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Thread: Bit off more than I could chew?

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    Bit off more than I could chew?

    5 or 6 years ago, I liberated the engine from my Stealth with the intent on finally building it the way I wanted it (turbos were whining..figured it'd be a good time for forced upgrades). Not long after I got the engine out, Kate and I decided to buy a house...(It wasn't just her idea It was mine, too).

    Well, obviously I didn't want to waste the time putting a not-so-great engine back into the stealth, so I let it sit..

    years later (after finally selling that other freakin' house) my stealth is in _our_ garage. I had it flat-bedded over.

    Tonight for the first time in years I decided to tinker around with it a little bit. I got this notion in my head of stripping the engine bay and re-painting it.

    So, I started the process tonight and very quickly got overwhelmed. Everything in these engine bays seems to be bolted, strapped, tied, through, or clamped to everything else. Everytime I loosened one thing, 5 more things got in the way!

    I've seen pictures of guys who have stripped the bays down and repainted them...how the flying hell is it done? I mean, the sheer mess of wires/tubes/etc made my brain lock up. I stared at it saying to myself "there's no way in hell I can do this...I won't even be able to put it back together!"

    You guys who pull these things apart...how the hell do you know where everything goes when you put it back together?
    I have plenty of pictures and another vr4 that I can use as a model when putting it back together..but still...it's just scary looking.
    I'm actually scared to try and strip the engine bay..I'm afraid I'd get into worse shape than if I just left it the way it is.

    If I had the money, at this point, I honestly think I'd just ship it to GZP or DR to build it..but I don't have the money..so one way or another, I gotta get the parts and put this thing back together..whether the engine bay looks pretty or not. (But I really want to restore that engine bay..a couple bad oil leaks completely ruined it).

    Who has experience stripping these things down? Should I even bother? Or just clean what I can reach then drop the engine in when it's ready?

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    LW fears my posts Not Verified Feedback Score 1 (100%)
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    LOL... there's a bit of that going around... must be contagious with this being a new site, as I am preparing to start some work on mine soon for the first time in ages.

    Does the bay really need painting? As far as most of these cars are concerned, a good cleaning is really all the engine bay needs, unless you have a lot of rust damage. Mitsu did a pretty good job painting these cars, so you could probably just get by with cleaning it and then reassembly. Post some pics so we can see what you're dealing with.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zentelis View Post
    Who has experience stripping these things down? Should I even bother? Or just clean what I can reach then drop the engine in when it's ready?
    Organization, pen & paper and labeled baggies are what I use to keep it all straight. It's also good having a "spare" car to compare things to if you're stuck as to how something goes back in there.

    Need a hand from someone who's done it a few times?

    2014 Exomotive Exocet - #101 "shocker yellow" - 1.8L 5-speed 3.9 torsen FMII powered
    Read more: http://mevowners.proboards.com/threa.../greg-pa-build

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    GREASE BUNNY Feedback Score 0 Granny's Avatar
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    My car is a 91 and when we went to probably one of the best body shops in the area about painting the car he said "DO NOT PAINT THE ENGINE BAY"
    It is painted the way it should be...unless of couse you have damage.
    I think it came out fine.
    Quote Originally Posted by green-lantern View Post
    Oh Karen, you made me smile today.

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    Member verified Feedback Score 2 (100%) blindmist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Granny View Post
    My car is a 91 and when we went to probably one of the best body shops in the area about painting the car he said "DO NOT PAINT THE ENGINE BAY"
    It is painted the way it should be...unless of couse you have damage.
    I think it came out fine.
    OH SNAP!! She just showed you!

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    Senior (i.e. OLD) Member :) verified Feedback Score 4 (100%) OhioSpyderman's Avatar
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    Woot!!!

    Hi Aaron

    If I were you, I'd take Greg's offer of help....

    Bob.
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    Twin Turbo verified Feedback Score 5 (100%) GTOJOE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Granny View Post
    My car is a 91 and when we went to probably one of the best body shops in the area about painting the car he said "DO NOT PAINT THE ENGINE BAY"
    It is painted the way it should be...unless of couse you have damage.
    I think it came out fine.
    Fuck me Granny. That's a nice setup. Now you just need a nice chrome strut brace and it would be perfect. Also from the headlights I assume you have also done a 99 conversion?
    1990 JDM GTO TT with Vi-PEC plug-in V44 EMS, TD04-13T's, 3SX Downpipe, MP Hi-flow cat, ARC SMIC's, Aeromotive Stealth 340LPH pump, Fuelab 515 FPR, Ninja Performance 75amp hotwire kit, oohnoo fuel loop & rail adapters, Nylon braided ethanol fuel line, NGK AFX Wideband, K&N FIPK, Iridium plugs, HKS Twin Power DLI, Turbo XS racing BOV, 3SX poly mounts, Custom 280km/h speedo.

    Waiting install
    Injector Dynamics 725cc Injectors.

    Build Thread

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    There is some rust damage, yeah..around the battery area (leaking battery fluid will do that do ya). And some other areas are pitting/starting to rust/etc.
    I suppose I could try to clean up a lot of it..but to get around all those pipes and hoses and wires..yeesh =)
    Thanks Greg.. when I get the parts together, I'll letcha know =)

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    I'm Kind Of A Big Deal Feedback Score 8 (100%) Emilie@GZP's Avatar
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    How many do you have now? I can't keep track. LOL Use the Spyder as a reference if you get stuck. Or just shoot me/Hans a message. we'll help you out the best we can

    If you want to browse through my album, I have a step-by-step with how we cleared out the clutter, cleaned, sanded, prepped, and painted the engine bay in my Spyder, without REMOVING a lot, just moving them out of the way enough to paint.

    http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...aul/?start=all
    Circa 2005... Oh my, how far I've come
    Quote Originally Posted by Emilie@GZP View Post
    gear wrenches = wrench with the spinny thing inside of the circle part?
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    I'm Kind Of A Big Deal Feedback Score 8 (100%) Emilie@GZP's Avatar
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    Step-by-step really starts around here... just scroll through you can see we just pulled everything into the middle, taped it, covered in paper, and strung it to a screw-jack in the middle to pull it away from the sides of the engine bay.

    http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...urrent=096.jpg

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