Engine Bay Sparkle

[wrxnews]

^^ One every three months, that way you don't have to do an oil change either

[SubSmurfTi]

Nice engine bay Kean! I think I will use the hose for the first scrub down to get the major stuff off, then go through it with the simple green and some clothes.

When I went to look at the car, I was in fact hoping that it wasn't cleaned prior. Cleaning can be either a sign of being meticulous or trying to hide something, but one always needs more than just inferences.

Cosmetically, the car has some door dings, bumper scratches, and things of that nature, but for the deal I got those things are easily fixable. Mechanically it's in fine shape; the previous owner wasn't a meticulous cleaner, but he had a notebook full of service receipts done every 3K miles.

[Sinister]

use the full concentrated simple green instead of diluting like the instructions say, and let it sit for a few minutes... see if that helps. Works well on mine!

[Kean]

Consider what the process of cleaning an engine bay removes. If I'm buying a car, I want to see all the juice, smears, and smudge coming out of the motor, gearbox, axles, connections, hoses, etc.

Your engine bays look terrific. I'd not buy that car.

....personally, I find it makes it much easier to spot leaks & damage to boots, seals, seeping gaskets, etc. If I were to buy a used car I could also spot damage to bolt heads and such which may be indicative of previous modifications, repairs, etc. When an engine has caked on grime it's not always easy to see where a leak may be originating from and/or the severity of it. Plus, with a high mileage vehicle I'll wager a torn CV boot or two have been replaced, etc. that may have spewed "juice" over parts of the engine compartment (possibly making recognition of current leaks more difficult to spot). Either way, new or significant leaks are likely to be apparent after a thorough test drive and inspection. If the owner is trying to hide something, then there is certainly ways to deceive someone regardless. ....and not much you can do about it unless you're able to see through their deception.

IMO/IME, I don’t see a problem buying a vehicle with a well maintained engine compartment as long as you could thoroughly examine it and/or have it inspected by a third party that knows what to look for.

[Kean]

Nice engine bay Kean! I think I will use the hose for the first scrub down to get the major stuff off, then go through it with the simple green and some clothes.

When I went to look at the car, I was in fact hoping that it wasn't cleaned prior. Cleaning can be either a sign of being meticulous or trying to hide something, but one always needs more than just inferences.

Cosmetically, the car has some door dings, bumper scratches, and things of that nature, but for the deal I got those things are easily fixable. Mechanically it's in fine shape; the previous owner wasn't a meticulous cleaner, but he had a notebook full of service receipts done every 3K miles.

...thanks for the compliment. I would also suggest doing a search over on the Autopia forums to get some more tips, tricks and pointers regarding the subject (detailing).

I have owned my car 7 years now (bought it in Oct. 2002). Like SD_GR I also keep my receipts and record the date/mileage of regular maintenance as well as any repairs, modifications, addition of fluids, etc. It's a throwback from when the car was still under warranty. ....I do the same for our Forester. I have folders and clipboards for each car hanging in my garage. About 90% of the parts I use are OEM (sourced mainly from Subaru Genuine Parts on line).

Whether the engine compartment is dirty or not, meticulous record keeping is a plus in my book when considering a purchase.

[Kean]

use the full concentrated simple green instead of diluting like the instructions say, and let it sit for a few minutes... see if that helps. Works well on mine!

....I would strongly suggest diluting as per the instructions. More is not always better. In this case, it can spell disaster for bare/unprotected aluminum parts. SG is known to cause accelerated corrosion of these surfaces in some cases. They recommend not letting the product dwell any longer than 10 minutes and rinsing it thoroughly. Personally, if you are going to use an SG product, I would opt for one of their other cleaners like Aircraft & Precision Cleaner or Pro HD. I hear there is another that is also aluminum-safe but the name escapes me at the moment.

[SD_GR]

Aircraft & Precision Cleaner

This is good stuff and should cut grime well but not completely wreck alloy surfaces.

[06ImprezaWRXSTI]

That is a VERY good point...

