Cleaned my valve covers...

[Chiketkd]

Up to last weekend, it was pointless to really clean my engine as I had front seals that were leaking oil at a steady rate. All of that changed last weekend when I drove to NJ and had my front seals & timing belt replaced by Tomssvx. Big thanks!

As my car has 118K miles on it, the exterior of my engine (save the intake manifold) has gotten pretty oily over the years. Decided to spend a couple hours today cleaning my valve covers which were especially nasty...



I removed the airbox and battery as if preparing for a sparkplug swap:





Using rags and a powerful degreaser, I went at the valve covers for 1.5 hours, and while they're not perfect, you can clearly see their silver color shining through! I also used the opportunity to clean my fenders underneath the airbox and battery...





Also spent another hour cleaning my throttle bodies and other areas on my engine that have accumulated grime over the years. The final result?



-Chike

P.S. I know...I know...they're support groups for people like me!

[1992SVX]

nice where did u get front seals from

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by 1992SVX

nice where did u get front seals from

Thanks!

Tom picked up some seals from Napa. The timing belt, thermostat, and radiator hoses that we also replaced were from Subaru.

I'm now able to run Mobil 1 synthetic with not a single drip of oil!

-Chike

[1992SVX]

cool thanks

[SVXRide]

Chike,

Missed a spot!

-Bill
p.s. what degreaser did you use?

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by SVXRide

p.s. what degreaser did you use?

I took this pic just for you Bill!



-Chike

[SSSVX]

Pics look good. I love your STi oil cap very much...

Nice and clean. No more dripping...

Any pics on changing seals and timing belt stuff?

Did you change your water pump as well?

[dannmarr]

Isn't grease lightning degreaser harmful on aluminum? That's what I read on it's label.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by SSSVX

Pics look good. I love your STi oil cap very much...

Nice and clean. No more dripping...

Any pics on changing seals and timing belt stuff?

Did you change your water pump as well?

This was the only pic I took during the timing belt change...



We inspected the water pump, and it looked good.

-Chike

[bcpianoman]

I use tire cleaner to keep everything under the hood clean. It couldn't be easier - you just spray it on and walk away (I come back and hose off the painted areas about 10 minutes later). It cleans everything.

If oil has built up you may have to take a brush to it. On a really dirty engine you may have to apply it two or three times. But once it's clean it'll stay clean for longer too.

I've tried a few brands but found that TurtleWax Wet'n'Black works best for me.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by dannmarr

Isn't grease lightning degreaser harmful on aluminum? That's what I read on it's label.

You know, I went out to my shed at 1:30am in the morning, and now that I study the label I see that caution. Shouldn't be a big deal as I really didn't use a whole lot on the engine.

Thanks for pointing that out. Didn't even cross my mind at the autoparts store!

-Chike

P.S. Forgot to mention, when I was done, I sprayed my valve covers with brake parts cleaner. That should have removed any residue left from the GL...

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by dannmarr

Isn't grease lightning degreaser harmful on aluminum? That's what I read on it's label.

You scared me for a second there...

I went to Greased Lightning's website and read the FAQ for their products:

http://www.greased-lightning.com/products/faqs.html#1f

In regards to using GL on aluminum they noted:

"Can I use Greased Lightning Multipurpose on metals?
Greased Lightning products are recommended for use on most metals except aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Greased Lightning will leave a cloudy appearance on aluminum. However, this does not apply to aluminum siding with a factory baked-on finish."

Phew! I didn't notice any 'cloudiness' on the metal, but I did finish up the job by spraying evaporative brake parts cleaner on everything...

-Chike

[Chiketkd]

On GL's automotive website they have a place to cast your vote for your favorite GL model...

Kaylee got my vote!



-Chike (hijacked my own thread! )

[n00b on demand]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

On GL's automotive website they have a place to cast your vote for your favorite GL model...

Kaylee got my vote!



-Chike (hijacked my own thread! )

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I love waking up to that!