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I think you more or less have it. If it was running fine you probably won't find anything exciting under there. Just slap it back together.
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# ? Aug 10, 2023 17:35 |
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# ? May 25, 2024 13:15 |
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Yeah, you've got it basically right. Check the torque spec - valve covers are usually in inch-pounds, surprisingly little. Too much and the sheet-steel valve covers distort and leak more, counter to the usual "tighten MORE" to stop leaks. If you see some crud, get it out, and then run some motor flush and change the oil a few times. NBD. What Suburban Dad said.
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# ? Aug 11, 2023 15:50 |
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Also with "gasket goop", less is more. If you use too much, it winds up oozing out from between the cover and heads - on both sides. A tiny bit oozing out is okay, a lot is bad. Oil pumps don't like trying to eat that stuff. You really don't need much of it. #3 and #7 in this link are noteworthy: https://www.permatex.com/the-ten-most-common-gasketing-mistakes/
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# ? Aug 12, 2023 08:02 |
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Before:
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 18:58 |
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During: (I'm bummed I didn't take any pictures during the paint stripping process)
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 19:01 |
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After:
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 19:02 |
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Sorry / not sorry for spamming posts but it felt more manageable to to one post per phase. And this is my thread so I'll do what I want This work was so much fun! I normally shy away from painting projects of any kind because of the mess and prep and hassle, but it was so rewarding. Watching the old paint come off under the stripper and steel wool? Watching the rust fly away under the wire brush disk? Watching the new metal gleam as it dries in the sunshine? Hell yes! When I was priming the intake, my 16 year old daughter came out and say the intake lid after the second coat of primer and said, "That is so appealing!" so I taught her how to spray paint with a rattle can. She was spraypainting cans and jars and scrap metal while I was doing these parts and we had a blast (I wasn't ready to have her do my parts with the 500F -rated engine paint at $13 a can, though). It was a good call to remove the belts before washing the engine. It was easy to do and saved me the heartache of reassembling everything and finding a new squeal. She is finally running (relatively) well and reliably I am absolutely hooked on this car. Now that some parts are clean and painted and not a pile of mud and sludge I actually feel confident enough to take it to the local cruise-in.
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 19:11 |
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Cleaning and painting stuff is work, but so very satisfying. The problem I have is the same as with cleaning house, etc. You make a clean spot, and now everything else looks shabby! Wait until you try media blasting. *So* much nicer than stripping/sanding/grinding/wire-wheeling. Can be a bit more fiddly, but you can get all the nooks and crannies and can completely remove *everything*. Leaves a lovely finish that grabs paint, too. Just watching the paint and rust disappear at the end of the magic finger of air (and media) is extremely satisfying. Also nice that it can be all contained inside a cabinet. Downside is that you need a decent air compressor.
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 21:00 |
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Another thing you can try out some time is EvapoRust. I use it for stuff like body bolts and small unpainted brackets, strips the rust right off just by soaking the parts in it overnight.
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# ? Aug 26, 2023 22:41 |
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# ? May 25, 2024 13:15 |
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EvapoRust is pretty neat. WD40 also has a rust converter, I think in both spray on and dunk/brush on.
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# ? Aug 28, 2023 18:51 |