I am looking into cleaning up my engine compartment. It's already clean, but I want to unjumble it. It's like you can barely see your engine through all of the crap loads of wire and hoses. How do you clean all of that up. Thanks for any tips or helpful info.

big tex

 

ok, i'm going to write something to get this back up to the top. come on guys help me out please.

big tex

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1992 305 TBI RS
Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, 14X2.5 open air element...and a T-5 on the way!

 

Well, you could be the first to do it! Go ahead and just do it. Then post a tech article on it with a nice writeup and pix.

Steve

 

no way, you can't tell me that no one has ever done this. dammit! I want to get some chrome valve covers except that you couldn't even tell I had one on the passenger side.

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1992 305 TBI RS
Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, 14X2.5 open air element...and a T-5 on the way!

 

take off your smog pump and your ac if it doesn't work. You could also reroute you water hoses. I took the smog and ac off of my project car and you can see both valve covers.

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1985 TransAm BLK/GLD Stock
1985 TransAm BLK/BLK
305HO (soon as it is put in) 5-speed, 3.27 posi, WS6, power everthing.
http://www.geocities.com/bullfrawgs

 

yeah, the smog pump and it's accesorys make most of the "clutter".

 

It can be done, just use some common sense. I'm not trying to be an a-hole, but just check out what you have, go to Pep Boys and get a few feet of heater hose, cut it to length, move the valve and you're done. Its really easy to do. If I remember right though, there are two different size hoses (maybe 5/8" and 3/4"???). I oved mine out of the way without getting any new hoses. I think I put the hoses in "backwards" and it worked ok, and I had to cut a couple of them. Just make sure that in all of this they don't end up crimped and be sure to take care not to crimp the vacuum line going into it.

Any questions, drop me a line at teh address in my sig.

Good Luck...you will like the way it comes out.

-Brian

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1991 Camaro RS - Ultra Blue Metallic, T-Tops
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GM 350 HO Crate Engine - Vortec Heads, Edelbrock Intake, Holley 670 CFM TB, Edelbrock Water Pump, March Pulleys, MSD 6AL, Blaster Coil, 8.5mm Super Conductors, Cap and Rotor, Rapidfires, Hypertech Fan Switch & Chip, SLP 1 3/4" Stainless Headers, 3" Cat Back, Flowmaster 40 Series
700R4 - 2,400 Stall Converter, Vette Servo, Shift Kit, B&M Super Cooler
GM 10 Bolt -coming soon Auburn Pro Series Differential, Richmond 3.73s
Brian's 1991 RS Central NY F-Body Association
Join the Third Generation F-Body TBI Web Ring
z28boy@twcny.rr.com IM name: Z28 Boy

 

ok...now where did you relocate the pump too...I can't seem to see a spot that would be convenient.

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1992 305 TBI RS
Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, 14X2.5 open air element...and a T-5 on the way!

 

I also want to know where to relocate the valve. I was thinking that if you cut the two heater hoses you could put a 90* joint fitting and route them off to the side and then maybee down along the firewall or maybee over the fender well area. I going outside to take another look at mine so I can move that ugly SOB. Anyone have any experience here?

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Black 1989 RS Convertible w/43,000 mi.
Excellent Condition
LO3 305 w/TBI
12 PSI Fuel Pressure
6* Timing Advance
MSD Coil And Wires
Open Element 14x3 K&N
Hypertech Thermomaster
160 Degree Thermostat
Low Temp Fan Switch
Eddlebrock RPM Muffler
No Cat/No AIR Injection
B&M Stage 2 Shift Kit
17"x8.5" ATP 5 Spoke Alloys
P 245/45 Goodyear Eagle
HP Ultra Plus Tires
Lakewood Control Arms
Lakewood Pan Hard Rod
Coming Soon:
Hedman Headers & Y Pipe
12 Bolt With 3.73 Gears
NOS System

 

We meant take the smog pump completely off.

 

yeah, i realize that, but i live in west texas and i need my ac when the 110 degree heat come beating down. so, i would need to relocate it not remove. thanks, bigtex

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1992 305 TBI RS
Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, 14X2.5 open air element...and a T-5 on the way!

