Clean your engine now! A history of my engine cleaning. Pics inside.............

[MAXIMUS Nismo]

Ok, so I've had this car for 8 months now and I've clean the engine twice. Here are the pics. And a question for you all at the end.Note, click each picture and a 1600x1200 version will open in a new window. Took a while to make this post but at least the dialup folks wont be hurting too much.

First, the original Engine picture when I just got it. How can a car get this dirty?



After washing the engine for the first time, this was the result. The method was ; cover the electrical components, get any engine degreaser, spray liberally, scrub with a nylon brush or toothbrush as needed, then blast it off with water. Let engine idle till dry. Some degreasers say to use a warm engine, some say the engine must be cool. Read carefully.



THe last time I cleaned it was a few weeks ago. This time I used a rew method. This was taught to me by Buddy (Bud240 I think his username is) who I met at the Mini NICO meet we had in Baltimore.

Get Orange clean, yeah I said orange clean. The thing that is hawked on TV every day. I couldnt find it so i used Orange blast which I got for $2. Similar method to the engine degreaser but I didn't use any water to blast it off. I used a wet rag to wipe it off instead.



While cleaning it, I decided to remove a few parts and really clean what I could reach.

I took the Air filter box out and saw this at the bottom

Looking from the front of the car, on the right side, where the fog light is, the above picture connects to this box.

How do I remove this box?

I want to make a channel that brings some of the air from the front dam, straight to the air box.

Please let me know what you think. ANy thing else I can do? What methods do you use and do you have any pics?

[Florida240sx]

Nice clean up job.Wish my engine was shiny.

[kouki-gymkhana]

The box in the pic is some kind of noise-reducing apparatus for the intake. I removed mine from my s13 when I swapped in the RB25. Getting it out wasn't too tough at all...but then again I had already removed the entire front bumper assembly so access was not an issue. As for your plans to create a scoop to funnel cold air to the intake, I think a cone air filter would serve you equally well. I know a couple of guys who actually mounted the cone in place of the box so it essentially gets fresh air through the driver's side air intake on the bumper. I think fabricating a scoop might be a little risky because if you plow through a puddle you might be funneling that water right into your intake. Hydrolock is no fun...

Just my $.02.

[NIGHTfall_240sx]

hey i posted an headlight/engine clean up here on nico when i first got my S14, and mine was with that same product.its good stuff

zer...age=1

[naed240sx]

I have an aem intake. I removed that box by taking out maybe 2-4 screws, just pull on it from below, try to figure out where its attached then find the screws and remove. Really simple. Sorry that i cant tell u exactly where to look. Try turning the wheel all the way to the left to have access to the box from the back. I cut the hole that led from the engine bay to that box to a larger diameter, then ran some air ducting from the front dam to the hole. Feeds cold air to the intake.

[KRUZNBY]

I'll be looking for some Orange Blast tomorro.

[GEO]

It's 4 bolts inside the bottom of the box..

[D Money]

i think you need to turn the wheel to the right, and move that airdam/ fenderliner out of the way

[MAXIMUS Nismo]

thx for the replies, I'm gonna try the headlight thing next KNight. Geo, what 4 screws you talking about?

[jgtc_s14]

i think you need to turn the wheel to the right, and move that airdam/ fenderliner out of the way

yup thats how i removed it

[Veriest1]

Wow, that looks awsome. I'm truly impressed.

Is the orange cleaner type stuff petroleum based?

[hudy]

Billy Mays can sell anything!

[Henry G]

I did the same thing.. although I removed my engine to do it all. lol Looks good man!

[Jookmasta]

im going to walmart to buy that orange stuff tomorrow.....................

[KRUZNBY]

I got a bottle of the Orange Blast "Degreaser" at Wal-Mart yesterday and gave the headlights a good cleaning. I'd say it definatly looks better, but still not as clear as I would like. At least it is an improvement.

[cyrus240sx]

for headlights use mothers mag wheel polish... works wonders

[KRUZNBY]

for headlights use mothers mag wheel polish... works wonders

That stuff is great! My headlights are much clearer now compared to using the orange blast.

Thanks for the tip!

[lonelywanderer]

that mag polish works wonders on the hedlights.... gonna try clean my engine now

[swwifty]

hate to bring this back from the dead, but could you provide a exact list of the "electrical components" you covered? What did you guys use to cover them? Just a towel? I can list most of them off, but want to make sure I am not missing any. Thanks guys....

[AJ1356]

you know that is a pretty good question, i was wondering the same. as far as that little box , when i removed mine it was full of water, basically it sets where the SMIC sets and covers that whole for the piping, i have nto found any functions for it. so it went to the garbage. good cleaning by the way, can i hire you to do mine ??lol..

[drifter_for_life06]

looks good

first glacen of first pic i was thinking "damn thats bad lighting" then i realized it was dirty

[Hellion240sx]

so what "electrical parts" wrere covered up and with what?

very good job indeed

[drifter_for_life06]

and i think you shoudl cover your filter with a few rags, fi you have an open element filter

[comablack783]

bump, also wondering what electrical parts where covered, is there anything else besides the filter and electrical parts that you dont want to get wet or soapy?

[cyrus240sx]

i would think the electrical components he covered are the distributor, maf, and fuse box, and make sure not to get your airfilter wet.... if its a open element i would take it off and shove a couple rags in the hole ( make sure to pull them out afterwards lol) and make sure you dont get any water pooling up in the holes on the valave cover where the spark plugs go...

[MAXIMUS Nismo]

i would think the electrical components he covered are the distributor, maf, and fuse box, and make sure not to get your airfilter wet.... if its a open element i would take it off and shove a couple rags in the hole ( make sure to pull them out afterwards lol) and make sure you dont get any water pooling up in the holes on the valave cover where the spark plugs go...

sry for the late reply, but that is exactly what you should cover.

I got a bit too happy with the hose and got some water in my spark plugs. Not a lot, but enough to cause sputtering and general scary crap happening.

Used a compressor and blew it out and all was good.

hmmmm...............I think it's due for another wash now. And the maxima also.............

[drifter_for_life06]

you might not even NEED to cover the electrical stuff

my friend hoses his engine bay on his sentra at least 2-3 times a week and doesnt cover anything at all nto even his filter(its wdged with foam down int eh fender) and he ahsnt had any problems

im sure ti would be a good idea, but so far no seriosu negative consequences ahve resulted

[Hellion240sx]

man i am not taking any chances on messing up my blacktop

[smokey240sx]

nice bay