A clean and well-maintained engine performs excellently and has a high resale value. In addition, it will be easier to spot a damaged part, change spark plugs and keep clean the car’s automotive fluids. When the engine is not cleaned regularly, it might appear old and it will be less effective in performance. In this article, we’ve provided you the steps that you need to properly degrease your car engine so that it still looks new.
First, begin by assembling the right items to degrease the engine. This entails things like plastic bags, air compressors, air hoses, nylon brushes, wire brushes, painter’s tape, chemical-resistant gloves, and drip pans. If you have these types of equipment ready, then you can go ahead and start the process of decreasing your car engine.
For a degreaser to function well, the grease needs to be warm and soft. Therefore, you should start the engine and enable it to operate for around 10 minutes. After this period, shut the engine down and allow it to cool so that you can touch the manifold.
Seal the electrical parts of the engine such as the alternator and distributor so that an electrical circuit is not completed. Use plastic bags to seal them. These parts are very sensitive and should not be decreased at all. Then, you can go ahead and apply the degreaser.
But before applying the degreaser, you should have the right cleaner. Many professionals warn against the use of harsh petroleum-based cleaners in engine parts. This is because they damage rubber and vinyl parts. A great alternative to this is water-based or citrus cleaner. These are environmentally friendly and not harsh on rubber or vinyl parts.
When you start to apply the degreaser, it is recommended to commence from the lower areas to the upper parts. This greatly avoids the degreaser from dripping on you as you clean the under part of your car. After degreasing the engine, ensure that you wash any excess cleaner from the outside painted places of the hood, grille, and fenders.
With regard to the amount of grease on your engine, enable the degreaser to soak for around 5 minutes. Always keep your eyes on the degreaser so that it doesn’t dry out. Apply a brush on the hardened parts of the engine so that you can get all the grease and oil from them. For the other fragile parts, use a car wash mitt to get rid of the grease and oil from the engine. Also, a soft brush or car wash mitt will get into crevices and are tricky parts of the engine and as a result, clean the engine well.
After cleaning, you can now clean the entire engine with water. Apply the hose on the engine bay with water, the pressure should be moderate. In no time, your engine bay will be looking clean and sparkling. The dirt, grime, oil, and grease will be all gone. If you see some remains of dirt or grease, you can wipe them off using a cloth.
When you are convinced that you’ve done a great job, you can now go ahead and remove the plastic bags so that the electric parts of the engine can be free again. Then, turn the engine on and let the car idle for around 10 minutes. This action will dry out the remaining water on the engine parts.
You are now good to go. When decreasing your car, you can do it in a shade. You should degrease your engine more often so that it can be in the best condition and operate smoothly.
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