engine degreaser and engine gressing

What can I use from my local auto parts store to degrease a engine and then apply a shiny dressing to the rubber and such? Does clear coat spray paint damage any of the rubber? I did it on my truck as an experiment, only thing i noticed the radiator hoses started to flake it off after awhile. So, what do u recommend to degrease and dress the engine?? If local store stuff is way to crappy, what can I order offline?


Thanks

Mark

Mark-
I wonder if you ever read my answer to your previous post. I discussed some options for engine degreasing and dressing back then and never heard how things turned out for you.
Do not spray clear paint all over the engine compartment. That is an old used car dealer trick. It gives an artificial look and , as you found out the hard way, flakes off.
Use a water-based dressing to avoid a fire. Some companies recommend spraying the dressing all over the place. You can , alternatively, wipe it onto the parts with a rag. Meguiar's #40 is good and is often sold at auto parts stores such as NAPA. Meguiar's Natural Shine is similar and used to be sold at discount auto stores and
K-Mart, Wal-mart etc. You can order Zaino Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss or 303 Aerospace protectant online and both will duplicate the performance of the Meguiar's products.
Griot's dressing is probably a little better but costs much more. It has no silicone if that matters any. Generally, if a dressing is milky, it is water-based. If it is clear, you can bet it is solvent-based.
You can clean engines with any number of All Purpose Cleaners such as Meguiar's
All Purpose Cleaner Plus, Awesome yellow stuff from the dollar store, Orange Blast
and Simple Green. Special engine degeasers are available from AutoMagic and Meguiars distributers. Some wheel cleaners work on engines.
That said, you sound inexperianced and should scroll down to the thread entitled, " Safety Tips For Underhood Detailing " (or something like that).
Otherwise, get a good product for removing worms as you are getting ready to open a can of them. LOL
If you are a real pro, pick a distributor of professional products you like such as Bud's Detail Plus, Pro, Carbrite, AM, Meguiars or Optimum and get info along with your supplies. ( Mention of these companies does not imply any recommendation. )
I hope that covers it.
Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2007 02:46AM by Doug Delmont.