1987 B2000 "Dolly" Engine Bay Restoration

OGMB2K

MazdaMitch
You are absolutely right, however, other than handling the can when you need to empty it, oil runs hot and therefore other than potentially melting a cheaply made can, could theoretically work then .. Hmmmm

MazdaMitch

OGMB2K it's only vapors that land in the can I can never gets hot not even warm in fact it will condense and look like milk in there sometimes.

OGMB2K

OK, the engine bay saga continues ... As I wait for the timing chain covers, I thought I would teach my daughter how to polish aluminum, so we tackled the radiator. Please note; This truck is not a show truck, will never be a "show" truck, it is my daughter's first car. That being said it will be clean and presentable and a vessel to teach her proper vehicle maintenance and how to keep a respectable ride.

So here is the what we were working with .. I wish I had gotten more pics, but it was dull and the other side was covered in two layers of rattle can paint. This first pic was the result of using paint stripper to get down to the aluminum.

From here we began to polish. Because this radiator was in bad shape, gouged and scratched, we first started with a 400 grit wet sand, then down to a 1000 grit wet sand, and finally a 2000 grit wet sand before we began to polish. Side note, for a more show quality finished I would have bought other grits in between and staged it down properly, but since all we wanted was a shine and the fact that those were the only grits I had in my box, they would have to do.
I then proceeded to give here the lesson on how to apply pressure, how to see how the piece behaved under different pressures and what we got surprised even me ..

So in the end we will only polish the top of the radiator (Both Sides) and the side bracket facing the inside of the engine bay. I was really proud of the job she did. There is always room for improvement, however, best to let her be her own harsh critic and set her own expectation for how she wants this to look like.

I believe we were using white diamond as the polish with just a foam ball we bought from Autozone. I will try the next piece with a chrome polish I used years ago called Wenol. It was the shit back then and unfortunately ran out years ago and did not receive it in time to try it on this.

More pics when complete and installed.

Next up: The valve cover ...

Axel-Breaker-Earl

I use Wenol on the chrome on my old classic cars......good stuff!

OGMB2K

I was taught that if you are going to do something, do it right and/or do it right the first time or do it twice.
Well the previous owner just did hap hazard color changes without any consideration for detail. So step one is restore the front end of this truck to one color. Problem with doing that is everything needs to come off it. So as I dismantle the front end of the truck, I feel like I am making no progress and just a mess, but then I realized I have to go to the beginning in order to build a good foundation and a safe one for my daughter.
So this week the entire front end came off to be cleaned then returned to a flat black finish. See the fun I'm having to fix ..

Just because I wanted to feel like I accomplished one step forward, I decided to put the timing covers back on with the gaskets, nice snug fit.

Motor will be coming out soon. I'm this deep in, I may as well open it up, check the clutch and bearing, replace the engine mounts and paint the block while changing the oil pressure and water temp sensors. It'll also give a more comfortable position to change the oil pan gasket. That'll give me the moment to power wash the engine bay and give it a clean coat of flat black.

Axel-Breaker-Earl

OGMB2K It'll also give a more comfortable position to change the oil pan gasket. That'll give me the moment to power wash the engine bay and give it a clean coat of flat black.

DON'T USE AN OIL PAN GASKET!!

If your engine pan was installed by Mazda (nobody has rebuilt it yet) it will NOT have an oil pan gasket.......only a grey RTV sealant. And it will take some effort to remove the oil pan! Gotta cut that seal with a razor knife until you can get it pried off.......and go slowly, you don't want to deform the oil pan flange.

Use the Permatex Ultra Grey, or the brand that Mitch has mentioned on the forum, and smear a light coat on each surface (clean each surface with Brake Cleaner or Lacquer Thinner prior) and bolt the pan back onto the engine.
That said, it looks like you have a B2200 engine.......it will have a "Windage Tray" also.......you need to remove it also, and clean accordingly, and use a thin smear of Ultra Grey on it and the engine block, then mount it as required.......then do the same to the oil pan, and bolt it all together.

