Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

[John M.]

(1985 Corvette, 78,000 miles, mostly original engine compartment)

How do folks clean their engine compartments on early C4s? It seems like my relatively gentle cleaning is leaving too much dirt when I'm getting judged.

I know we don't have the visceral fear that late C4 owners have of getting the OptiSpark wet. i'm looking for some tips of what has worked for other folks.

[Ed H.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

John, I just finished cleaning my 1990. For the engine I used two products. For heavy matter I used up 4 cans of brake cleaner, for
lighter grime I used a product called Grease Lighting Classic. I used a lot of terrycloth rags. I backed up all of my cleaning
using my air compressor, this dries up the brake cleaner and the Grease Lighting very fast and knocks all of the big junks. I put the car up on a friends lift to clean the chassis parts. If you are going to have your car judged be careful not to knock of any paper tags that have a bar code on them. I use no water on any part of the except for body washing. Good luck.

[John M.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

John, I just finished cleaning my 1990. For the engine I used two products. For heavy matter I used up 4 cans of brake cleaner, for lighter grime I used a product called Grease Lighting Classic. I used a lot of terrycloth rags. I backed up all of my cleaning
using my air compressor, this dries up the brake cleaner and the Grease Lighting very fast and knocks all of the big junks. I put the car up on a friends lift to clean the chassis parts. If you are going to have your car judged be careful not to knock of any paper tags that have a bar code on them. I use no water on any part of the except for body washing. Good luck.

Thank you, Ed. I do have some paper tags that have managed to survive these 33 years.

[Edward J.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

John try some Simple green (deluded) and a tooth brush and some rags. Cleaning the engine take many man hours and my advice is to work small areas at a time. age tends to make things look bad if not done on a regularly. look at the things that may be painted such as engine brackets and repaint if necc. I do not like the idea of a water hose and degreaser to much to get wet and cause starting problem's. under side of black hood can be cleaned and use some 303 aerospace product to put a satin sheen, also works on hoses and vacuum hoses and harness conduit, rubber or plastic in general.

[Joe R.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

You may clean C-4 from 84 thru 91 with anything in the cabinet but starting in 92 with the LT-1 engine you best just brush it off and live with a dirty engine unless you have a spare opti-spark and a day to waste changing the opti-spark. Water and the opti-spark don't live together. How do I know? Experience that's how!

JR

[Keith B.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

I will add to be very careful around all electrical connectors and vacumn lines after 30 odd years of heat cycles and age they are brittle some worse then others. It can be very easy to break these things without knowing it. And that can cause headaches trying to track it down and fix

[Joe R.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

Totally agree here as my 96 has 300,000 + miles and the vacuum lines to the Opti-spark pose a lot of trouble to replace. In fact the Opti-spark is the only problem I have ever had with the 96. And yes, I hate that design if you haven't already guessed! But great motor as witnessed by 300K.

JR

[John M.]

Re: Advice On Cleaning Early C4 Engine Compartment?

John try some Simple green (deluded) and a tooth brush and some rags. Cleaning the engine take many man hours and my advice is to work small areas at a time. age tends to make things look bad if not done on a regularly. look at the things that may be painted such as engine brackets and repaint if necc. I do not like the idea of a water hose and degreaser to much to get wet and cause starting problem's. under side of black hood can be cleaned and use some 303 aerospace product to put a satin sheen, also works on hoses and vacuum hoses and harness conduit, rubber or plastic in general.

Thank you, Edward.