Engine bay etc clean up

Tashman · Post by **Tashman** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:40 pm

Any one know about cleaning up motors? Livin in Guernsey with all the salt in the air my motor mounts etc have kinda caroded, looks like whiteish poweder on em. Help please I want my BX back to show room standerd!

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:38 pm

That is more an age-related issue. Manifolds and stuff suffer. It's oxidisation of the alloy I think. If your GTi has 18k on it and is as straight as it looks, I imagine, compared to many, the engine bay is virtually pristine as it is!

Tashman · Post by **Tashman** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:54 pm

Philip Chidlow wrote:That is more an age-related issue. Manifolds and stuff suffer. It's oxidisation of the alloy I think. If your GTi has 18k on it and is as straight as it looks, I imagine, compared to many, the engine bay is virtually pristine as it is!

Its the salt air living on a island the size of a stamp, cars rust fast and things carode. My engine bay is nowhere clean enough for me. Im a bit of a perfectionist in my cars.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:29 pm

So what's the rust situation with the car in general? Have you rust anywhere you can see - and what about the inner wings, boot floor, spare wheel hanger, exhaust, arches etc?

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:07 pm

Philip Chidlow wrote:That is more an age-related issue.

Not really, it's more a lack-of-use issue, as that allows the engine to become damp. In normal use the engine bay will remain remarkably dry as it is regularly heated, and reasonably well sealed off from the elements. Very noticeable on the alloy cylinder heads of XUD engines on my driveway. My daily driver is clean, whereas another XUD engine'd car on the driveway has white fluff all over the alloy, as it's not been run for months and months.

Best thing to do is use the car. The alloy corrosion fluff will soon go.

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:50 am

Best thing to do is use the car.

The best piece of advice for anyone with a hydropneumatic Citroen....

Tashman · Post by **Tashman** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:19 pm

Philip Chidlow wrote:So what's the rust situation with the car in general? Have you rust anywhere you can see - and what about the inner wings, boot floor, spare wheel hanger, exhaust, arches etc?

No rust at all the car was always kept in a garage thats why I didnt understand the problems on the motor. Will take more pictures soon and put up. The underside of car is near mint and arches etc are like new. Exhuaust had more holes than a tea bag though, fixed now.