Detailing Engine Compartment

[jharmon]

I'm getting ready to detail the engine compartment of my 78 Z. I want to keep it all stock and bring it back as close as possible to when it was new. I have a couple of questions for the group.

1) Can you point me to a good picture of the engine compartment of a 280-Z when it was new or one that has been restored to the original? I've looked through the gallery and it's hard to discern what was stock (colors, etc.) and what was enhanced.

2) What have others done to clean up or revitalize bare metal parts, such as the alternator, etc.

Thank you.

[Mike B]

Good question. I'm in the process of trying to detail my engine compartment as well on my 72 240z with 37,000 original miles. My engine compartment is in relatively good shape, but has dirt that seems to be hard to remove without scrubbing it directly, which is not possible around all of the wiring and other tight areas. I bought some "gunk" engine cleaner yesterday and tested it in limited areas. It was ok on the greasy areas, but not the dirt. I was afraid of damaging the paint if I left it on too long or applied too liberally so that may be part of the problem. I also tried some 0000 steel wool on some of the bare metal parts and it seemed to do an ok job without any damage, but is a lot of work. Would steam cleaning by a professional detailer do the job?

[mlc240z]

can't help with the pics but i've been slowly redoing my engine compartment for a couple of months now. every part i touch gets some kind of treatment right down to nuts, bolts and washers.

with most parts i've been just removing them, cleaning them up with either carb cleaner, paint thinner, lacquer thinner (whatever solvent works). i use a wire brush (various sizes) and toothbrushes to get grease and dirt off. then i hit them with a wire wheel (bench grinder mount and power drill), dremel and/or sandpaper. small parts like bolts, flanges, brackets respond to wire wheel rust removal but you will lose just about all of the cadmium plating. starter, smog pump, fan clutch etc, i partially disassembled, cleaned, relubed and repainted. i hit the aluminum with a clear enamel to help slow down oxidation and preserve the 'clean' look. braided hoses are scrubbed with detergent and if faded, i've tried hitting them with paste shoe polish. there's probably a better way and i don't know how long it will last, but looks ok for now.

it's time consuming as hell, definitely not concourse, but definitely an improvement since i started.

have a lot of patience, don't rush it and enjoy the "wow's" you get when you pop the hood and people expect to see 30+ years of crud and rust.

hope this helps

bart

[Ed]

Something like this?

[jharmon]

Yes, thank you. That picture will be a big help.

Did you do the work yourself? Did have you any of the parts replated? I'm thinking especially of the valve cover. It looks like it's been degreased, etc., but did you replate that with the yellow chromate?

Also, how did you clean some of more delicate parts, such as the EGR control valve and heat shield?

Thanks for your input.

Jim

[TomoHawk]

From all the cars I've seen, the engine compartment is body color. Just clean everything. De-rust screws, clean & polish shiny parts. Don't forget to clean the cooling fan, radiator tanks are satin black, and be careful of the plastic clips/holders.

[TomoHawk]

Is the underside of the hood supposed to paint? (somebody) coated the underside of mine with undercoating. Probably turns most people off & loses me major points at car shows.

[jharmon]

The underside of the hood is definitely supposed to be painted the color of the car.

[TomoHawk]

I assumed that, but I'm afraid to remove the undercoating, to reveal what's under it :paranoid:

[dogma420]

Tomohawk,

With you entering shows, etc...could you please take a good picture of your engine compartment for this guy and put it in your gallery with a link to it in here? I think he'd like it.

Seems like you are doing more shows--its 'just' your hood--remove the undercoating and do your baby some justice for the car shows!

[Ed]

Yes, thank you. That picture will be a big help.

Did you do the work yourself? Did have you any of the parts replated? I'm thinking especially of the valve cover. It looks like it's been degreased, etc., but did you replate that with the yellow chromate?

Also, how did you clean some of more delicate parts, such as the EGR control valve and heat shield?

Thanks for your input.

Jim

I found that picture in the gallery's. Here is a link

[AWC]

What procedure/products do you use to polish the aluminum parts?