I suppose I could talk about the process, since this is the detailing forum.
I started out with Gunk foaming engine degreaser. I find that it is a very good product that gets the top layer of crud off. Detailing an engine isn't like putting out a fire and you have to be careful where you spray things. Always avoid the alternator when you are spraying flamable products like degreaser around. I've seen alternators start on fire when people have been a little too liberal with their products. Basically I just spray the perimeter of the engine bay and do the rest by hand. I knew it wasn't going to do much good on the hoses and plastics that were already messed up, so I stuck to the perimeter. Then I used low pressure water and rinsed it off.
After I rinsed I went back in with some diluted all purpose cleaner and started the real work by hand. Simple Green has the dilution ratios on the bottle if you are using something like that. I was using a product that I ordered online called
White Lightning. Any all purpose cleaner properly diluted would probably produce the same results. My philosophy with engine detailing is that if I can see it, then I can clean it. I've got some great tools that I bought for detailing my motorcycle, but they work great to help push rags and things under hard to reach places. They are called
Slick Stixxx and I've found a million uses for them. They are certianly helpful for motorcycle cleaning if you happen to ride as well. I actually get more use out of them for engine detailing than bikes, but whatever works. I used to just use screw drivers and things that could possibly scratch paint inside the bay, but these are much better because of the plastic tips and rubber coated handles.
After I have cleaned everything that could be cleaned I went to work with a rubber/vinyl cleaner on the hoses and plastics. I use Meguiar's #39 for that kind of thing. It is a very good cleaner that is kind of hard to find. Many auto paint supply shops are Meguiar's and 3M distributors, so I would check there if you are looking for it. I use that product and a tooth brush to scrub the affected surfaces. It took a lot of time on that hose connecting the air box, but finally I got it all cleaned and restored. I was worried that I would need to buy a new one for awhile there.
There were some aluminum pieces that were damaged by the degreaser that I had to take care of as well. I used
Eagle One Nevr Dull on those. It basically looks like cotton that you pull out of the can and then rub on chrome and aluminum parts that need to be shined. It works amazingly well. The things it has done on motorcycles I've restored would amaze you. I only had a couple areas to treat with this, so that went pretty fast.
The final step was to shine everything up. I used CD2 Engine Detailer on that. I've yet to find its equal in what it does. It can lightly clean rubber, paint, and plastic as well as provide a great shine that lasts and lasts and lasts. This is a product that produces the shine that a tire shine product would give you, but without the harmful side effects of messing things up. Heat actually helps this product last even longer. It is a non greasy product that protects hoses and plastics from damage. The things this product has done would also amaze you. The problem is that it is pretty tough to find. Turtle Wax owns CD2 now and they still have it on their website, but you pretty much have to order it online in order to find it anywhere. I get mine off a vendor on Amazon.com. It still runs about ten bucks a can, but I get $60 bucks for an engine detail and one can will do three or four engines in bad shape. They definitely pay for themselves.
That is basically my process for engine detailing. The same process can be used for any engine in just about any shape. The products aren't as important as the process. Just remember that engine detailing doesn't come in a can and usually a bit of elbow grease is required for best results in any detailing project.
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