Engine Bay Clean up???? - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Gjohnson7 · 07-10-2007, 10:43 PM

Ok, I've got my engine pulled and get ready to do some sanding and primering, getting ready for paint. I been searching the forums all night but have found what I'm looking for. I'm wondering if anyone has a write up or can point me in the right direction to clean up the engine wiring. I've seen where some have completely moved their fuse boxes and relays to behind the dash board and under the armrest. Just trying to see if I can clean up this mess.

Mikester · 07-11-2007, 08:22 AM

Respectfully, I can see why you're wanting to do some cleaning up. Depending on how clean you want your look to be, there's plenty of options for you without having to search writeups. I didn't do any custom routing, other than retaping my harness and tying back my EGR/Boost solenoid connectors. Your engine bay is definitely kinda messy, but IMO just needs a little TLC, not an enima=) Unless you're going for show quality ultra clean. Here's how mine looks if you're interested.
MCedit.JPG

Cheers!
-Mike

BTW still trying to figure out how to get a decent sized pic on here. PM me with an email address if you'd like to see the full size ones. Either way, best of luck to ya!

Spoolpigeon · 07-11-2007, 08:54 AM

i went all out with mine, i don't know if you want to go into it this deep, but here is what i did.

pretty much stripped the bay

hit it with some purple power...

before

after

wet sanded the bay with 400 grit, put it in primer

wet sanded again with the 400grit, wahed the bay with water, let it dry overnight, the started with the real paint

and here is the final product

20 til 3 · 07-11-2007, 11:14 AM

^^^ looks really good Spoolpigeon

Hmmm... if you were talking about cleaning up all the wiring then I recommend something called a "painless harness" which in contrast, isn't exactly painless. But it's just a generic harness that you splice and wire within your car. Cost go from $50-200. Of course you don't need this, but making your engine bay with nothing but your engine in it requires alot more time and paitence then actually dropping your SR in.

The way I would do it, take out everything, every bit of wiring you can find, please make sure you don't cut it to get it out, keep it intact. Once it's all out, start rerouting wires to what you "NEED". I.E. Power to ECU, lights, sensor wires, etc. Do it one at a time and since it's such a broad range of possibilities on how far you want to redo your wiring, there isn't much help on the internet besides a FSM. So in turn, a FSM is your best friend, find it, keep it, love it, read it, use it.

Sir · 07-11-2007, 12:05 PM

Im in the same boat.
Going with custom harness, seems easier. Getting rid of pop-ups makes it easier too. Only thing left out of the driver side relay box is horn and ACC2.

Gjohnson7 · 07-11-2007, 12:26 PM

Thanks for the info guys, the engine bays look great. I probably going to do something like yours Spoolpigeon. I am going to paint the entire car anyway, and I've started removing wiring, I just hate to remove something and not remember where it goes back. Guess I'll just get to taking more pictures and dive in.

P.S. Yeah the wiring in my engine bay looks a plain mess. I just bought the car with a knocking SR with the plan to rebuild.

NSX-R · 07-11-2007, 12:32 PM

It looks great. I can tell from experience you put in a lot of hours and it shows. congratulations!

i've been using a little bit of simple green and water to keep the dirt to a minimal in my engine bay.
the finishing touch that i use is tire foam from Costco. it really shines up the parts in the engine bay

Gjohnson7 · 07-14-2007, 06:40 PM

Ok, new issue.

I made some mad progress today. But do I just leave the rest of these fuses and wires attached. I can't figure out how I would remove them from the driverside of the vehicle.

Oh, and I was prepped and ready to power wash the engine bay earlier. I sprayed the bay down with degreaser and borrowed my neighbors power washer. I started it up and it idled for about 25 seconds and the pump went out.

Sir · 07-14-2007, 10:54 PM

I just pulled mine out.

you have to disconnect the SMJ thats there, along with couple of misc things (clutch pedal, misc relays) and then the harness that goes on the steering column. That all pulls out through the driverside hole by the fender.

