Project Cleaning the Clutter in Our Engine Bay

[Moreno1]

Originally Posted by Synner

That's very cool of you but not necessary. Sell it to help fund your project. If you don't need the cash then donate it to the Wounded Warrior Project or Fisher House, they help people far worse off than me. I'm just a whiner who hops on one foot a lot. Maybe I'll just learn to walk on my hands. If I learn to do that while holding a wrench I'll have it made.

That would definitely be some talent!

Few more shots of the oil cooler.



Before....



After.....



I post more pics later tonight when I'm done with it.

[kjkjr27]

[QUOTE=Nathan Moreno;5097868]KJ thanks for following the thread and if you need any help, just ask. There is some great guys here willing to help you out. I haven't gotten to the relocation tank yet bit I have some great ideas I will be implementing to the engine bay that no ones has done the 5th gen yet but I don't think I'll be the last. So make sure to stay plugged in. QUOTE]

I do have one question when you get a chance. I have also noticed you have polished a lot of your parts. I was thinking of polishing my intake manifold and was wondering if you would be able to share some of the steps you do.

[Synner]

Originally Posted by kjkjr27

I do have one question when you get a chance. I have also noticed you have polished a lot of your parts. I was thinking of polishing my intake manifold and was wondering if you would be able to share some of the steps you do.

Read this:
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm

Its all about getting it as smooth as possible before ever starting to polish. So you go through a lot of different grits. I like 80, 120, 220 and then I start polishing with three different compounds and wheels. 60 grit tends to gouge the metal too much and then you spend a ton of time getting the deep scratches out. If you can get a palm sander on it use that for anything flat. I use sand paper wrapped around dowels for sharp turns. A dremel with a flex shaft is a life saver for tight spots. And however long you think it will take, multiply it by 10 if you want a show quality finish.

[kjkjr27]

Originally Posted by Synner

Read this:
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm

Its all about getting it as smooth as possible before ever starting to polish. So you go through a lot of different grits. I like 80, 120, 220 and then I start polishing with three different compounds and wheels. 60 grit tends to gouge the metal too much and then you spend a ton of time getting the deep scratches out. If you can get a palm sander on it use that for anything flat. I use sand paper wrapped around dowels for sharp turns. A dremel with a flex shaft is a life saver for tight spots. And however long you think it will take, multiply it by 10 if you want a show quality finish.

Seems like it will be a huge pain in the @$$

[Synner]

Yes.

[Moreno1]

[QUOTE=kjkjr27;5099719]

Originally Posted by Nathan Moreno

KJ thanks for following the thread and if you need any help, just ask. There is some great guys here willing to help you out. I haven't gotten to the relocation tank yet bit I have some great ideas I will be implementing to the engine bay that no ones has done the 5th gen yet but I don't think I'll be the last. So make sure to stay plugged in. QUOTE]

I do have one question when you get a chance. I have also noticed you have polished a lot of your parts. I was thinking of polishing my intake manifold and was wondering if you would be able to share some of the steps you do.

I rad your question earlier today on my I-phone but was going to wait till I got home to answer it. I was going to suggest Synner jump in because he is the man!

Originally Posted by Synner

Yes.

Kj, I personally have given up on doing any of my own polishing. I love the doing the DIY stuff but based on what I've learned, it just doesn't make sense for me. I now using my local guy. He taken the time to teach and show me how he does things. I can tell you I've learned a lot. Because hes so fast and it doesn't take him much time to do things, he fairly reasonable. He did two of my pulleys literally the other day in 5 minutes!!!! To polish the water pump (which would be a royal pain in the A$$ for me) He quoted me $40. I've spent more on the susplies to do this stuff than he's charged me plus I have still had to do the work . Currently he's doing my billet hood hinges, power steering pump, harmonic balancer, power steering pulley, starter motor, oil lines, etc........, I was going to pick them up today but wasn't able to get there before he left.

Could you post a pic of your engine bay without the lid and we will be able to give you some inexpensive thing you can do that will make a big difference. I think that would could get your intake powder coated any finish you want for probably about $40 vs the plastic V8 intake which is between $250 to $300.

I glad your excited about detail your bay. I have learned a lot from this journey. I and could have gotten about 90% of what I'm doing completed without ever getting the car off the road. Part of my motivation to create this thread was to share our knowledge so that others would benefit. So in a way it's good that I've taken the long road because others wont have to.

[kjkjr27]

[QUOTE=Nathan Moreno;5100666]

Originally Posted by kjkjr27

I rad your question earlier today on my I-phone but was going to wait till I got home to answer it. I was going to suggest Synner jump in because he is the man!





