General Engine Detailing?

[BradThomas]

Just been having a look and most websites so to use a hose to clean the engine, bearing in mind it says "Most Modern Engines"

As i've got nothing to do for a while i was thinking of cleaning the engine and i'm guessing using hose and just soaking the engine will probably kill it!

looking at the Punto engine, Fiat haven't really made it water prone much... well i'm guessing not.

so really i'm just wondering what i could use/do when cleaning the engine on an MK2.

I'd be pretty scared to use the hose on it incase it floods it! D:

And I don't wanna take the engine apart to clean it I can manage with taking the air filter off, battery out, wipers out etc...

But I don't want to start messing with the engine itself haha

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

jug of water, pour it where its needed then

 

[Seanantasy]

Done mine many a time especially in the winter with all that dam salt.
I use a damp cloth mainly for all the large areas, and u can use an old dry cloth to wipe after.
For some of the areas of the engine that can use some lube or protection from getting rusty I used old engine oil I kept after a service or wd40 and I tend to undo many of the bolts/screws and re-grease them as it can be very beneficial in the future as otherwise when you need to undo something to fix/change and you find a bolt/screw is rusted shut in place over the years. :bang:

Becareful not to wet areas such as where the sparkplugs are and the belt drive and alternator and very importantly the fuse box and battery areas as you really don't want water sitting in your fusebox!

If you really are bored, why not change the airfilter for a Ford Focus induction kit (£25 on Ebay) (really adds a lovely roar when you're driving!!) while you're in the engine bay anyway and maybe a wiring touch-up kit (£10) make the engine bay clean and looking sporty at the same time.
I do highly recommend touching up rust areas, such as the big bolts for the suspension that sit in a cupped area and catch water = rust. And any other rusting areas. Sand the rust down and touch-up with some Hammerite.

 

[BradThomas]

Just took air filter and had a look and tried to clean few bits will get some proper engine cleaner soon

Also just opened the oil filler cap and the oil is rock solid D: what the hell does this mean (last picture)

 

[benny279]

id be careful with using a hose pipe or jet wash over the engine, did this once myself....no damage by the way but car was like in limp mode for a good 5-10 minutes and it was all good again, wherever thats just my engine or its all punto engines as in 1.2 8v engines in the mk2s.
after engine dries car will resume back to normal state, i guess the water touched one or more sensors who knows but mine is ultra senstive especially to big puddles on left hand side.....

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Also just opened the oil filler cap and the oil is rock solid D: what the hell does this mean (last picture)

Regular oil changes have been neglected over the years. Just pop the lid back on and forget about it but change the oil when you should

 

[benny279]

Regular oil changes have been neglected over the years. Just pop the lid back on and forget about it but change the oil when you should

:yeahthat:

 

[BradThomas]

I'm getting more concerned about all these oil deposits, it says if it is not dealt with it can cause accelerated wear of the engine and all kinds of things D: looking at it again i guess the oil hasn't been changed in the last year at least! i'm surprised the engine hasn't died LOL

 

[benny279]

i can only assume you done a recent oil change to rectify that?

 

[souleh]

Just took air filter and had a look and tried to clean few bits will get some proper engine cleaner soon

Also just opened the oil filler cap and the oil is rock solid D: what the hell does this mean (last picture)

The inside of my rocker cover is the same, previous owner didn't maintain it. I'm wanting to take it off and clean it but it hasn't long since been taken off / resealed and it isn't leaking for a change.

 

[fingers99]

I'd take it off (the steel bit will detach from the aluminium cover once you have that off) and clean it and the breather -- degreaser or solvent). You'll need a new rocker cover gasket, solvent, and some gasket goo. Lots of guides on how to refit the gasket here and in the Cinquecento/Seicento section.

As said, it speaks of neglect, or maybe also of very cheap oil.

Consider a flushing oil -- the sump may be full of slightly softer (we hope!) gunge.

Neglect and Puntos go together. But they do seem to stand up to it remarkably well.

 

[atom0007]

For some of the areas of the engine that can use some lube or protection from getting rusty I used old engine oil I kept after a service or wd40 and I tend to undo many of the bolts/screws and re-grease them as it can be very beneficial in the future as otherwise when you need to undo something to fix/change and you find a bolt/screw is rusted shut in place over the years. :bang:
.

I used to think that this was a common sense good idea, but now I'm fairly convinced it's almost a total waste of time.

The thing you have to compare is the relative time saving, and if you can genuinely take off all the really painful screws (strut clamps screws are an example)

I recall a thread where a guy idled his car for minimum 5 minutes before driving off.