The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop How do you clean an engine?

Hi folks,

I bought a RUNNING '60 GMC from a dealer and when the truck gets here I would like to clean up the engine compartment. here is a link to see what I'm talking about. I'm a bit scared to just hit it with a degreaser and pressure washer.

I figured you folks would know how to. Take a look at the engine and let me know what you think is the best method.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=320035767757&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

First thing I would do is pull the engine and transmission and clean up the engine compartment. While the engine (and transmission) are out detail the engine. Why people spend that much money making the outside and interior look as good as that truck does and then skimp on the time and effort to detail the engine compartment drives me up a wall. For someone who knows what they're doing, they could have that engine out in about 30 minutes.

Lee

Gunk, simple green, Superclean, diesel what have you & a pressure washer-cover the dist & carb w/a plastic bag. Count on drying out the dist afterwards anyway(I use a rag or air hose & WD40)Brian

LeeA,
I can tell you my reason for not detailing the engine compartment before doing all the other stuff. I have two autos I am trying to restore at this time, I have recently decided my best bet is to do a quick paint job on my truck so I have a nice looking classic to drive until I finsh the other, after my car is rebuilt I will go back and do a complete rehab on the truck. If all V-6 is wanting to do is clean the grease off I would agree with 64fleetside that gunk or simple green will do the trick, some people have said in the past to go ahead and drive your truck to a carwash so the engine is warm than spray the cleaner on the engine and let it sit for a few minutes before washing off. hope some of this helps.

Ed

Hi Guys,

You know that I'm a picky sort of person when it comes to my truck but on this one I just going to enjoy it, at least for a year or so. IF the cab is in need to work I may take off the body and do a "detail" job, but as of right now I just would like to clean off the grease. I will do what I can with the simple green and other stuff.

I was a long 6 years on the other to lose it to Katrina, but I suppose it was for the best!


Thanks
Jake

Ed,
To each his own, but it's pet peeve of mine to see nicely detailed vehicles with engine compartments that haven't been touched since they left the factory assembly line. Even more so if they are changing body color... if a person is going to spend a week or more priming and block sanding a body... why not take 30 minutes to pull the engine and spend an extra day in the engine compartment? Now among other things you get to try and match the paint. To do it later requires the now nice hood to come off and maybe the grill and fenders. I'm helping a friend of mine with a Cutlass convertible that was done exactly this way... beautiful car until you pop the hood then it looks looks like something you saw on Pimp my Ride. We've pulled the engine and he is now detailing the engine compartment... a pain in the *** now because we have to be extra careful about not scratching or dinging anything and then having to tape off everything we don't want overspray on.

Lee

V-6,
I've used Simple Green, Purple Stuff, Greased Lightning to pull grease off, but the best thing I've found for hardened grease is a screwdriver/putty knife and oven cleaner. This will also take some paint with it, but it'll strip it clean... maybe too clean if the grease is currently plugging any leaks.

Lee

I'll second the putty knife, I like a 5 in 1 tool used by painter's,etc-get them from the hardware store, it has a pointy side good for getting into crevices. Brian

I question whether or not all of the black that you see in the picture is grease. Looks to me like some of it could be bare metal where the paint has come off. If that is the case, I would pressure wash it to remove all of the weak paint, them prep and repaint.

Do you soak the block in purple stuff and then pressure wash it or do you use some other cleaner to help loosen and removed the old grease?

Jake

I don't have a lot of experience with this, but in the few engines that I have cleaned up, I knocked off the big stuff with a putty knife, sprayed it down with one of the cleaners and then powerwashed... sometimes more than one application. Be careful if you're using oven cleaner while the engine is in the vehicle, it can do some nasty things to paint and plastic parts. And sometimes when you get the engine all nice and clean and start it up, it leaks like a sieve, and after 5 minutes of four-letter words, you wished you wouldn't have started cleaning it in the first place.

Lee

Jake,

How about citrus based cleaner? I have used it on bicycle type stuff and it chews through grease nicely.

I have a jug of the stuff out on the work bench and use it to clean the floors when the engine oil and grease get too thick.

The purple stuff worked OK, but the citrus worked better for me.

Another thing I like for removing grease is wire wheels mounted on a drill. I have several shapes and sizes and so far, that has worked the best to prep before hitting with the pressure hose.

The grease on my truck was so thick that the pressure hose would not even break through it to get to bare metal.