Thats as far as I got.
Still got to get rid of the popup relays, ac, some other crap.

ecuastyle84 · 07-14-2007, 11:27 PM

heres what i did:

after the motor was pulled

after i remove pretty much everything, i cleaned the bay using only bug tar...don't ask me why but it worked like a charm

i then stripped the paint using soft sand paper...can't remember what grid i used though

then comes the primer

then the paint

an the finished product

Sir · 07-14-2007, 11:31 PM

Nice, I won't be finished for a while as I'm stiching the chassis, so going and cleaning up all the glue is going to be fun for a while.
Also, looks like you left the AC under the dash - that I will be removing. and moving 90% of the wiring to the inside.
Also I hope you removed the battery tray - it looks rusted bad!

Besides that - looks awesome.

ecuastyle84 · 07-14-2007, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sir

Nice, I won't be finished for a while as I'm stiching the chassis, so going and cleaning up all the glue is going to be fun for a while.
Also, looks like you left the AC under the dash - that I will be removing. and moving 90% of the wiring to the inside.
Also I hope you removed the battery tray - it looks rusted bad!

Besides that - looks awesome.

yea the ac im still debating if i want it or not...as for the battery tray that will be taking care of later on...since im on a tight budget with my swap, at this point i just need to get the car on the road...but thats def the first thing im fixing after the motor is running...you won't even believe how big of a rust hole i have there lol

Sir · 07-14-2007, 11:54 PM

I've seen my share of rusty S13s, Chicago isn't frienliest place for a S13. :lol:

Totally understand tho, especially if its your daily. I'm taking my sweet ass time with my S13.

Gjohnson7 · 07-15-2007, 07:49 AM

I'll be working on removing the battery tray as soon as possible. I apparently have time, since I still haven't found a crank. But I do need to get my rubber to the road ASAP too!

Gjohnson7 · 07-16-2007, 09:24 PM

Ok, finally got the engine bay power washed. Now, on to sanding. Thanks for all the tips guys.

projectRDM · 07-16-2007, 10:03 PM

Why is it you guys who go through the trouble of repainting everything but don't take the extra five seconds to pull the grommets out around the AC and heater lines?

ecuastyle84 · 07-17-2007, 10:25 PM

i would of taken mine out if i was painting my bay a different color like red or something...but since i did it black i didnt care....you can hardy notice if it was painted or not

Quote:

Originally Posted by R240NA

Why is it you guys who go through the trouble of repainting everything but don't take the extra five seconds to pull the grommets out around the AC and heater lines?

Gjohnson7 · 10-05-2007, 09:32 PM

Hey, ecuastyle84 and Spoolpigeon what did you guys use for paint?

I've been working on the other body work for a while now and was going to paint the bay the same color as the car with my neighbor, but he is really busy right now and I need to get this sucker running. I was planning on dropping by the autoparts store and buying some rattle can primer and black paint.

Any suggestions? I'm planning of tackling this tomorrow.

Sir · 10-06-2007, 03:58 AM

truck bedliner - shit looks awesome.

Tearlessj · 10-06-2007, 04:17 AM

Im going to attempt to redo all my brake lines. I cant stand them being up top.

Chrischeezer · 10-06-2007, 04:27 AM

that looks really good,

you guys should of at least stitch welded the strut towers, any time i see a s13 with out the motor, the only thing running through my mind is welding the chassis. lol

just for shits..

TravisSW · 10-06-2007, 08:10 AM

I've noticed a LOT of people use black and don't get me wrong, those are some beautiful engine bays.

But has anybody thought of going with a white or some kind of grey/silver? Not sure if it help reduce heat in the bay by sunlight, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to find a tool or screw that you dropped lol.

Gjohnson7 · 10-06-2007, 10:16 AM

so for those that have done this, will just a few can's of dupont primer and paint take care of this nicely???

About how many cans? Are those pics above of flat black or glossy black? I can't tell on this computer screen.

sbanzer123 · 10-06-2007, 10:27 AM

heres what i did.

motor out. cleaned it

cut out the battery trey and welded a piece of steel in.

primed

painted

back together

khilgers · 10-06-2007, 12:04 PM

I pulled the motor, got rid of all the electrical, removed brake booster, master cylinder, etc. Then for prep work I sanded the entire bay with a red scotch brite type pad, it worked great for getting into all the tight spots in the engine bay. Then I sent it out for paint, and while it was away for paint I re-wrapped the entire harness for a cleaner look. Lastly my friend that did the wiring got rid of a good amount of unecessary wires to help clean things up further. I'm happy with the way it turned out, good luck.

