The first pass turned out okay. The engine was pretty dirty (forgot to take a before shot :rolleyes:... what a dope!) and the engine compartment needs a lot of help. What a pain to get into. Anyone have any tips getting into tight spots?
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The first pass turned out okay. The engine was pretty dirty (forgot to take a before shot :rolleyes:... what a dope!) and the engine compartment needs a lot of help. What a pain to get into. Anyone have any tips getting into tight spots?
:eek: From what I can see in that picture, it looks pretty darn good! Did you pretty much follow the procedure outlined on your site? I`ve been thinking a lot about how terrible my engine looks and how to clean it. Product recommendations? I`m curious what cleaner/degreaser people use.
TIA,
puterbum
PS: Why does your intake look strange to me? i`m referring to the chrome-looking rectangular hole on the right side of the engine. Did you leave something disconnected?
I always recommend using the least harsh cleaners necessary to get the job done in the engine bay. In this case, I used P21S Total Auto Wash. If I needed something stronger, I would have pulled EF Hi-Intensity off the shelf. If EF Hi-I wouldn`t get the job done, I reach for the big gun: EF Engine Degreaser.
On the rubber and plastic I used Meguiar`s #40. It was all very dirty, and the cleaner in M40 does a good job.
After everything was clean and treated, I shot everything with a healthy dose of EF Clear Pearl.
The engine has the Porsche "Motor Sound" package. It sounds impressive, but it`s not. All the do is create a larger intake on the air filter housing and drill holes (lots of them) in the side. The package also includes chrome tips and a sportier exhaust. The result: the car just howls when you put your foot in it!
db
you are the man....that thing is sparklin...and thats just the first pass....i got some stuff from EF yesterday....had never used the hi-intensity/degreaser.....they were fantastic....after... i just used 303 on the rubber hoses...etc...didnt know what to do with the metal or that gold plated stuff....so just left it.....i dont know what your fingers looked like after u finished but i look like a mechainc after a long saturday....tried some gloves but just couldnt feel anything and it kept getting caught...so i stayed the manly route,,,i`m sure my patients will love looking at my fingernails tomorrow at work...:D .....i think my engine tries to cover up with lots of glossy stuff...but yours looks mean...!!!..
ps...pls tell me about cleaning that fan....
FLONI,
WOW! You did a great job. About the hands, use a good lanolin hand cream before you start... lots of it. It helps the cleanup afterwards and your hands won`t dry out so much. Holly is the only one I know who can keep clean hands and not break a nail.
db
i never knew anything about taking care of the outside before i found you guys...so all i had was the interior and the engine to keep nice.....i was too scared of the paint...til i came hear and read about amillion threads;)
Modifying the air intake and/or mass air flow sensor (MAF) on the Corvettes is a subject of intense debate and dozens of products. They have some air cleaner setups that cost almost $900. Cripes! I got what I consider to be a good bang-for-the buck aftermarket air cleaner and bolted it on the first day I had the car. I can go back to stock whenever I want (don`t want to though.) It`s a Donaldson Blackwing. About $200 for the kit. Very cool and I could really tell the difference right away. The stock vette air cleaner has a hole about 1" sqare for a 350 HP V8. The Blackwing is reusable and is huge. Supposed to add 10 to 18 HP. Not so sure about that but it does make a difference and the tires break loose no problemo. I even get third gear chirps when I`m getting on it.
to treat them like paint from the start. That is, seal them up! Once they turn yellow they are too far gone. They are el-cheapo anyway. I have Z`ed all of mine on the vette but not the other cars because I just don`t care.
the dealers face when u asked him for new stickers........man o man i wish i could have seen that.....:D fortunately for me mine were always yellow...:p
The ls1 engine responds well to intake and exhuast mods. There are plenty available to free up some horses. Check out RK sport for a nice lineup of parts and definately start posting on corvetteforum.com to learn about aftermarket performance mods, and yes, they even have a car care section......
By the way...lookin good DAVID. Do you have any pictures of the BIMMERS engine all done up? I plan to do mine before winter and wouldn`t mind seeing a nice benchmark for proper engine detailing.....
I have no sympathy for you, David. Ever try sticking your hands in a Boxster motor?:eek:
For you guys that wanna keeps your hands clean....I feel the same, if my patients or clients see me with dirty hands I feel bad. So, I use Invisible Glove. It is available in most auto parts stores and works quite well. Try it out!
Oh yeah, and I feel no sympathy for either of you guys until you try detailing a 10 year old Toyota Mr2 Turbo engine bay that has never been cleaned before! Talk about a tight work area!
Worry not - I post on corvetteforum.com when I feel the need, along with c5-forum.com. And I do a lot more reading. The LS1 engine is pretty remarkable. And also remarkable how easy it is to go overboard and screw things up. So, I`m taking it slow and easy and my ultimate goal is to have a very nice cruising machine that can surprise you. Just bolted on a shiny new "Exhaust beauty plate" last night. Mod #4.
BradB... why, yes I have tried to detail a Boxster engine. You may notice that I know longer have a Boxster. Believe it or not, that was one of my MAJOR complaints with the Boxster.
Gimp... I`m very careful with the stickers. If you show the car, it`s one of the details the judges pay close attention to. If they are paper stickers, I mask them off and spray them with a very light coat of satin clear (not gloss) to seal them. The metal stickers I keep waxed and use a detailing brush to remove excess wax and dirt from around the edges.
Cybercowboy... I started playing with the massflow, hot wire system years ago with my first Porsche, a 944 Turbo. With a small increase in boost and replacement of the barn-door style air meter, I went from 220HP to nearly 310HP. With a change in the exhaust, a larger tubine, and ceramic coated exhaust sleeves, she went to 345HP. That was about as far as I could go on the stock 2.5 liter engine without having O-rings slots cut in the head to prevent blowing head gastgets. For the time, early 1990`s, the car was viciously fast.
Now that`s impressive! All the vette guys usually do when the mess with the MAF is cause the car to run too lean. You have to adjust for the extra air coming in by reprogramming the computer - which then can lead to other issues popping up. However, 345 HP from a 2.5 L engine is awesome. Was that real HP measured by a dyno? I would love to drive a 944 like that sometime!
Some of the vette guys, after heavy modifications involving major $$$ run well over 500 HP. Some are up in the mid 600 range (that would be scary!) And that is in a car that stock will run high 12`s in the 1/4 mile.