For shining parts with a wire wheel, I've found that an angle grinder works great. Like a bench grinder that you can hold in two hands.

Looking great guys.

 

That bench grinder is a great idea, especially for stuff that's already fixed into the engine bay. So you are saying they make little 3-4" wire wheels that fit the angle grinder? I'll check that out next time I'm at homedepot.

Looking good Stu and DD. Stu I can't tell you how many small parts I've had fly off into the abyss never to be seen again while polishing with the bench grinder.

If you need some small corks for you nice new shiny dizzy and cap, just let me know, I'll send you some.





Stu, I've got a question. Why is one of your igniters silver? Is it some kind of special edition igniter with an aluminum case?

 

That silver ignitor has been gutted/stripped/rewired/siliconed/re-guled.

Basically, it is set up for stock looking and MSD capable. I spray painted it silver so I wouldn't get mixed up if I took it off.

 

Uh oh



Took all the carb stuff off to get a better view of what I will be wheelin.
I started a little on the left side in this picture:


Rear iron/housing/mid iron is "done" for the most part:


This is as far as I got:




I bet no one can find out what part broke off in the middle of doing this. I literally TOUCHED it and it destroyed itself.


Tomorrow I will probably end up pulling off the intake manifold and putting freeze plugs in the coolant ports, and continuing on that side. The brass wheel also touched my 80 dizzy, so it looks like I will have to do that too. OH NO

 

There looked to be a sort of paint or sealer on the housings. You can kind of see where I took it off and where I left some in this picture:



The wheel took it off with some pressure, but I am stuck wondering what it was? Was it a clear coat or some factory spray to keep the aluminum from... doing whatever aluminum does after 25 years? Just wondering, I don't want to accidentally leave them "bare" and have something happen to the engine finish a few months down the road.

Red bull and Cheddar roast beef melt. Make the world go round!

Look at how dirty that corner is

 

Looking good Stu. You busted that sensor with the yellow wire coming out the back of your water pump housing. Been there, done that.

You can use Rustoleum Metallic Silver to freshen that engine bay, it's a perfect match for the stock silver paint.









I can see you are on a mission here, keep posting updates!

 

Stu, do you need another water temp sensor? I've got two extra water pump housings from an FB that still have sensors in them...

Your engine is lookin' great! I'm gonna have to haul my DeWalt drill and all the wire brushes I have to my buddy's house (where the car is, my "buddy" is the slow car painter) and start on my engine soon.

Ray, you can get wire wheels for almost any kind of grinder; angle, bench, etc. I went up to Harbor Freight and bought a bunch of steel and brass 1"-4" wheels with collets for use in a drill to clean up some parts I have here at the house. I also picked up a few small cylindrical and tapered buffs for polishing the aluminum parts I'd been working on. If you have an Eastwood catalog laying around, check it out. The parts in it are basically the same thing that Harbor Freight has, just different colors and a bigger price tag...

 

sho-nuff

looking good stu. now mask off and put some paint on it. and it's ok about that sensor, i don't need it anyway.

 

HA! Welcome to Hell Stu -!
Now you'll have to detail the whole compartment. oh, and keep it that way....


Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

thermostat housing off a 2nd gen took out the casting marks and buffed the hell out of it

 

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...ageID=11603437 the pict didnt work heres the link

 

Yeah, they make wire wheels to fit them. It works about 20 times faster than the wheel on the drill did.

 

Yeah man, if you have any left around let me know how much you want for one! I will be going to the track this weekend, it would suck having to gauge it by my oil temp!

Hopefully that will match up with my paint. The ol' FB was repainted some BMW silver sometime in the past. Looks MAACO'd too, half the engine bay is still white, and some of the wirings and sealers are silver!

Tell me about it. What did I just get myself into?!


Anyways, cleaning off those housings (and the strange paint that was on them) sent a flurry of silver dust over EVERYTHING in the engine bay. Horrayyyyyyy

 

I feel like a lazy bum after reading this thread, if only the military didn't make me work long hours. . .

 

That is definitely the harder part.

 

It's about fun time!



Figured I can't go wrong with this and a toothbrush. One can might do 1/3 of the bay I am assuming. I was looking for something more... Industrial? It was only this, but I could choose between this, the gel, or foamy.

 

That's the best stuff Stu, or just get the generic autozone brand for a few cents less a can. But use a bigger brush, you'll get more done faster! Follow it with a good washing, brushing and sponging with hot dish detergent, then a good water rinse. Repeat every three or four months - No more grease!

 

I got about an hour into it today. Pushed it out of the garage and gave it a good scrubbing with a big brush, then a toothbrush where the big brush couldn't get. You can see where the silver stops and white begins.

I will probably run out to get some of that silver paint Ray. The harness on top of the intake manifold I will take out. There is nothing it is plugged into, so why have it there?

Also, I was thinking since I don't have a welder, just getting some JB in the holes that are not used anymore, sanding it flat then painting over it. Any suggestions?

 

Lookin' good Stu! That ole elbow grease does wonders. I like to stick corks in all the holes I'm not using (like those ones in your dizzy cap) you never know when you might need them again!

You know, a mitsubishi dual alternator pulley would make that alternator really pop.

 

I know it would

But the Yoohoo has saved me once before

 

Would anyone happen to know how to get that charcoal canister bracket off?

 

do i need to worry about the paint lifting off if i am going to use that engine bay degreaser? im jealous of all the clean bays and would like to clean up mine!

 

I never had any problem with mine. It said to let it sit for 10-15 minutes, but after about 5 it looked like it was drying up, so I sprayed a little more to keep it wet. I scrubbed it with a hard bristle brush, not with a wire brush.

 

Nice work guys...but I'm several years ahead of you: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/i-love-restoring-stuff-549854/

LOL

By the way...shame on you guys that cleaned up your alternators but didn't take them apart to paint the center section!

Rich

 

Since I cleaned up my engine bay a few years ago, I haven't had any trouble keeping it clean.
I just hit the power wash before race time and hose it down, everything runs right off. But when I cleaned mine, I also gave her a good wax job.