Sergio180sx · 03-04-2013, 08:32 PM

i know this is old but i would love to see more examples and tips on tucking the harnesses, anyone shave there s-chassis bay?

s13love-green · 03-16-2013, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sergio180sx

i know this is old but i would love to see more examples and tips on tucking the harnesses, anyone shave there s-chassis bay?

same here pics and details on how u did it to help out and save time when we do it

pogstar · 03-16-2013, 07:38 PM

Go to this thread, lots of awesome bays
http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=322220

07-10-2007, 10:43 PM	#1
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Engine Bay Clean up???? Ok, I've got my engine pulled and get ready to do some sanding and primering, getting ready for paint. I been searching the forums all night but have found what I'm looking for. I'm wondering if anyone has a write up or can point me in the right direction to clean up the engine wiring. I've seen where some have completely moved their fuse boxes and relays to behind the dash board and under the armrest. Just trying to see if I can clean up this mess. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

07-11-2007, 08:54 AM	#3
Spoolpigeon Leaky Injector Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: e-town, KY Age: 43 Posts: 104 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	i went all out with mine, i don't know if you want to go into it this deep, but here is what i did. pretty much stripped the bay hit it with some purple power... before after wet sanded the bay with 400 grit, put it in primer wet sanded again with the 400grit, wahed the bay with water, let it dry overnight, the started with the real paint and here is the final product __________________ Steve-O Last edited by Spoolpigeon; 07-11-2007 at 08:57 AM.. Reason: screwed up a link

07-11-2007, 12:26 PM	#6
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Thanks for the info guys, the engine bays look great. I probably going to do something like yours Spoolpigeon. I am going to paint the entire car anyway, and I've started removing wiring, I just hate to remove something and not remember where it goes back. Guess I'll just get to taking more pictures and dive in. P.S. Yeah the wiring in my engine bay looks a plain mess. I just bought the car with a knocking SR with the plan to rebuild. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

07-14-2007, 06:40 PM	#8
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Ok, new issue. I made some mad progress today. But do I just leave the rest of these fuses and wires attached. I can't figure out how I would remove them from the driverside of the vehicle. Oh, and I was prepped and ready to power wash the engine bay earlier. I sprayed the bay down with degreaser and borrowed my neighbors power washer. I started it up and it idled for about 25 seconds and the pump went out. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

07-14-2007, 11:27 PM	#10
ecuastyle84 Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New Jersey Posts: 552 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: ecuastyle84 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	heres what i did: after the motor was pulled after i remove pretty much everything, i cleaned the bay using only bug tar...don't ask me why but it worked like a charm i then stripped the paint using soft sand paper...can't remember what grid i used though then comes the primer then the paint an the finished product __________________ *FS: S13 FULL PARTOUT...LOTS OF GOODIES!!!*

07-11-2007, 08:22 AM	#2
Mikester Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kathleen, GA Age: 53 Posts: 1,956 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Respectfully, I can see why you're wanting to do some cleaning up. Depending on how clean you want your look to be, there's plenty of options for you without having to search writeups. I didn't do any custom routing, other than retaping my harness and tying back my EGR/Boost solenoid connectors. Your engine bay is definitely kinda messy, but IMO just needs a little TLC, not an enima=) Unless you're going for show quality ultra clean. Here's how mine looks if you're interested. MCedit.JPG Cheers! -Mike BTW still trying to figure out how to get a decent sized pic on here. PM me with an email address if you'd like to see the full size ones. Either way, best of luck to ya!

07-11-2007, 11:14 AM	#4
20 til 3 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sioux falls SD Age: 37 Posts: 662 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	^^^ looks really good Spoolpigeon Hmmm... if you were talking about cleaning up all the wiring then I recommend something called a "painless harness" which in contrast, isn't exactly painless. But it's just a generic harness that you splice and wire within your car. Cost go from $50-200. Of course you don't need this, but making your engine bay with nothing but your engine in it requires alot more time and paitence then actually dropping your SR in. The way I would do it, take out everything, every bit of wiring you can find, please make sure you don't cut it to get it out, keep it intact. Once it's all out, start rerouting wires to what you "NEED". I.E. Power to ECU, lights, sensor wires, etc. Do it one at a time and since it's such a broad range of possibilities on how far you want to redo your wiring, there isn't much help on the internet besides a FSM. So in turn, a FSM is your best friend, find it, keep it, love it, read it, use it.

