Engine bay maintenance (1 Viewer)

[Malleus]

I have a spring cleaning project for the '95 in the planning stage. Four items on the list want community input:

1. Need a replacement under hood insulation pad (Mr. T's p/n 53341 60100, Insulator, Hood); recommendations, other than OEM?

2. Total length of OEM vacuum hose for the entire engine bay; anyone ever add up the length? Yes, I can measure it myself, but some of it requires removing parts I won't get to until I'm into the job

3. Has anyone tried to use an ultrasonic parts cleaner to remove the carbon on the intake parts (throttle body, plenum, etc.) or the emissions parts (EGR piping etc.)?

4. Under hood lighting ideas?

 

[Marine7]

I just went to Pik -n- Pull last week. For $20 I got a Gentex 121 auto dimming mirror w/2 led maplights & direction indication, a new, leather wrapped center console lid w/storage right under the lid that the wife and kids don't know about yet!! And.....a under hood trouble light out of a mid 90's Chevy truck! Easy hookup (take plug when you remove part) It's nice because it auto retracts, and it pulls out far enough to go all the way around the 80! Be great for tire changes at night, setting camp, and any other thing you may have.

 

[Malleus]

I like that idea.

 

[NLXTACY]

1. Need a replacement under hood insulation pad (Mr. T's p/n 53341 60100, Insulator, Hood); recommendations, other than OEM?

Get locally because shipping does no favors to the material. Some have used Dynamat or CruiserCrap liner with good results.

2. Total length of OEM vacuum hose for the entire engine bay; anyone ever add up the length? Yes, I can measure it myself, but some of it requires removing parts I won't get to until I'm into the job

Its not very much, I would think 10ft would be plenty. I JUST did this so I should know but

Also, do the windshield rubber lines as well.

3. Has anyone tried to use an ultrasonic parts cleaner to remove the carbon on the intake parts (throttle body, plenum, etc.) or the emissions parts (EGR piping etc.)?

If you have a large enough tank then go for it but Castrol Purple works wonders for both, just make sure all residue is rinsed away.

4. Under hood lighting ideas?

There are a few solutions. I did one a few years ago. YodaTEQ makes a version.

 

[JohnVee]

The Chevy underhood light is a nice item. There's also this from @tpham32. I bought one of the lights a couple years ago and will install it one day. I'm kinda hoping that not having it means I won't need it...
LED Underhood Light

I think the vac line length is 7 feet?

 

[LINUS]

I think you're going overboard on ultrasonic cleaning, I pop the throttlebody off & hit it with carb cleaner or brake cleaner - whatever I have.

Only done it 2x in a decade, full disclosure.

Then the upper intake goes the same way for most, and unless you chop the runner flange like mine, you gotta pull the wiring harness off the motor to hit the lower.

You can also do the manifolds by hitting with degreaser & then going at it with a bottle brush - or take it to a coin-op car wash with hot pressurized water (a 'hotsie' in industrail terms). I have hotsie access. YMMV.

 

[Kentex Rick]

If you don't get all the residue off, it will burn off eventually. But that is 30 minutes of going, oh, sh#%; what did I do wrong?

 

[Kentex Rick]

I think you're going overboard on ultrasonic cleaning, I pop the throttlebody off & hit it with carb cleaner or brake cleaner - whatever I have.

Only done it 2x in a decade, full disclosure.

Then the upper intake goes the same way for most, and unless you chop the runner flange like mine, you gotta pull the wiring harness off the motor to hit the lower.

You can also do the manifolds by hitting with degreaser & then going at it with a bottle brush - or take it to a coin-op car wash with hot pressurized water (a 'hotsie' in industrail terms). I have hotsie access. YMMV.

I will definitely cut mine next time; what a PITA. Luckily that will be in 10 years or so!

 

[LINUS]

I will definitely cut mine next time; what a PITA. Luckily that will be in 10 years or so!

The funny part was the "who the eff is this new guy cutting his manifold flange" (we were still mooching off the Spectre server then) - I am decently paid to cut & weld, plasma & braze, etc.

I was doing my HG & didn't have my shop yet, no great aresenal of tools aside from what we borrowed from work in the eves.

So the new guy who cut his manifold in ~2001-02 was a little kooky to some.

Do it, it's like the 1st time you had a cordless phone in the house!
Just before you lost it between the sofa cushions.

Seriously, there's no downside - it is overkill on Mr. T's part.

 

[baldilocks]

I bought two 3 foot pieces of the proper vacuum line and it was not quite enough. Three of those packages of Japanese vacuum hose would do the job.

