Safety Tips For Underhood Detailing

Gentlemen-
Here's a new subject to extend the range of the forum. Let's start it off with a list of rules for working under the car's hood :
1) Don't wear jewelry. Jewelry can catch on a moving part and cause serious injury. If you accidentally ground a piece of metal jewelry between a hot terminal and ground metal, you can get an instant electrical burn ; in the case of a wedding ring shorting against a battery terminal, you can burn off a finger as the ring heats up.

2) Before working around the engine, remove the car keys from the ignition to keep anyone else from starting the engine while you are under the hood.

3) Do not wear a necktie or carry tools and pens in your breast pockets. Ties can be grabbed by whirling alternator cooling fans and other parts and pocketed items can fall against fans and be hurled back at your face.

4) Electric cooling fans can start up on their own with the ignition off. Stay clear of them.

5) Batteries release hydrogen, which can be ignited by cigarettes or sparks. If that happens, the battery can explode and spray acid into your eyes. Wear goggles and keep water handy-especially out on the road.

6) Do not remove a radiator cap if the system is hot and pressurized. Let it cool. Many old hands have been burned using various tricks to open a hot radiator. You can squeeze the upper hose to see if the pressure has gone down before opening the system.

7) Use water-based dressings under the hood instead of the flammable solvent-based ones.

8) When cleaning a battery, remove the ground cable first and replace it last to prevent accidentally grounding the hot terminal during clamp removal.

9) Wash your hands and dispose of gloves after cleaning a battery to avoid accidentally touching your eyes or mouth with acid residue on your fingers.

10) Let the engine cool enough before reaching near hot exhaust manifolds and other parts that could burn you.

11) Don't stand in line with a running fan. Fan blades can break off and fly out and dropped parts can be flung back at you.

12) While the engine is running, stay clear of belts, the alternator fan, pulleys etc.

13) Eye protection is always a good idea.

Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/2007 05:20PM by Doug Delmont.

Last but not least get a signed waiver releasing you from any responsibiity and/or liability for any pre-existing condition or moisture in electronic mechanicism

Let's make this a general thread on engine and engine compartment cleaning.
My best tip: Save plastic grocery bags and dry cleaning bags. Use the bags to cover the air intake, battery, coil & distributer ( if applicable ), alternator and anything else you choose to. Use rubber bands to hold the bags in place when possible.

NOTE : On old carbureted American cars, remove the air cleaner wing nut and put it in your pocket to prevent loss. Remove the air cleaner, disconnecting any vacuum hoses and ducts if necessary. DO NOT reinstall the wing nut onto the stud for safe keeping because you could drop it into the throat of the carburetor and cause a big problem ( keep it in your pocket ). Put a bag over the carburetor. Clean the air cleaner separately. After the engine is washed, reinstall the air cleaner and remember where you stowed that wing nut.
Doug



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2007 05:24AM by Doug Delmont.

"How to-101" :
Warm the engine some before washing it. Once you are done, the heat of the warm engine will help dry off hard-to-reach spots. Complete the drying process with compressed air and towels.

If you use a solvent-soaked rag to wipe down parts, keep the solvent off of hoses and other rubber. Let the solvent dry completely before starting the engine so nothing can catch fire.

Use agitation along with chemical to loosen grime, not chemical alone. You'll need more than one type of brush to reach everything.

You can place soaked towels on the fenders to keep chemical overpray from streaking the finish. Hose down the whole car before cleaning the engine to dilute any accidental overspray.

If you run out of engine degreaser, some wheel cleaners and all-purpose cleaners will do the job safely.

Doug

Release form thats my weapon of choice!

Members:
Perhaps some of you would like to discuss your favorite engine compartment cleaning products. I've heard AutoMagic's Red Hot is good but very caustic. Production's Red Power was used by one pro who said he loved it. One pro I knew used Castrol Super Clean purple stuff.
I've used Simple Green with decent results and reduced health hazards. I've tried aerosol engine degreasers such as Gunk, but found they are messy and require a lot of rinsing and they are costly. Awesome All Purpose Cleaner ( from dollar stores ) and Meguiar's All Purpose Plus work in various dilutions. Castrol Super Clean is so caustic that I avoid it for fear of touching my eye with residue on my hand or something.
Feel free to post about whatever works or doesn't work.
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2007 02:51AM by Doug Delmont.

Additional note:
One practice I have my doubts about is using WD-40 to dry a wet ignition system in an emergency. Until it dries, WD-40 is flammable.
I will admit that I used this method when stranded in a rain storm in a '72 Plymouth one time. It worked.
Doug

good tips mate

Speedetailing :
Thanks. Glad to see positive feedback on our forum efforts.
Doug