Maverick's "How to..." Paint/Cleaning Engine Bay is remotely relevant. His advice is on an in-situ engine. Mine is out of the car and quite dirty. Yesterday I used Supercrap's spray degreaser then hosed it oof (plastic bags to electrics) but there is still heaps of gunk on it.

Research on other sites provides varied answers like i wouldnt have believed. A bloke some years ago obtained an enviro-nasty product he applied and hosed off seriously cleaning the power unit. That's what I am after.

If I use paint stripper (caustic soda) will it harm any of the gaskets etc? Are there products that will find their way into those crevices? Then I want advice on what colour engine enamel do I use on a 1976 Mini S please? I think its black but black is a bit boring so please...your comments.

_________________
..still waiting for the Italian Job sequel to see if the bus went down

I would paint kero or diesel on the gunky bits, leave overnight, then wire brush & scrape off, then SuperC's spray degreaser + hose off again. Repeat the degreaser bit until it looks clean (seriously, it is good stuff, better than the rest IMO).

Then, go over it with some grease & wax remover, wipe dry immediately, then paint.
I paint mine with a brush, I find it gives better adhesion than spray and you can work the paint into the nooks and crannies.

_________________
DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

The spray degreaser works well, but will require some scrubbing. Generally on dirty/oily engines, you need to spray it and let it penetrate and loosen up the dirt. Give it a brush and another spray then hose off. Repeat until it's looking nice and clean. Shouldn't take too long.

High pressure spray guns also work a treat but obviously requires more care when blasting an assembled engine.

My engine had about half an inch of dirt mixed with oil plastered to the back of it. I scraped as much off as I could with a stick, then used degreaser with a scrubbing brush, then degreaser with a rag, followed by wax and grease remover. It seemed to clean everything off well, I left it overnight to dry and there was plenty of surface rust by the morning.

Any tips for us DIYers who dont have access to trade quality tools?

_________________
You're so square
Baby I don't care

Degreaser and a tooth brush Hose off . More degreaser and tooth brush. Keep doing until clean. Then wax and grease and wipe off. Yes it takes time

_________________
1969 Cooper "S"
1967 Mini Deluxe
1973 Clubman Van (the fleet spare)
1978 ex 1275 LS ("Wizard" Eaton Supercharged)
2015 HSV GenF GTS(occasional drive & tow car)
2019 MINI F55 Cooper S

a butter knife makes a nice flat blade screwdriver!

_________________
You're so square
Baby I don't care

Pull all the bits off and disassemble it and put it in a parts washer for a couple of days. Work the guts out of it on reassembly and you'll have a clean weapon of mass destruction to paint and be proud of.

_________________
If its got tits or wheels its gonna cost you

1973 Solid side Leyland Mini Panelvan 1100 in Hairy Lime(Elma)
1976 Clubby project in progress
1966 Morris Mini Deluxe in need of a full resto
1971 Mini K Garden Art

I did the above post but broke the motor in two, took the block and box to the local car lovers and hosed the crap out of it. The bits came up better than new but the con was I had to go late at night so as not to attract attention(it was downtown Queanbeyan so no-one is out after martial law is in force )

Probably a bit naughty doing it but really didnt care at the time...

_________________
Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

ive heard pure coca cola syrup works wonders

I've got a block soaking in my parts washer right now.. Along with a few other bits and given another day they should be ready to meet mr Karcher. Should be spiffy and clean by then

_________________
If its got tits or wheels its gonna cost you

1973 Solid side Leyland Mini Panelvan 1100 in Hairy Lime(Elma)
1976 Clubby project in progress
1966 Morris Mini Deluxe in need of a full resto
1971 Mini K Garden Art

Get a wire brush attachment for a grinder and go nuts, worked for me!

Chemtech ct14 mixed with kero then pressure wash off. Yet to find anything it can't remove. Including paint so be careful.

Try using the POR15 product called Marine Kleen, it is a high quality degreaser designed for paint prep. However, please use good gloves and eye protection as it will devolve the fat in your skin and give you terrible burns!