5 replies to this topic

[miniman24]

Hey all, just wondering what is the best way to go about de-greasing and painting a Mini engine with the engine in the car? I dont really have the option to remove the engine as I use the car daily. I was thinking of removing the dynamo and all ancillaries and getting as many electrics out of the way as possible before hand - the manifolds will be removed. Is Gunk the best stuff to use? What is the best way to wash the de-greaser from the engine without spraying water in all the electrics? Cheers!

[Marco1972]

Hi

Remove as many of the ancillaries as possible and bag up the wiring loom
To de grease you can use paraffin or gunk use an old stiff brush to get in all the awkward areas or even get one of those stiff wheel cleaning brushes then rinse off and allow to dry and refit your ancillaries
We used a jet washer on ours with no problems

[Ipod]

good ol google..loads of threads been posted before.....

 

https://www.google.c...iw=1360&bih=619

 

 

[miniman24]

Aaaaaa youve shown me up I used the search function on here but temporarily forgot Google existed! Also Marco, yours sounds like a sensible approach, I was just wary that bagging would not protect the electrics enough.

[olly33]

Like i thought i had with plastic bags wrapped round most parts,now will not start ,think it's either got in the solenoid as it's loose on the starter or the ignition relay as it's just clicking now!

[dklawson]

In general... low-tension electrics are not badly affected by washing and cleaning but it is always good to keep moisture out.  Spend most of your time protecting the distributor and coil to keep moisture out of them.  If you disconnect wires, put tape flags on the disconnected wires and write on the tape to identify where they re-connect when you are done.

 

After using your Gunk or similar product, rinse with clean water.  Don't stop there.  Now wash with a water based, mild caustic cleaner to remove any oil film left by the Gunk.  Allow the engine to thoroughly dry before applying paint.  If your engine does not leak oil you can idle the engine for a while to help speed drying the block.

 

Engine enamel can be applied to cast iron by brush with good results.  For the valve cover you may wish to remove it from the engine and use spray paint to get a good finish.