Engine Oxidation Cleaning ideas?

[drj02]

Can anyone advise on what would be the best cleaning solution for this type of engine oxidation?

[ImpalaSlayer]

take it off and have it painted or powder coated, then all you have to do is wipe it with a rag

[DOOM]

Chrome it! :D :coolman:

[CBT]

Chrome it! :D :coolman:

LMAO!! Some things never change, no matter how long you take a break from here.

[SC Cheesehead]

LMAO!! Some things never change, no matter how long you take a break from here.

:hijack: Yeah, Doomie's still in love with midgets....

[babbage]

I'd use some scotch bright, to clean it off. Coat the whole engine bay with WD-40

Use AMSOIL HD metal protctor for underneath the car. I'm guessing you don't store your MM in a garage??

[SC Cheesehead]

I'd use some scotch bright, to clean it off. Coat the whole engine bay with WD-40

Use AMSOIL HD metal protctor for underneath the car. I'm guessing you don't store your MM in a garage??

I hadn't heard of using WD-40, here's the stuff I use. Works well, and displaces water, so you can spray it on after washing the engine down.

http://www.mslt4tires.com/

[fastblackmerc]

WD-40 in the entire engine bay??? Why????

The best thing to do it powdercoat or paint it. Since it natural aluminum you have to do something to protect it.

I use a good engine cleaner for the grease, elbow grease on the tough spots, some aluminum cleaner on the stains and after it's dry I use CD-2 Engine Detailer. Have only been able to find it at AutoZone.

[gdmjoe]

drj02 - Can anyone advise on what would be the best cleaning solution for this type of engine oxidation?
To re-tain/gain the natural aluminum finish .....

Brass polishing brushes - tooth paste size and/or Dremel wheel type.

And then coated with ( as others noted ) WD-40.

[DOOM]

I never heard of putting WD-40 on a engine bay.

Am I missing something? :confused:

[drj02]

Thanks all!! I just adopted her so I need to start a base line from a detail standpoint. This was one of the areas I definately would like to address. Once fixed, moving forward, it should be fine.

[n3fvg]

I never heard of putting WD-40 on a engine bay.

Am I missing something? :confused:

An old car show engine detailing trick. Also "protects & preserves" everything exposed. HOWEVER...since it WD-40 is a petrolium based product, it isn't great for your wire insulation, plastic connectors, etc.

[Blackened300a]

WD-40 also stinks when it gets hot and that smell will last for a while. I use regular tire shine as a detail on the engine. For the aluminum, your best bet is a scotchbrite pad to remove some of the heavy oxidation then use a toothbrush with some mothers aluminum polish in the tight areas. The worst is doing the cam covers on the 04's and late 03's with bare aluminum.

[fastblackmerc]

An old car show engine detailing trick. Also "protects & preserves" everything exposed. HOWEVER...since it WD-40 is a petrolium based product, it isn't great for your wire insulation, plastic connectors, etc.

But it never dries so it will attract dust and dirt. That's why you don't use silicone-based sprays either.

[babbage]

Guys WD-40 *is* safe for electrical. His whole engine bay is oxidizing and rusting!

Look at the bolts they are a rusty brown color. WD coats and stops the oxidation from happening, spray it everywhere externally on engine bay. Do not use it to clean your MAF however.



What does WD-40 do?

WD-40 fulfills five basic functions:
1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material.
2. DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
3. PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
4. LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and tenaciously held to all moving parts.
5. PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.




What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 on?

WD-40 can be used on just about everything. It is safe for metal, rubber, wood and plastic. WD-40 can be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40.

[CBT]

An old car show engine detailing trick. Also "protects & preserves" everything exposed. HOWEVER...since it WD-40 is a petrolium based product, it isn't great for your wire insulation, plastic connectors, etc.

I thought WD-40 stood for Water Displacement-got it right on the 40th try? It was designed specifically for drying wet wires and connections. And since wire insulation and plastic connectors are also petroleum based, how would they get hurt by hitting them with a petroleum based product? Not being a smart ass, just wondering what makes you say it. Did you have something happen when you did this that we should know about?

[Joe Walsh]

To re-tain/gain the natural aluminum finish .....

Brass polishing brushes - tooth paste size and/or Dremel wheel type.

And then coated with ( as others noted ) WD-40.

Good point!!

Do NOT use steel wool on raw aluminum...it is harder than aluminum and particles of the steel wool become embedded in the aluminum's surface...then you have a real mess!

I would at least remove the upper lid and have it bead blasted.
Then you'll have a nice bright natural aluminum upper intake.
As others have noted, painting and even better is powdercoating the upper intake.

[Glockafella]

GREEN Scouring pads with brass brushes, and a bucket of dish soap water...then a lot of elbow grease, elbow grease, elbow grease...mine looked like yours and now it looks nearly new, a little work every time I cleaned the motor is all it took. Dont go overboard the first time and expect fantastic results, you'll get frustrated fast. Patience.


I actually wet sanded mine with some super ultrafine wet sandpaper and used mothers mag/alum wheel polish on it. That get a lot of the deep black crud out of the metal.

[SMOKE]

I used to use the stuff ALL OVER an ATV I used (after a thorough delousing of course). It'd bake up a bit on the next ride but BOY was it easy to clean.

Play, get dirty, clean, coat w/ WD-40 and repeat :burnout:

Good stuff and one of my first-grab's for cleaning inside of wheels, polishing metal /w brass or plastic brushes, adhesive remover, cleaning lawn equipment, on and on and on....

Dunno if it is WIDELY available but I used "Hondabrite" that a buddy gave me. It's a chemical available to Honda tech's and did a SOOPER job on my engine with virtually no scrubbing....

Best,
Jonathan

[SMOKE]

I used to use the stuff ALL OVER an ATV I used (after a thorough delousing of course). It'd bake up a bit on the next ride but BOY was it easy to clean.

Play, get dirty, clean, coat w/ WD-40 and repeat :burnout:

Good stuff and one of my first-grab's for cleaning inside of wheels, polishing metal /w brass or plastic brushes, adhesive remover, cleaning lawn equipment, on and on and on....

Dunno if it is WIDELY available but I used a bottle of "Hondabrite" that a buddy gave me. It's a chemical available to Honda tech's and did a SOOPER job on my engine with virtually no scrubbing....

Best,
Jonathan

[Joe Walsh]

Dunno if it is WIDELY available but I used a bottle of "Hondabrite" that a buddy gave me.
It's a chemical available to Honda tech's and did a SOOPER job on my engine with virtually no scrubbing....



Jonathan,
It may be the best engine cleaner in the world...but I'd never buy it!

Besides it is a contradiction in terms!....:D

[ImpalaSlayer]

i for one would NEVER spay wd40 all over my engine.

1. it smells like ****

2. its a ***** to clean off

3. it smells like ****

4. did i mention it stinks?


do it right the first time, pull it off (not hard at all) and powder coat it or paint it. it will look better then new

[tbone]

The smell wears off after a short ride. Spray it on and wipe off the excess. Good stuff and good for the engine bay. Use it on my ATV as well.