I don't even use cleaners any more. When the engine is completely cool, I use a pressure washer (2750psi) and spend some time getting wet and dirty.

V6- I've found that oven cleaner works better than many of the solvents, it washes off with water, and it has that lemony fresh smell.

Just a caution, the purple stuff I buy is Sodium Hydroxide, "lye".

Lye will attack nonferrous metals. It also likes to eat your skin, so wear rubber gloves and what ever else to protect yourself.

I use it for really dirty stuff, it will even strip some paints.

Check out the ebay picture and let me know what you think?

http://www.sparcy.org/eBay/randy/60GMC-Pickup-Green-13.JPG

Jake

For what you say you want you can do a pretty good job by spraying it with simple green, purple power or whatever your choice and wash it pretty darn good with a regular hose pipe. I have scraped off the big stuff and then soaked them down with cleaner and then a hose pipe. You may have to wash it a couple times. I have a pressure washer but lots of time a good cleaner and hose pipe gets stuff clean enough to work on. Try cover your distributor the best you can and I think you will come out fine. If you do it at home you can let it set for a day and it will dry out and run again!!

does anyone one know where to get the wheels like the ones on v6-modelman's 60 gmc? ron

They are 4wd rally wheels from 1/2 ton 4wd from prolly 75-87 Chevy trucks, I have them on my burb wheel cheap, easy to find, 8" wide. I have 3" stainless rings & repro decals. Brian

One source for those rims are LMC... I can't promise they are the cheapest but I know they have them.

If anyone else knows of some sources please share them as I myself will be looking to invest in the same setup VERY soon.

Thanks

I use GUNK, that's what its designed for. If the engine runs get the block just warm enough to be warm but not so hot you can't rest your hand on it. This will help loosen the grime.

I use a pressure washer with a fan nozzle to rinse it.

On all my other vehicles I pressure wash the engine compartment thoroughly every time I change the oil, then blow it out with an air hose and take a drive. This keeps it pretty clean.

I have always used the foaming gunk engine degreaser.It works great,spray it on and take a trip to the car wash.Some of those dark spots look like bare block "paint's chipped off".Looks like there is very little grease on that motor.

If you decide to paint the engine compartment,bag the truck.This will prevent overspay on that pretty paint job.

Good luck !!!

A few years ago, I cleaned a very dirty 1957 Oldsmobile 371 with kerosene and a tooth brush. The results were pretty good, and it did not damage any of the paint on the engine.

From the looks of the engine in the picture, it looks like it has been de-greased.

I like to scrape off as much of the grease ect before I wash it... so it doesnt end up going down the drain... then simple green or an engine degreaser... and a scrub brush (baby bottle brush) will usually get it clean enough for government work...

Hey Doug, a few years ago I cleaned the latrine with a tooth brush and Pinesol, ha.
Like Mr. Bartlett said, good old Gunk, that's what it's made for! I use kerosene in my cleaning tank for small parts after scraping
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Get this stuff together; You favorite degreaser(at least a gallon), I use castrol super clean, a spray bottle, some dry rags, a can of wd40, a screwdriver to remove the distributor cap, a zip lock bag to cover the carburator,a creeper,and some duct tape.

1. Drive the vehicle to the car wash, park it off to the side and let it sit for an hour.
2. Return to the car wash with enough quarters to last you about 30 min. of spray time.
3. Move the vehicle to the stall.
4. Remove the air cleaner and use the plastic bag over the carb. and duct tape it there.
5.Get on your creeper and spray, spray, spray the degreaser. Now from the top spray, spray, spray everything but inside the alternator or generator with degreaser.
6. Let stand for at least 15 min. then do it again.
7. Pop in enough quarters to last 15 min or so, clean with pressure washer from bottom first everthing you can reach.
8. Pop in some more quarters to do it again from the top.
Never spray directly into the alternator or generator. Washing it off is cool but dont spray directly into the holes.
9. Allow to drip for a few min. and inspect you work. Did you get it all? If not well you are done anyway cause now that it is wet the degreaser won't work. So remove the bag from the carb. Upp's forgot to clean off the air cleaner a couple of quarters more. Install it and try to start the vehicle, don't run down the battery if it won't start. Remove the dist. cap and get the wd40 (Water Displacement 40), wipe out the inside of the cap and the rotor. Spray the wd40 lightly on the points, rotor,and inside the cap. Reinstall the cap,spray the wires,cap,and coil try to restart the engine. It should start now. Good luck.