Kj, I personally have given up on doing any of my own polishing. I love the doing the DIY stuff but based on what I've learned, it just doesn't make sense for me. I now using my local guy. He taken the time to teach and show me how he does things. I can tell you I've learned a lot. Because hes so fast and it doesn't take him much time to do things, he fairly reasonable. He did two of my pulleys literally the other day in 5 minutes!!!! To polish the water pump (which would be a royal pain in the A$$ for me) He quoted me $40. I've spent more on the susplies to do this stuff than he's charged me plus I have still had to do the work . Currently he's doing my billet hood hinges, power steering pump, harmonic balancer, power steering pulley, starter motor, oil lines, etc........, I was going to pick them up today but wasn't able to get there before he left.

Could you post a pic of your engine bay without the lid and we will be able to give you some inexpensive thing you can do that will make a big difference. I think that would could get your intake powder coated any finish you want for probably about $40 vs the plastic V8 intake which is between $250 to $300.

I glad your excited about detail your bay. I have learned a lot from this journey. I and could have gotten about 90% of what I'm doing completed without ever getting the car off the road. Part of my motivation to create this thread was to share our knowledge so that others would benefit. So in a way it's good that I've taken the long road because others wont have to.

I have a v6 so my engine is the LLT abut is a current pic of my engine bay. MY camaro is my DD so I won't really be able to do anything that would take more than a day. But any advice is appreciated

[Synner]

If all you have is a day I'd coordinate with a powder coater to do it same day. Chrome powders don't look anything like chrome though, especially on a rough surface. But you can do some wild stuff with a base coat and translucent topcoat.
Here's a wheel I did a couple years ago when I did my own coating. Silver flake under a red transparent. Has a ton of depth in the sun.

[Moreno1]

Kj, being that's a DD, I would definitively go down to your local polisher and coordinate a day were he can polish the plenum and give back to you on the same day. I would also have him grind all the GM insignia and little dumps off it that are used when they are manufacturing the piece.

It shouldn't take him more than two hours to finish it. If he charges $40 an hour, your looking at $80. Perhaps less. You'll end up with a killer looking piece. Better than anything we can do ourself.

The other thing I would do is replace all the bolts with ARP. Or you can go to ACE, they have really nice stainless bolts you can use. You'll love that store.

I would have the plate that sits on the top of the plenum powder caoted in a wrinkle black, AKA Lambo. The contras would look killer.

Paint the throttle body and a satin black and replace the bolts with polish stainless.

Make a longer hose for the catch can so you can run it toward the back of the engine and around to the front. You can replace them with black braided hoses. I used XRP. Call them and find a local distributor. You can buy $10 ft for like $30.

All those bolts below the front passenger valve cover could be replace with polished stainless.

You call also replace the a lot of the wiring harness tubing with braided stuff. Look on the OP for more details.

Try to get as much of the wiring off the valve covers rerouted so you can let them shine through. That is a pretty engine with a lot of potential.

LSR has some really nice billet caps for your liquids.

Edited: Also replace the four worm clamps on your intake with T-bolt clamps. They are about $5.00 each and you can get them from http://www.mcmaster.com/# See Op for more details.

Hope that helps.

I like the goal your shooting for. Make sure you take lots of pictures. We love pictures around here

[kjkjr27]

Thank you for taking the time to give me some advice I greatly appreciate it. I'll def post pictures once I start working on it. Thanks again.

[LC]

Holy shit!..

Now this IS something ...

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attach...1&d=1339222539

how the hell?

[lsuguy]

Nathan,

Do you have an online source for the XRP braided hose? I am getting quotes for around 6 bucks a foot for the -4 hose. Does this sound about right?

[Moreno1]

Originally Posted by kjkjr27

Thank you for taking the time to give me some advice I greatly appreciate it. I'll def post pictures once I start working on it. Thanks again.

Your welcome, I added another recommendation to the post #1116. Looking forward to your progress!

Originally Posted by LC

Holy shit!..

Now this IS something ...

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/attach...1&d=1339222539

how the hell?

LC, I had the holes welded and run through the milling machine. That the passenger side which only uses one bolt hole for the negative battery cable and the EVAC solenoid which I relocated both. I no longer had a need for them and thought it would look cleanser without the four holes.

Originally Posted by lsuguy

Nathan,

Do you have an online source for the XRP braided hose? I am getting quotes for around 6 bucks a foot for the -4 hose. Does this sound about right?

Ls, sorry man, I don't have on line source. I went through a local distributor.

[LC]

Originally Posted by Nathan Moreno

LC, I had the holes welded and run through the milling machine. That the passenger side which only uses one bolt hole for the negative battery cable and the EVAC solenoid which I relocated both. I no longer had a need for them and thought it would look cleanser without the four holes.

I imagined you filled them but geez you must have a very GOOD welder to fill those holes without adding too much heat to the head!