To much junk in the trunk....

Hey guys. Its me, your OTHER friend... You know the one you dont introduce to your other other friends.... Haha. ANYWAYS back on topic... As some of you know, my engine is WAY to greasy for its own good..... What type/brand of engine degreaser would you guys reccommend for me?

Any of them. Foamy.

Get engine warm, not hot. Spray on, leave 5-10 minutes. No longer, even if it says 15. It can take the paint off stuff. Wipe any overspray off the body paint immediately. have a wet rag handy.
Rinse. Try not to blow water directly into the air cleaner.
Repeat if needed.
Do the underside if it's a mess. If the fins on the cylinders are heavily gunked, cleaning them off will help the car run cooler. VW cooler = better.

One can is good for only 2 or 3 applications.
Don't expect a miracle like a sparkling new engine, but it should work wonders and get the gunk off.

Simple Green is a good cleaner for occasional cleaning once the thick grime is off.

Thanks. and what do you mean by the "fins on the cylinders"? and the underside isnt to bad... just looks normal to me... i guess thats a preference... and should i have my car running? i believe thats what everyone said.

Actually, no because you don't want to suck water in, and you want it warm, not hot.
I hose my engines off all the time.

Remember where your vales were? Those are on the heads, which cap the cylinders.
The cylinders have rows of fins in them to keep them cool. The big fan in back blows air down through the fan shroud, over the cylinder fins, thus cooling them.
"AIR COOLED ENGINE."

You seem like you bought a VW because they are cute, and it's important to know that there are maintenance issues that go with these 1930s designed cars that modern cars don't have.



You need to have a copy of "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" by John Muir.
It's worth its weight in gold and will help even the most green novice get familiar with his car.

Here is a copy with a Haynes manual for $15.
Here is a general eBay search for it.
I see this book sell all the time for under $10 and it will save you countless hours and dollars. You should buy one immediately.
If you can, buy one with the spiral binding. it helps keep the pages open when you're working on the car. It's OK to get this book dirty.

Sometimes you clean your motor from heavy grease , you may start an oil leak.
Try to put a pan underneath to catch the grease and degreaser so it doesn't go into the gutter.

I bought my car because i thought my uncle would teach me how to take car of my car... (he is all into the car scene) needless to say he didnt think the same way after i bought it. so i have been taking care of it myself as best i could. And i couldnt really just sit there one day and just take it apart, dont have another car and havent ever done that before.... And I have a book. (VW Beetle & Karmann Ghia 1954 thru 1979 All models. Haynes Repair Manual.) I have read it when i was in a sittuation and glanced over it a couple time before, but nothing major.

Also where can I get the book you recommended? Can i get it at PFIs?

Yea, use a tray...

That way you can make soup out of it. MMMMM Tasty.

And then poor the leftovers on things that are 'environmental' like trees to kill them!

I did not just say that...

Mateo wrote:

Yea, use a tray...

That way you can make soup out of it. MMMMM Tasty.

And then poor the leftovers on things that are 'environmental' like trees to kill them!

I did not just say that...

Yes, Spencer. Parts for Imports has the Idiot book in stock. Foamy engine cleaner is good stuff. I also use "Castrol Purple Cleaner". It's like a heavy duty Simple Green. Your roommates toothbrush is handy for scraping and scrubbing the really gunky stuff.

Spencer , if you have an eBay account, you can click the links.
Here they are again.

*** Here is a general eBay search for it. ***
Here is a copy with a Haynes manual for $15.
This one up in 20 minutes and going for $11 total.
This nice spiral bound on going for $11 total right now up in 5 hours.


"How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" is like $30 new, I think, and any bookstore will have it, but you can find used ones for $10 or so on eBay and The Samba.
More importantly, this book is written in a conversational style that is VERY easy to understand. It's not just a repair manual, oh no, it's a comprehensive discussion about the parts of the car and engine, what they do, and how they work.
This isn't a suggestion, it's a MUST HAVE item.

Even those of us familiar with the cars refer to this book again and again.
You'll find it fascinating to look through and will find that you're learned quite a bit. The very first repair or tuneup you use it for will WAY more than pay for it.

Another reason to look for a used one is that the older ones have a spiral binding which makes propping them open to look at while working easy.

Bug -o-rama is the end of the month. make a list of what you need and get it when you are there. $10.00 you want another exhaust 15-25 another carburetor not 600 but 10. I know money is tight for you why waste it.

Good Great idea.
A two sided list, even.
Things you know you need, and then things you want.
The shows are where the deals are. Even the new parts vendors are sometimes selling cheaper.

I have never been to bug-o-rama. Is there a fee to get in?

Fee yes
The best deals are Saturday night do a little camping have a cold one or two. No alcohol allowed unless it in a paper cup. No rum drinks even in paper cups.

Bummer!

I was trying to convince, buy off, and otherwise bribe my significant other to drag the toy box down there Saturday night.

But I don't know now. I don't have a paper cup dispenser...



In addition to the usual fuel, water, and waste tanks, I have added a 5 gallon alcohol pump for Rum, and industrial ice machine and a kegerator....

You gotta have survival supplies while you're out in the desert yaknow.

I am one for 'roughing it'...

LOL.. I staying with Matt @ the bug-o-rama. I will bring the paper cups!

Spencer you have to be careful but you may find other issues oil and dirt make a good sealer. You could be running to much boost and over pressurizing the motor.

Then should i wait untill tec day?

That's up to Cliff

Im all for cleaning it. Just happy that you guys are giving me some insite on it.

I think he's yanking your chain about the boost. You're not using a turbo or anything, right?

There's little chance of a leak developing from cleaning the engine. If you had a bad leak, you'd know it.
I think what's not been addressed is that sometimes minor leaks are absorbed by and help build up the gunk layers, so they're not obvious. The oil is under pressure when running and a little gunk isn't going to stop a leak.
Best to clean it off if you intend to do any work on it, and best to know if you do have any leak issues or anything else that's being hidden.

This isn't rocket science. Go get the goo, spray it on, wait, rinse it off. Driveway to auto parts store and back, spray, rinse, 45 minutes tops.

Boost yes is a yank

Oil and dirt does make a great sealer over time, no someone in a earlier post said the same thing. We the general consensus of the last tech day think it is from the crank pulley it could be the distributor o ring or the generator tower, fuel pump Oil pressure switch

You're gonna confuse the poor boy!

Yeah, you do sort of have to wonder where all the built up gunk's all coming from. Such a nice car, you'd think the engine would be clean, but then again, I see $40,000 cars around here all the time with filthy wheels that have obviously never been washed.

I think since he wants to work on it, it's time to clean it and see what's going on.

Probably best to identify any issues now rather than when they leave him stranded. Actual leaks (unlike occasional expansion issues, like the pulley) will eventually get worse and break through the crust.

Spencer do it at Tech day if Cliff gives you permission

I'll have some plastic cups at Bug-O-Rama. Everyone has to bring their own drinks for said cups though.