07-11-2007, 12:32 PM	#7
NSX-R Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 3 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	It looks great. I can tell from experience you put in a lot of hours and it shows. congratulations! i've been using a little bit of simple green and water to keep the dirt to a minimal in my engine bay. the finishing touch that i use is tire foam from Costco. it really shines up the parts in the engine bay

07-15-2007, 07:49 AM	#14
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	I'll be working on removing the battery tray as soon as possible. I apparently have time, since I still haven't found a crank. But I do need to get my rubber to the road ASAP too! __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

07-16-2007, 09:24 PM	#15
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Ok, finally got the engine bay power washed. Now, on to sanding. Thanks for all the tips guys. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

07-16-2007, 10:03 PM	#16
projectRDM Post Whore! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Atlanta Age: 51 Posts: 13,812 Trader Rating: (12) Feedback Score: 12 reviews	Why is it you guys who go through the trouble of repainting everything but don't take the extra five seconds to pull the grommets out around the AC and heater lines? __________________ FORMERLY R240NA Learn what's really going on and protect your assets now before they're gone forever: www.paypalsucks.com

10-05-2007, 09:32 PM	#18
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	Hey, ecuastyle84 and Spoolpigeon what did you guys use for paint? I've been working on the other body work for a while now and was going to paint the bay the same color as the car with my neighbor, but he is really busy right now and I need to get this sucker running. I was planning on dropping by the autoparts store and buying some rattle can primer and black paint. Any suggestions? I'm planning of tackling this tomorrow. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

10-06-2007, 04:17 AM	#20
Tearlessj Nissanaholic! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Memphis Age: 33 Posts: 1,907 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	Im going to attempt to redo all my brake lines. I cant stand them being up top.

10-06-2007, 04:27 AM	#21
Chrischeezer Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: earth Age: 41 Posts: 1,406 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	that looks really good, you guys should of at least stitch welded the strut towers, any time i see a s13 with out the motor, the only thing running through my mind is welding the chassis. lol just for shits.. __________________

10-06-2007, 08:10 AM	#22
TravisSW Nissanaholic! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Age: 40 Posts: 2,071 Trader Rating: (9) Feedback Score: 9 reviews	I've noticed a LOT of people use black and don't get me wrong, those are some beautiful engine bays. But has anybody thought of going with a white or some kind of grey/silver? Not sure if it help reduce heat in the bay by sunlight, but it would be a hell of a lot easier to find a tool or screw that you dropped lol. __________________ 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo (951) 1995 Nissan 240sx (S14) Miss ya.

10-06-2007, 10:16 AM	#23
Gjohnson7 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Age: 44 Posts: 980 Trader Rating: (7) Feedback Score: 7 reviews	so for those that have done this, will just a few can's of dupont primer and paint take care of this nicely??? About how many cans? Are those pics above of flat black or glossy black? I can't tell on this computer screen. __________________ LSX Kouki Project, swap completed in Dec 09

10-06-2007, 10:27 AM	#24
sbanzer123 Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Age: 36 Posts: 534 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	heres what i did. motor out. cleaned it cut out the battery trey and welded a piece of steel in. primed painted back together

10-06-2007, 12:04 PM	#25
khilgers Zilvia Addict Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Twin Cities Age: 44 Posts: 893 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: khilgers Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I pulled the motor, got rid of all the electrical, removed brake booster, master cylinder, etc. Then for prep work I sanded the entire bay with a red scotch brite type pad, it worked great for getting into all the tight spots in the engine bay. Then I sent it out for paint, and while it was away for paint I re-wrapped the entire harness for a cleaner look. Lastly my friend that did the wiring got rid of a good amount of unecessary wires to help clean things up further. I'm happy with the way it turned out, good luck.