The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine detailing

other then cleaning, degreaseing, how do the pro's make an engine compartment look like new,, what is the stuff that is sprayed on to give that new glossy look on the hoses, wires,etc,,,and can you by it from the local auto store,,,,thanks,,,,,,Fred

I dunno about pros, but when I prep a car for a show or a cruise, I spend most of my time cleaning. Just having dirt, dust and road grime removed makes a BIG difference. I usually clean the hoses with lacquer thinner. It doesn't leave them shiny, but clean and "rubber-appearing."

You can use Armorall or other things of that nature (just go to your FLAPS [Friendly Local auto Parts Store...tm Larry Kephart] and you'll see a whole wall of this stuff) but I don't like to spray a buncha that stuff under the hood. Just my preference, but I think it gets WAY overdone.

1.Rinse (constantly),
2.De-greaser (lots),
3.Long hair brush (elbow grease),
4.towel-off (for a detail look),
5.dressing (looks only),
If you're careful a pressure washer does well. Stay away from engine seems, electrical, etc.

Brakleen (green non-ox) will remove stuff the degreaser won't. If you're looking to have clean/new looking engine parts...

good luck,
j

I was selling one of our ex commuters recently and touched up all the rubber parts under the hood with a rag wet with tire conditioner. I was shocked, everything looked new.

Brakleen, toothbrush, if it's real greasy, POR 15 Marine Kleen, a little Shaklee Basic-H and water in a small spray bottle then dry with a soft lint-free cloth, MoonShine on hoses and rubber parts(got it from a detail shop in Tulsa--unfortunately don't remember the name)--looks natural, doesn't leave a shine. Whatever you use, just remember that elbow grease is going to be a prime ingredient.

Personally, I don't recommend Armorall. Having tried to paint a dash on a vehicle where Armorall was used exclusively (it took three weeks of cleaning, sanding, priming, repriming, painting, repainting daily), I've banished it from my garage--fisheyes everywhere! :mad: If you are a non-believer, paint something and then go to the other end of your garage and spray some Armorall. Go back and watch the fisheyes form.

I worked for a car dealer in Tulsa detailing cars and we used silicone spray under the hood that makes every thing shinny and new looking for a long time. Also I had this guy detail my VW square backs wheels one time and they stayed shinny for around a month. They looked great! I went back and asked him what he uses and he told me silicone. I just don't know where to get the stuff.

Of the subject a little.
The worst cars to detail were the ones that the owners ate McDonalds in. They were always greasy and dirty with petrified French fries that never rotted or molded away (that should tell you some thing is definitely un natural) and you could never get out that MacDonald's smell, we would even pressure was the carpets!

I have used almost everything that has been on the market trying to find that one thing that will be the easiest to use and look the best.
Lacquer thinner (in moderation) will clean the hoses under the hood and make them look great. It will also remove (most of the time) the labeling or printing on hoses. Brake cleaner will also remover grease very well, but can remove some of the paint. Be careful using it! Carburetor cleaner will do an excellent job of cleaning tires, even white sidewalls.
There is another product on the market that will shine tires and other similar surfaces, but does contain allot of silicone, which is an enemy to ever trying to apply paint to a surface on which it has been used. That product is Auto Magic. It can be bought from the distributor in Richland Hills, a suburb to Fort Worth.
The biggest problem I have had with shinning tires or making them look shinny is if you apply too much material, it will sling off if you drive the vehicle before the product is dry and get on the fenders and side of the car or truck, making a mess. So, I have used clear floor wax on my tires. I buy it at the grocery store in household cleaning products section. Any of the brands work well. You apply (I use a small brush), let dry (usually a shortime) and it stays well until a rain or washed off. Looks good! I do not use it on whitewalls!

Titan got it right ---- I detailed cars professionally for a car dealer, in detail shops, and as a privateer, and the silicone spray does the trick. First clean the entire engine compartment with a pressure washer . After that CLEAN THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH A PRESSURE WASHER. Then do your painting and let it cure. The silicone spray comes last and gives everything a nice new look.