Engine Bay Tidy Up

[JamieG]

Evening,

Been a long time since I've posted on here, but i've spent my Bank Holiday weekend tackling my engine bay.

This is what the bay looked like a few months ago, and its been through a few different guises, good and bad over last couple of months.

I wasn't particularly happy with any of them, i liked the engine cover, but i couldn't fit it with the PMS strut brace. So that was the end of that.

Day 1

Removed Inlet and masked Rocker cover off best i could.

However once all built back up, i just wasn't happy with the finished article. The silver on silver with the rocker cover just didn't work for me, so back to the drawing board.

Day 2

Off to Halfords i went, bought some paint, primer & wet&dry sandpaper.

Back off came the inlet and set away at getting it painted.

Back together it went again

Getting there...

All Done...

\\

Thats all Folks...

 

[Greeny.]

Good work, looks great.

 

[Christopher.]

Nice turn around. Iv got similar plans and luckily got hold of a complete set of engine bolts and other parts I'm going to have plated.

 

[RMDavis]

Looks spot on mate! I've been meaning to do something simmilar to mine!

 

[cat171]

I think it looks great, nice work there :up:

 

[IceBergMan]

Would love to do this, but so time consuming? Looks really nice by the way.

 

[Carlv8415]

Did you leave the VVT solenoid in and just mask the top off ?

 

[JamieG]

Yeah, just masked connector off.

Yeah, it took me two days really to do it properly, at two seperate attempted. Well worth the the effort though.

 

[Welsh.Dan]

Very nice. Hoping mine will look as good as this. Did mine all silver too and looks poo.

Like the darker inlet and fuel guard! Nice work.

I have bought a heat resistant lead grey enamel paint to use once I get time.

 

[JamieG]

Silver on silver. Looked so bad, suprised I didn't get the picture on here actually!

 

[Mr Plums]

Lovely mate really nice apart from the coolant cap.

 

[JamieG]

I'm on with the coolant cap - new one on order! Along with new wiper arms as mine are knackered. [emoji85]

 

[jamesycc]

Nice work. Love a tidy engine bay. Mines a work in progress

 

[Welsh.Dan]

1215136[/ATTACH]

Never tried or looked at how to remove this cover. But Would like to do a proper job on mine. ....

Does it literally just unbolt? It looked like it was part of the engine mount soon didn't touch it.

 

[KitsonRis]

This is what I am currently doing to my engine bay, getting that all nice and tidy. My inlet is currently in the garden drying, hopefully it will be dry enough tomorrow to sand back the lettering to paint orange.

 

[JamieG]

Never tried or looked at how to remove this cover. But Would like to do a proper job on mine. ....

Does it literally just unbolt? It looked like it was part of the engine mount soon didn't touch it.

You need to support the engine from underneath, the engine will just drop if you don't! It comes away from the engine mount. You'll need to line it back up once it's back on, but it's only 3 bolts and a nut that hold it on. I found the bolts were extremely tight, but once undone the job was a doddle.

Looks so much better for being replaced too.

 

[con1981]

Does everyone use high temp paint or just your standard paint, primer & lacquer?

 

[Welsh.Dan]

You need to support the engine from underneath, the engine will just drop if you don't! It comes away from the engine mount. You'll need to line it back up once it's back on, but it's only 3 bolts and a nut that hold it on. I found the bolts were extremely tight, but once undone the job was a doddle.

Looks so much better for being replaced too.

I though as much. [emoji5]

That's why in left it last time. I did paint it though, just masked the surrounding areas, but would be a much better job if I removed to paint. [emoji106]

 

[KitsonRis]

I though as much. [emoji5]

That's why in left it last time. I did paint it though, just masked the surrounding areas, but would be a much better job if I removed to paint. [emoji106]

Will probably have to do the same on mine as I don't have the facilities to do this at my place, at my parents I do though! Plus I need my car daily so I can't have it in pieces for too long.

 

[markoc]

I didn't bother with vht paint. You don't need it for the inlet, fuel rail or engine mount IMHO. Normal aerosol base coat and lacquer will be fine!

 

[JamieG]

Yeah, I only used VHT on the rocker cover. I used normal paint on rest. One thing I didn't do was lacquer it - I may have to consider lacquering it.

 

[Jekyll]

Looks decent Jamie, need to get a new coolant bottle though. It will tidy it up massively. Only £10 off the bay.

Never tried or looked at how to remove this cover. But Would like to do a proper job on mine. ....

Does it literally just unbolt? It looked like it was part of the engine mount soon didn't touch it.

As Jamie said. Get a jack with a block of wood under the sump and raise it slightly then away you go.

 

[JamieG]

Looks decent Jamie, need to get a new coolant bottle though. It will tidy it up massively. Only £10 off the bay.

I already have a new coolant bottle on there, with fresh Type-D in there. The colour of the old coolant was horrible, all brown.

I do need a new bottle cap though, like a clown I fitted the new one and threw away the old one. The new one from Renault came with the horrible looking white and brown cap.

I have a new PAS fluid reservoir to fit too, and ECU bracket to fit too.

Along with some new wiper arms and bits and pieces to complete the make over.

 

[Jekyll]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/390947841797?nav=SEARCH

 

[turke]

Since everyone is painting their manifolds, what would be the easiest to REMOVE paint from a manifold? Someone who owned my car before me did quite a half arsed job it seems of painting it (paint is now flaking and generally looks bad)

 

[Gus]

I would probably attack it with paint stripper gel /graffiti remover and then use a pressure washer point blank range. Sand paper or wire brush will affect the finish so stay away from them.