Yeah he's right, my dad bought a 2001 Honday Oddysey a couple weeks ago. So two days ago my dad rebuilt the tranny with his friend, and yesterday I washed the car to get it ready to sell it to make a profit. I was about to clean the engine bay but my dad told me no...because people might think that when you do this you are hiding something and trying to trick them. Even though maybe your a completly honest person, another thing is if the car is mine then yes I would clean the engine bay and make it all shiny and such. But thats a one in a year thing.

[Sasquatch]

use the full concentrated simple green instead of diluting like the instructions say, and let it sit for a few minutes... see if that helps. Works well on mine!

+1 ... only on a cold engine. Been doing this for ~17 years now with zero problems. A clean engine bay is one that is loved.

[Impreza2.0]

Erm, I see there are three ways to go with any engine that is kept outdoors during use...

One: Don't bother cleaning it unless you are just hosing off mud...

...2... Clean it with the best solutions you can find, and make sure they state clearly on the label that the chemicals contained in the solutions are non-corrosive to the materials you are cleaning, get a full knowledge of your engine layout and every material used to construct it, and do this with scheduled regularity...

or... #3, replace everything in the entire engine compartment with forged or billet polished pieces, connect everything with stainless braided hose and Silicone where necessary, and keep the OEM pieces well stored in a cool dry area with enough airbourne moisture to keep the used pieces from drying until cracked (the heat cycles our engines give these pieces keeps their internal moisture balanced, extending their lifespans). Clean this with a low pressure jet washer and some dish soap, and people will cry when they see it. Beauty is in the eye of the jealous.

I believe in the two latter options, no one I know believes in number 2, and I'd love to meet you, responsible car owners are infinitely lacking in my area, barring the two tuners in the neighborhood.

I try very hard to achieve number 3

[Kean]

Erm, I see there are three ways to go with any engine that is kept outdoors during use...

One: Don't bother cleaning it unless you are just hosing off mud...

...2... Clean it with the best solutions you can find, and make sure they state clearly on the label that the chemicals contained in the solutions are non-corrosive to the materials you are cleaning, get a full knowledge of your engine layout and every material used to construct it, and do this with scheduled regularity...

or... #3, replace everything in the entire engine compartment with forged or billet polished pieces, connect everything with stainless braided hose and Silicone where necessary, and keep the OEM pieces well stored in a cool dry area with enough airbourne moisture to keep the used pieces from drying until cracked (the heat cycles our engines give these pieces keeps their internal moisture balanced, extending their lifespans). Clean this with a low pressure jet washer and some dish soap, and people will cry when they see it. Beauty is in the eye of the jealous.

I believe in the two latter options, no one I know believes in number 2, and I'd love to meet you, responsible car owners are infinitely lacking in my area, barring the two tuners in the neighborhood.

I try very hard to achieve number 3

....option 4: Do a little research (there are a multitude of detailing threads/articles discussing topic), acquire a few simple tools/products (you may already have what you need) and (with a little common sense) go at it. ....its not rocket science folks.

[mantosride]

I was hoping to actually see sparkle i saw a guy with glitter paint under his hood it was outrageous

[Impreza2.0]

....option 4: Do a little research (there are a multitude of detailing threads/articles discussing topic), acquire a few simple tools/products (you may already have what you need) and (with a little common sense) go at it. ....its not rocket science folks.

This is during the eBay headlight days, I had replaced most of the reservoirs, and began installing silicone hoses. Alt cover, radiator diffuser, Optima battery...


Here is after the Morettes, got rid of the PIAA foglights, installed Hellas and new grilles which I meshed myself and had painted, replaced ALL reservoirs with Weapon R billet, a few more hoses, and a little wire tucking...

[Kean]

....not my cup of tea but that's moot. ....I think you missed my point.

[Wrinklechops]

This is during the eBay headlight days, I had replaced most of the reservoirs, and began installing silicone hoses. Alt cover, radiator diffuser, Optima battery...


Here is after the Morettes, got rid of the PIAA foglights, installed Hellas and new grilles which I meshed myself and had painted, replaced ALL reservoirs with Weapon R billet, a few more hoses, and a little wire tucking...

All that money you spent on hoses and tanks/bottles/covers could have bought you a better TMIC or something.