So glad to be back under the car tonight ...

[flynlady]

For the first time in over 2 weeks!!!! She's been in the shop to find oil leaks. Took them that long to tell me they would charge me over $500 to change the fuel and oil pump gaskets and oil pan gasket. Now we get to make the repairs laying on our backs under the car...LOVE IT!!

Told my husband tonight that he has created a monster. I surprised myself with how much I missed it!

 

[67Dart273]

LOL ..........we need photos...........

 

[66340SEDAN]

LOL ..........we need photos...........

Hee hee :happy1:

Glad you are having fun, in a way, it can be also relaxing to do it yourself

 

[moparmat2000]

For the first time in over 2 weeks!!!! She's been in the shop to find oil leaks. Took them that long to tell me they would charge me over $500 to change the fuel and oil pump gaskets and oil pan gasket. Now we get to make the repairs laying on our backs under the car...LOVE IT!!

Told my husband tonight that he has created a monster. I surprised myself with how much I missed it!

Hi flynlady,

Im glad to hear of a lady having fun with old cars, its a cool hobby.

Usually i clean the engine and motor compartment of grease and caked up oil to find leaks, plus it helps get rid of the crusties that inevitably end up in your eyes when you end up under the car to fix the leaks you found. On these older all or mostly steel engines what works the best is actually a cheapo foaming oven cleaner. Warm the engine up , then hose it down with the oven cleaner, and scrub at the thicker deposits and reapply if needed. I use a power washer on the engine afterwards to remove all the greasy chunks.

Then drive the car around, and you can see where the fresh oil.is leaking from. The only thing with the oven cleaners that sucks is that since they are caustic, they will discolor aluminum so cover those parts up with plastic, or dont spray them down with this stuff.

Cheaper and better at removing grease than engine cleaners though, and it doesnt leave any oily residue, in case you want to repaint and detail your engine.

Just my .02
Matt

 

[73hcode]

Hey flynlady cruzin the coast is coming up soon you gonna be there.

 

[flynlady]

Hi flynlady,

Im glad to hear of a lady having fun with old cars, its a cool hobby.

Usually i clean the engine and motor compartment of grease and caked up oil to find leaks, plus it helps get rid of the crusties that inevitably end up in your eyes when you end up under the car to fix the leaks you found. On these older all or mostly steel engines what works the best is actually a cheapo foaming oven cleaner. Warm the engine up , then hose it down with the oven cleaner, and scrub at the thicker deposits and reapply if needed. I use a power washer on the engine afterwards to remove all the greasy chunks.

Then drive the car around, and you can see where the fresh oil.is leaking from. The only thing with the oven cleaners that sucks is that since they are caustic, they will discolor aluminum so cover those parts up with plastic, or dont spray them down with this stuff.

Cheaper and better at removing grease than engine cleaners though, and it doesnt leave any oily residue, in case you want to repaint and detail your engine.

Just my .02
Matt

It's totally gross under this car! We actually had a mechanic diagnose the leaks but I plan on cleaning underneath as best I can after we get finished with this part.

I'm loving finding women involved in the culture ... It's amazing how,uncheck talent is out there!

 

[ramenth]

I'm loving finding women involved in the culture ...

So do I.

Pop's promised his '54 Ford to my sister. I love this car and want to drive it myself for a few years as well as making sure Pop gets his enjoyment of it. So, I'll put the money into it to make it more streetable in today's world, as well as some hot rod parts. But knowing it's gonna go to my sister, she's gonna have to help me with the labor. No if's, and's, or but's, about it. She's more than willing.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Hi flynlady,

Im glad to hear of a lady having fun with old cars, its a cool hobby.

Usually i clean the engine and motor compartment of grease and caked up oil to find leaks, plus it helps get rid of the crusties that inevitably end up in your eyes when you end up under the car to fix the leaks you found. On these older all or mostly steel engines what works the best is actually a cheapo foaming oven cleaner. Warm the engine up , then hose it down with the oven cleaner, and scrub at the thicker deposits and reapply if needed. I use a power washer on the engine afterwards to remove all the greasy chunks.

Then drive the car around, and you can see where the fresh oil.is leaking from. The only thing with the oven cleaners that sucks is that since they are caustic, they will discolor aluminum so cover those parts up with plastic, or dont spray them down with this stuff.

