engine cosmetics

[surfsnake2]

whats a good way to add a lot of shine to your engine?

[blitzkraig]

clean it

[blitzkraig]

but seriously....a thorough cleaning makes the engine look 100% better. Go get some engine degreaser and some brushes and go to town on the sucker. If you're up to it, remove and polish the intake and carbs, and paint the valve cover.

[zeiss150]

1.chrome valve cover

2. billet aluminum timing chain cover plate

3. polish your intake manifold and if you have carbs polish those.

4. paint your engine block with high temp engine paint.

5. Jet hot coated or chromed header.

If you do those your engine will sparkel like a shinny new diamond.

[sblake01]

Originally posted by zeiss150

1.chrome valve cover

2. billet aluminum timing chain cover plate

3. polish your intake manifold and if you have carbs polish those.

4. paint your engine block with high temp engine paint.

5. Jet hot coated or chromed header.

If you do those your engine will sparkel like a shinny new diamond.

I would agree with all of these except #1. Chrome over aluminum is not a good idea although you see it all the time. It has a tendency to peel over time due to the heat and the fact that aluminum is softer than other metals. I would suggest polishing the valve cover.

[Gav240z]

I would agree with that i haven't seen chrome peel over time but another great alternative is HPC or jet coatings they use them in jets for high temp situations.

http://www.240z.id.au/ is the site

http://www.240z.id.au/images/car/nat2k1/concours/myeng1.jpg

is the engine.

This stuff should work better and shines excellent.

Gav

[speedyblue]

Buy a pressure cleaner. Great for cleaning built up gunk and crud from most things very fast. Downside, if you go about it too roughly, you might cause some damage, but I have used this method many times without incident. Just watch loose flaking paint. That, and some quality elbow grease and metal polish.

[Zrush]

Our valve cover is chrome, no signs of peeling anywhere. Polished stainless is the way to go for things, radiator cover, a/c thingy, battery box and hiding the uglys under the hood. Billet is awesome too, like for the pulleys and such. Coolflex hosing is also a nice touch. What's not chromed, billet or stainless under our Z's hood is painted............red!!!

Vicky

[datto_240z]

Braided wires and pipes. Makes those ugly black pipes all shiny and metely. I think you can just get it as a cosmetic thing, just slip it over the old pipes(or is that the only way to use 'em?:stupid: ) Yeh, just clean the mo' fo' with a high pressure cleaner if you can get your hands on one. Look at pics of 'clean' engines and see what they have done.

Cheer'z'

Chris

[1971rb26dett]

I was gonna go the braided route too. But everybody and his mother has braided kits. I think I will go with the silicone hoses. The come in pretty colors

:classic:

[Victor Laury]

Take a car from it's neglected street life, and clean the engine compartment from the outside-in. A clean engine, in a dirty compartment is a waste of time.

First a jet spray wash at your local U-wash-it.

Drive in, gunk the engine, simple green the firewall, inner fenders, raditor support.

I have a collection of brushes, but a toilet brush has been my new best friend. scrub everything you can get to. be sure to wear tough gloves, because during the scrubbing, I often get nuckle cuts (ouch).

Jet spray rinse and go home. Now, the detail. Use a liquid cleaner wax. Nothing else have I found that's better at removeing baked-on engine compartment crud. and it leaves a shine! when doing the fenders, firewall and rad support, if you can remove something, do it! take the screws out of the trouble light, Voltage reg, relays and set them aside while you polish the surfaces. then give them a wipe as you put them back on.

the cleaner wax also does a bang-up job on the wire harnesses and hoses.

Engine paint - Idealy, the block should be painted just befor engine assembly, but you can do a great touch up while it's in the car, fully assembled. just get yourself several cheap foam brushes at the hardware store. Spray the engine color onto a paper plate and apply it to the engine with the foam brushes.

Store brought details - MSA's chrome valve cover rocks! New NGK blue ignition wires never hurt to look at.

[Ed]

Originally posted by 1971rb26dett

I think I will go with the silicone hoses. The come in pretty colors

:classic:

Becareful with the silicone hoses. They are not inteded for use where they will come in contact with gasoline.