GolfGTIforum.co.uk

General => The garage => Topic started by: samco-jack on 21 February 2004, 17:09

Title: cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: samco-jack on 21 February 2004, 17:09
Hello buddies,Whats the best way to clean an engine bay and get one of those cover car shine's
oh yer,
 i'v a small hole in the second section of my exhuast,and the breather on the crank case is lose am i loseing power because of it?
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 21 February 2004, 17:45
take your engine apart, chrome everything, buy 7 bottles of brasso, polish it for 3 days solid and then put it in your garage and tow it to a few shows a year ::)

Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: bigkev750 on 21 February 2004, 19:32
ouch thats gotta hurt :)
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: lewis on 21 February 2004, 21:37
You could try steam cleaning it. That could help get some of the surface muck of then use a bit of elbow grease. Don't know how good it would come up as I always worry about 14 year old electric and water mist coming together. Maybe getting some proper engine paint that will take the heat and paint the rocker cover and anywhere else that you can reach but make sure you clean it down properly first. You should take the engine out really to paint it properly (year right). Maybe some sort of brush on aluminium cleaner on the intake manifold and other bits like that. Shrink wrap any exposed wires and change any rusty hose clips. All depends how much money you want to spend on it as to how far you go.
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 22 February 2004, 11:51
i heard steam cleaning is bad for all the hoses, perishes them.
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: kniterider on 22 February 2004, 13:02
depends on how you do it!!!, if you jet steam in all electrical bits your asking for trouble, dont think steam will perish hoses but cleaning em with chemicals etc will (unless u have silicon hoses ie:samco etc), i use a degreasing chemical from work called 'jizer' give it a good going over with that then gently wash off with hose pipe(avoiding electrics if poss) this stuff is biodegradable so its ok to go down the drain, dunno if you can buy this stuff but its better than gunk etc ;D
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 22 February 2004, 16:51
degreasing chemical called jizer ???

ok im gonna be grown up and not make a joke ;D
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 22 February 2004, 17:27

 i'v a small hole in the second section of my exhuast,and the breather on the crank case is lose am i loseing power because of it?

The breather will affect your idle. is it an 8 or 16v? as for the exhasut it wwill blow a bit but dont worry unless it gets well big and loud. you may notice it seems worse in the cold tho
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: samco-jack on 22 February 2004, 19:58
8v
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: Blue MK2 on 22 February 2004, 21:06
Mr Muscle over cleaner on a hot engine should do the trick ;)
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: moonsta on 22 February 2004, 22:16
 :) if you power wash or steam clean it make sure you don't spray the water directly into alternator otherwise you'll lunch it. ;D
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 23 February 2004, 10:40
and use petrol to clean the metal bits. works a treat ;)
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: Blue MK2 on 23 February 2004, 12:11
^^^yeh i use diesel. one of the best oil thinners ive used really ;D
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 23 February 2004, 13:19
and if its really dirty use super unleaded ;D
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: stormin on 22 March 2004, 00:58
why not buy a gallon of parafin its cheaper and does the same job.
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: Dizzie on 22 March 2004, 02:59
I wonder if my car will run on parafin. I'll try it tomorrow. probably like 200 octane or something
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: modulater on 22 March 2004, 03:00
you can get jizer in most motorfactors in a big barrel size and just decant it out, its made by the same people who make swarfega.
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: lairy_1 on 22 March 2004, 12:48
Get a can of Gunk, and get your local Dyno Rod drain cleaner man to blast it off with his high pressure water jet - you need your engine out for this, though, as the pressure they run at easily strips paint straight off. My mate did mine for me yesterday, and it got rid of 15 years of oil and muck in no time at all. And my engine was DITCHED! To give you an idea of how powerful it is - my mate said it can easily cut through your hand if you aren't careful!!!!
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 22 March 2004, 12:57
an oily engine is a happy engine ;D

(thats my excuse anyway)
Title: Re:cleaning and polishing that engine bay?
Post by: 8vgti on 24 March 2004, 13:12
Not that I often go to the stealership, but I took my mk3 to a dealer with a 'cleaning department', who were going to steam clean it for ?10, but after chatting with the guy doing it he did it for free and washed the car off....bargain clean engine. Only thing is if they had done the full job they would have coated the engine with a sealant (like when it comes from the factory) and that would have been ?20 (you can buy a drum of the stuff and apply yourself) but in the end I got a can of sealer and coated the crucial bits.