Some pics of an engine I did years ago......I have more pics of engines somewhere and they show the RTV smeared on prior to installing the windage tray.......but they're on a different external drive!

Windage tray installed and you can see the RTV below it.....

Pan installed.....then painted.....

OGMB2K

Axel-Breaker-Earl Thank you for the advice and warning ...

Axel-Breaker-Earl

You are welcome buddy! This is exactly how a car/truck forum should work! People helping like minded people get their projects up and running again!

OGMB2K

Axel-Breaker-Earl Your insight on that is genius though. Having worked on more engines than I can remember, I have never heard or considered that OEM used a gasket maker over an actual gasket. I've learned from fixing others mistakes .. lol

Axel-Breaker-Earl

OGMB2K Having worked on more engines than I can remember, I have never heard or considered that OEM used a gasket maker over an actual gasket. I've learned from fixing others mistakes .. lol

It really makes for a tight and dry engine on these Mazdas.......I know that most of these engines are oil leakers when you buy them with 200,000+ miles on them, but the main leaking culprits are the FRONT cam & crank seals, the Distributor seals (inner & outer) and aftermarket valve cover gaskets! I use FelPro or Mazda on those and never have a VC leak.......no sealant with them either, except the four small areas that the FSM indicates.
Occasionally the oil pressure sender will develop a leak around it's metal base and the black plastic housing.

When the only thing your Mazda leaks is the condensation from the A/C evaporator, you're doing it right!! 😉

Cusser

Axel-Breaker-Earl

I use my finger to spread an even thin layer of RTV on both the block and the pan.......even though the FSM says otherwise! And I install the oil pan to the engine block as soon as I get through with spreading the RTV onto the surfaces. I've never had one leak yet!
I can see not RTVing both sides if you use the applicator nozzle that comes with the tube of RTV.......but I don't. Once I mate the two together, and final tighten all of the bolts, I wipe the excess RTV that oozed out (not much at all since I used thin even coats) around the perimeter of the oil pan, and then after it is dry, I paint the pan the same as the block. By applying the pan paint LATER like this, it covers the RTV color as well.......looks way better!!

Cusser

Axel-Breaker-Earl I use my finger to spread an even thin layer of RTV on both the block and the pan.

So do I. Both times I've done this !

OGMB2K

Had the time and weather to clean the front radiator support and return it to one color. I know, seldom scene and not a show car, but it bothered the hell out of me. So a quick wash and a rattle can later and viola, a single color. Now it won't look so bad when I paint the top of the radiator support and put her all back together .. One small step forward .. lol

OGMB2K

OK, had a little time to do a little rattle canning over the weekend, so I decided to paint the valve cover for the motor, the Magnum I found. This is stage one, there is still more work I intend to do to the valve cover, but I have to let the paint dry and cure.

This took the better part of the day, as I laid 5 coats of paint waiting 20 minutes between each coat. I was surprised by how well this paint laid down. Almost as good as using a spray gun. The paint I used was something new from Rust oleum, their 5 n 1 spray cans. This is not an endorsement by any means, but I did want to point out that this new can does change spray patterns, from the traditional round to an actual fan pattern both vertical and horizontal. So see for yourself, that was the result before I clearcoat the valve cover.
I'll probably take it down some with 2K or 5K grit wet sand paper then shoot the clear. Regardless, being my kid's first car, we are likely going to rattle can the entire truck with this product in this color.

Axel-Breaker-Earl

Very cool! It looks great without the clear. I have not noticed the new spray bombs, but then again, I have too many of the older cans in my cabinets currently......so I need to use them up first!
I did do some rattle canning yesterday, and assembled the parts today. They were the fuel injectors, hose clamps, and brackets/pieces for the 1979 VW Super Beetle Convertible that I have been working on lately. I cleaned them up in the Ultrasonic Cleaner and then painted them since most of the paint came off in the cleaner.

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