What do you guys think of my engine bay?

[garner67]

***Repaint engine bay
*Clean up all the mismatching colors... wires, distributor, etc.
*Really sort out your spark plug wire routing
*New hoses... just plain black or if you want more bling, go with some of that stainless steel hose.
*New valve covers... maybe something custom like this Link

View attachment 319198

 

[bnickel]

I think I've got '85 valve covers, and they are pot metal not aluminum.

I found out when I went to polish them.

pot metal?..... do what? i've got 2 sets of these valve covers (both styles) and they are most definitely aluminum and not pot metal, what make you think they are pot metal anyway?

BTW, D. you can remove the rivets altogether and use some machine screws with liberal amounts of red loctite and they won't work loose again. had the same thing happen to my old motorsport valve covers and that was the fix i used, don't bother tapping the hole though, just run the screws into the old rivet holes back them out apply the loctite and screw 'em back in.....then don't worry about the stupid rivets working loose again. IIRC i used something like a #4 machine screw

 

[D.Hearne]

pot metal?..... do what? i've got 2 sets of these valve covers (both styles) and they are most definitely aluminum and not pot metal, what make you think they are pot metal anyway?

BTW, D. you can remove the rivets altogether and use some machine screws with liberal amounts of red loctite and they won't work loose again. had the same thing happen to my old motorsport valve covers and that was the fix i used, don't bother tapping the hole though, just run the screws into the old rivet holes back them out apply the loctite and screw 'em back in.....then don't worry about the stupid rivets working loose again. IIRC i used something like a #4 machine screw

Yea, those covers are definately aluminum. I polished one set. You have to really get rough to break the factory glaze before you can polish them. I had two sets, one I sent to my son in California, the other set still here. I'll have to check them, but one set has the rivets cut flush, no way to get screws in em now, any baffles will have to be TIG welded in. There are two distinct sets of these covers too, one uses the steel/rubber gasket, the others use a cork gasket. The set I still have is the rubber/steel gasket set. Also almost certain these have the rivets cut flush too.

 

[CraigMBA]

Huh.

I just cleaned them today with a scotchbrite and some acid based degreaser and the scotchbrite didn't even scratch them. You can see where I tried to polish them . It didn't work.

If you say their aluminum I believe you, but this is some tough tough stuff.

 

[D.Hearne]

Huh.

I just cleaned them today with a scotchbrite and some acid based degreaser and the scotchbrite didn't even scratch them. You can see where I tried to polish them . It didn't work.

If you say their aluminum I believe you, but this is some tough tough stuff.

You're wasting time with scotch brite on aluminum. I use Brillo or SOS steel wool pads at a minimum.(these work great with the older aluminum wheels, like slots) With the Stang covers, I had to go to something more, Summit sells drill bit polishing buffer things (look in Summit's site for "Standard Abrasives cross buffs" )that are basically scotch brite pads on steroids. I used these to break the glaze, then something softer to polish.

 

[CraigMBA]

Actually, it worked pretty good. The acid based degreaser and the red scotchbrite pad did a good job knocking off the 3 years of accumulated body shop dust AND it got rid of the calcium looking nasties on the Edelbrock intake.

The stuff Edelbrock recomends is no longer availible, what they recomend now is either metal prep or that acid stuff you use on aluminum wheels that are really abused before you polish them. I got lucky when I stumbled on this stuff when I degreased the engine/trans before I reinstalled it.

 

[kttrucks]

If you'r e going to go semi-gloss, use a professional type paint with a hardener,, it's much more durable..... and if you're using catylist, use the proper safety gear! One thing that I like ot see under a the hood of a classic Mustang is Stainless bolts instead of chrome. The shine is classier, and it will never rust. Staniless (in kits ) is surprisingly affordable, and you can even get fender bolts that really make the bay pop. Powdercoating small brackets and pulleys is cheap and easy to do, or get a ton of stuff together and bring it to a coater, it's not that expensive and lasts forever. I saw a tech article in a mag that used giant heat shrink around hose clamps turned upside down for rad hoses.... plain rubber with hidden clamps looks VERY classy and expensive, but it's not. My personal tase is not to use the braided stuff... even the braided stainless (expensive!) hose can be over kill if it's too much..... I gravitate to ward simple and clean, less distractions!


Hope this helps! Jst asking others opinions is a great idea, I'm glad your ego can handle the "suggestions"...... Just remember that it's still your car, and you do what makes you happy!


KT.,

 

[D.Hearne]

Catalyst ? I do all my work in spray cans

 

[68stang351]

If you'r e going to go semi-gloss, use a professional type paint with a hardener,, it's much more durable..... and if you're using catylist, use the proper safety gear! One thing that I like ot see under a the hood of a classic Mustang is Stainless bolts instead of chrome. The shine is classier, and it will never rust. Staniless (in kits ) is surprisingly affordable, and you can even get fender bolts that really make the bay pop. Powdercoating small brackets and pulleys is cheap and easy to do, or get a ton of stuff together and bring it to a coater, it's not that expensive and lasts forever. I saw a tech article in a mag that used giant heat shrink around hose clamps turned upside down for rad hoses.... plain rubber with hidden clamps looks VERY classy and expensive, but it's not. My personal tase is not to use the braided stuff... even the braided stainless (expensive!) hose can be over kill if it's too much..... I gravitate to ward simple and clean, less distractions!


Hope this helps! Jst asking others opinions is a great idea, I'm glad your ego can handle the "suggestions"...... Just remember that it's still your car, and you do what makes you happy!


KT.,

You have some really great ideas I would have never thought of. I think I am going to take the braided hose covers off, they looked really good at first, but not so much now, and I only paid 10$ for them, so I thought I would try them.

As for my ego, I'm still very satisfied with my work and (with this being my first real project and being very very very budget limited), I'm surprised that these are the only things being picked apart in my engine bay. All the changes from suggestions that I plan on taking, are very easy cheap fixes, except for painting the aprons and firewall, but I just haven't got to that one yet.

To tell the truth, the initial build on this car was done when I only had a part time job, and I worked it in my mom and dad's driveway (I've had this car since I was 18, I'm 26 now, I've grown up with this project). I've learned a lot with this car, as it was a 200 3sp car when I got it, and I think I was only about 19 when I did the 351/T5 swap. I've also done a complete suspension rebuild, Granada brake swap, and rear end swap by the time I was 20. I really look forward to learning a lot more too.

 

[iskwezm]

Powdercoating lasts forever.


KT.,

I had my intake manifold clear powder coated.A small coolant leak ate the coating at the water neck and the intake turned a yellowish,gas also stains it too.Is this normal????You can see the intake here is a bit yellow and gets worse near bolts.
View attachment 318862

 

[68stang351]

I had my intake manifold clear powder coated.A small coolant leak ate the coating at the water neck and the intake turned a yellowish,gas also stains it too.Is this normal????You can see the intake here is a bit yellow and gets worse near bolts.
View attachment 318848

Also, my March serpentine brackets are powdercoated, and one of them is chipped, even though they are not supposed to.