 

[chap79]

I used 3 packages of Mr. T vacuum line when I replaced all of mine. And to clean the intake plenum I used this

 

[LINUS]

And to clean the intake plenum I used this
View attachment 1399666

You're a smart feller right there, I don't care who ya are!

I need to move my cordless crap to the top of my rollaway, so I see the tools like that - I've got a designated garage "throne" brush & should have just automated like you.

Seriously, that's a new one to me & some "out of the box (or can)" thinking!

 

[Malleus]

Get locally because shipping does no favors to the material. Some have used Dynamat or CruiserCrap liner with good results.



Its not very much, I would think 10ft would be plenty. I JUST did this so I should know but

Also, do the windshield rubber lines as well.



If you have a large enough tank then go for it but Castrol Purple works wonders for both, just make sure all residue is rinsed away.



There are a few solutions. I did one a few years ago. YodaTEQ makes a version.

Thank you, sir. I hadn't considered the trip from Japan and I know how fragile that liner material is I'll look into the other suggestions. I had forgotten about the windshield washer tubing.

 

[Malleus]

I used 3 packages of Mr. T vacuum line when I replaced all of mine. And to clean the intake plenum I used this
View attachment 1399666

If my wife saw that I'd never get out of the bathroom!

 

[Malleus]

The Chevy underhood light is a nice item. There's also this from @tpham32. I bought one of the lights a couple years ago and will install it one day. I'm kinda hoping that not having it means I won't need it...
LED Underhood Light

I think the vac line length is 7 feet?

John, that looks suspiciously like YodaTeq's I think that if I bought the strip and the wiring and the fuse holder and the wiring, by the time I was all done, I've have as much in time and parts as their asking price. However, that's good to know because I think the cavities in the cargo area could use these too.

I think that between you and @NLXTACY you've got the length. Scott Clark told me they had 300-mm and 2.3-m listed.

 

[Malleus]

I think you're going overboard on ultrasonic cleaning, I pop the throttlebody off & hit it with carb cleaner or brake cleaner - whatever I have.

Only done it 2x in a decade, full disclosure.

Then the upper intake goes the same way for most, and unless you chop the runner flange like mine, you gotta pull the wiring harness off the motor to hit the lower.

You can also do the manifolds by hitting with degreaser & then going at it with a bottle brush - or take it to a coin-op car wash with hot pressurized water (a 'hotsie' in industrial terms). I have hotsie access. YMMV.

You're probably right about the ultrasonic cleaner. My only experience was cleaning my 2F intake 30 years ago. My only clear memory was that carbon really likes to stick to aluminum, and no Castrol Purple back then. I was hoping to steer clear of the bottle brush, because I've never been able to get into every little corner of that casting, and I'm seriously OCD about cleaning.

I also need an excuse to get a 10L cleaner.

 

[LINUS]

You're probably right about the ultrasonic cleaner. My only experience was cleaning my 2F intake 30 years ago.
I also need an excuse to get a 10L cleaner.

Oh, you should have just said you wanted a 10L parts washer. In that case - you clearly need one. (I have a lift, you think I am anything other than an 'enabler'? -hahaha)

Besides, get it now - as crappy as hand tools are now from say the ~80's, or older for cast machinery (Dad's mill is from early 40's, dead solid) --- just think how disposable tools will be in 2030. :::shudder:::

Aside from Snap-On & Proto (and a few German brands like SK) current socket sets are all just disposable it seems, sadly. My nephew only know the disposable tools for home use - Millennial kid.

I mootch my Dad's parts washer - a big old one from probably the D.D. Eisenhower era.

Get it!

 

[englaneato]

Anyone take off that under hood insulation pad? Any reason not too?

Be sure and grab a new intake gasket for the throttle body to upper plenum. I used some cleaner spray and towels. Cleaned up real nice on the throttle body

 

[Kentex Rick]

I used 3 packages of Mr. T vacuum line when I replaced all of mine. And to clean the intake plenum I used this
View attachment 1399666

A toilet brush? Brilliant!

 

[Rivman1243]

The funny part was the "who the eff is this new guy cutting his manifold flange" (we were still mooching off the Spectre server then) - I am decently paid to cut & weld, plasma & braze, etc.

I was doing my HG & didn't have my shop yet, no great aresenal of tools aside from what we borrowed from work in the eves.

So the new guy who cut his manifold in ~2001-02 was a little kooky to some.

Do it, it's like the 1st time you had a cordless phone in the house!
Just before you lost it between the sofa cushions.

Seriously, there's no downside - it is overkill on Mr. T's part.

What part of the manifold are you cutting?