are popular choices. However, almost any vinyl/rubber protectant product can be used.
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Microfiber Towels – cheap microfiber towels from a wholesale club like Costco are a great tool for engine detailing. They’re cheap enough so that you won’t mind getting them really dirty, but they are absorbent and soft like more expensive microfiber towels. Make sure they are clean and that all tags have been removed before use.
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Rubber gloves – using rubber gloves will help to keep dirt and cleaning chemicals off your skin.
How to get it done . . .
1. Make sure the engine is cool. A hot engine should never be detailed. It’s dangerous for both the detailer and the engine.
2. Before opening the hood, spray down the front end of the car with water. This will dilute any over spray or splatter that may land on the fenders. This will help prevent any damage to the finish from grease splatter and cleaner overspray.
3. Open the hood and cover sensitive items like the alternator and the battery with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It’s also a good idea to stuff a towel in the air intake to prevent water from entering.
4. Lightly spray the entire engine bay with water. Do not spray the water directly at the engine. The idea is to simply mist the engine.
5. Spray the entire engine bay generously with your degreaser of choice and let dwell for a few minutes. Don’t forget to spray the underside of the hood too.
6. Scrub all accessible surfaces of the engine bay with a brush. It’s OK to scrub painted areas gently, but take caution not to damage any electrical connections and to avoid the covered areas.
7. Rinse off the entire engine bay and the fenders being careful not to spray water directly at the covered areas or electrical connections.
8. Shut the hood and turn on the engine. Running the engine for 10 minutes or so will dry the engine bay much faster.
9. After 10 minutes shut off the engine and open the hood. Using a microfiber towel dry any remaining water. Make sure to dry the underside of the hood as well.
10. Spray the entire engine bay with your vinyl dressing or CD2 Engine Detailer.
11. Shut the hood again and start the e
ngine. Running the engine again for 10 minutes will help the dressing to dry faster.
12. Open the hood again and wipe off any excess dressing with a clean microfiber towel.