 

Oh the compressor. Would it really look all that bad if you left it where it is?

If you are going to keep the AC then remove the smog pump stuff, move the heater hoses if needed, and I think an open element would enliminate some clutter, the fuel canister if you really want to get into this.

 

i took out the evap canister and have had an open element air cleaner for some time now. i recently removed the smog pump(really easy to take out) and a/c (fairly easy, some hard to reach screws). i absolutely love it now, lots of room. although i left the 2-3 black hoses that run over the pass. side. not sure about them now, more than likely going to ditch them too.

 

I wanted to do this too. My friend Paul is a mechanical whiz-kid from a family of mechanical whiz kids. He stood around and laughed at my fun changing out my heater core and heater hoses. That's OK cause we are real good friends. Now back to the subject.
I commented to paul that I wanted to move the diverter valve from above the valve cover It has scraped all the paint off my valve cover which now is rusty. I hate rust.
He explained to me that I had a valid idea, but that the long lengths of hose isolate the weak heater core necks from continued exposure to engine vibration and movement.

As we looked at it, there appeared a solution. You could buy two pre formed short hoses of the right diameter that have 90 degree bends in them. install the short end of the L shaped pieces of hose to the heater core pointing toward the drivers side.
Then run the hose from the block back towards the firewall. Connect all three to the diverter valve just to the passenger side of the distributor.

the only question remains ... will this give enough play in the hoses to sufficiently isolate the heater core necks as the engine twists.

Mike

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1988 Camaro Sport Coupe305TBI-4spdAOD-2.73open in "bought stock" condition. That'll change if it stays around here much longer

 

It'll be fine. As long as you have 5 or 6 inches of hose coming from the core there will be plenty of flex.

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88 firebird formula
350 Vortec TBI
214int/224exh, .471int/.491exh
Edelbrock headers
SIX-speed
open 3.73's
2 1/4 stock catback
I love pissing those LS1's off
My Formula

 

Glad to see some other people have figured out how to clean up the engine compartment. Question: do you just plug up all the AIR tube holes in the exhaust manifold with brass plugs or something when you rip out your smog stuff?

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1992 Camaro RS
305 TBI, 5-Speed
K&N open element, Hooker exhaust
http://www13.brinkster.com/scbaeb/camaro.html
scbaeb@hotmail.com

 

There is another option that will look stock. There is a pipe that runs along the frame reail that the heater hoses run to. This pipe is for air condition cars. Go to the dealer and get the pipe for non-ac cars. This way you use the hose from the radiator, the hose from the pipe to the heater core, and the hose from the back of the exhaust manifold to the heater core. It will look tata;;y stock because it was on Non ac cars. This will affect your A/C a bit, but not much. by illimunating the valve you are illiminating the way that the hot engine coolant gets diverted to the heater core. When you turn you A/C full cold, vacuum is aplied to the valve, the valve opens and send the coolant right back to the radiatoe. NOT the heater core! This way, all you get is super cold air from the A/C that wont get warmed by the heater core. This is assuming your valve works anyway (which most fail will continued use). You probobly wont feel any difference at all. I don't know the part # of that pipe, but you can get it from a GM parts counter database, or find someone who has one of those wonderful parts books for third-Gens. Just my 2 cents.

 

n/m, wrong board

 

I recently moved my valve. I did not have to buy any hoses.

1. Drain down coolant....it will come out unless you take a lot out.
2. disconnect all hoses going to the valve.
3. Losen the hose that has the 2 bends in it that comes up from the frame on the pass. side.
4. Rotate this hose a little less than 180* so that it is almost pointing toards you if you are on the pass. side fender.
5. Run the 2 straight hoses between the evap. canister and the AC stuff if you have that.
6. The hose with the bands can be straighteneda just enough to be connected to the valve in the correct position. The valve should end up over on the pass. side fender when you are done.

My valve was also scraping the paint off the valve cover, and is a little rusty.

If you need a pic of the valve relocation, let me know, I can get a few pics of it taken that should pretty much tell ya how to do it if you can't follow the poorly written instructions I gave.