Cheaper and better at removing grease than engine cleaners though, and it doesnt leave any oily residue, in case you want to repaint and detail your engine.

Just my .02
Matt

Seriously??? Sorry Matt but I've just gotta say NO to your advice.

Oven cleaner is liquid lye, the last thing you really want dripping on you when you're under a car. It won't only discolor and adversely affect anything aluminum, it will also eat through paint (and thereafter invite more rust) AND any plastic you're using to protect other parts ... and probably trash your driveway / garage flooring if you leave it on there for too long.

Sherry, just get some industrial strength cleaner like Awesome, Purple Power or Mean Green, a big scrub brush and a plastic scraper for the tough road grime. It's a lot of work but once everything is clean you'll easily find any leaks. And leave the oven cleaner for your kitchen and anodizing removal. Just my two cents' worth ...

 

[SpeedracerX]

Im with Leanna on this,... My wife got oven cleaner in her eye once (actually using it to clean the oven LOL .. it splashed into her eye) .. anyways, that led to several hours in the ER with a strange contraption running some kind of rinse directly to her eyeball... then there was pain and discomfort for days after... We have used Purple Power at my friends garage, as Leanna said, there some work involved but that stuff seems to work pretty good

 

[monook]

Tape off the filter and sand blast it!


Just kidding

Darryl

 

[1Fast340]

i would just take the engine out of the car for replaceing those gaskets and to clean everything up,in my experience its alot easier and takes less time even if it seems like more work at first.

 

[krazykuda]

i would just take the engine out of the car for replaceing those gaskets and to clean everything up,in my experience its alot easier and takes less time even if it seems like more work at first.

That's how I would do it. :cheers:

 

[inkjunkie]

i would just take the engine out of the car for replaceing those gaskets and to clean everything up,in my experience its alot easier and takes less time even if it seems like more work at first.

That's how I would do it. :cheers:

Add me to this list. Have done a few on my back....only to have to do it a second time because while I fixed one leak I created another one. Plus if you take it out of the car you replace all the freeze out plugs....have not had an older ride that did not have some thin ones.

As to the oven cleaner. It does indeed remove some scum. But it does tear crap up. I used it on a truck project I was working on, it did remove 15 years of crap off the frame. Did not harm my concrete driveway in any way. For me it did work better than any water based cleaner I have used. But it did a number on the paint that it got on. If you have a rental center nearby perhaps look into renting a steam cleaner. Or just find a shop that has one and let them deal with it....

 

[cosgig]

So, the secrets out now...cardboard makes a great bed for a nap, and yes,another romantic encounter has blossomed under the car!!! More marriages are saved removing grime and undercoating(my romantic encounter) than all of the therapists combined!!!

You know what they say??...

 

[flynlady]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

 

[67cudafb]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

Oh yea I have had a few of those. Badge of honor for us shade tree types. Have fun with your project.

 

[Princess Valiant]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

falling grease particles burn your eyes too

 

[Princess Valiant]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

its amazing how even something so small as a bell housing bolt can really hurt when it falls and smacks you in the forehead ....ask me how i know

 

[1970Duster]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

Bet that was fun.

 

[Princess Valiant]

i would just take the engine out of the car for replaceing those gaskets and to clean everything up,in my experience its alot easier and takes less time even if it seems like more work at first.

if your car is like with manual everything and no a/c .....i can get the engine out in 24 minutes after the radiator is drained .....i have timed it before

and thats with clean non rusty exhaust flange bolts.....those can kill the time if they get stuck.

 

[moparmat2000]

Seriously??? Sorry Matt but I've just gotta say NO to your advice.

Oven cleaner is liquid lye, the last thing you really want dripping on you when you're under a car. It won't only discolor and adversely affect anything aluminum, it will also eat through paint (and thereafter invite more rust) AND any plastic you're using to protect other parts ... and probably trash your driveway / garage flooring if you leave it on there for too long.

Sherry, just get some industrial strength cleaner like Awesome, Purple Power or Mean Green, a big scrub brush and a plastic scraper for the tough road grime. It's a lot of work but once everything is clean you'll easily find any leaks. And leave the oven cleaner for your kitchen and anodizing removal. Just my two cents' worth ...

Leanna

i should have been clearer about it, dont get underneath the car with the the oven cleaner. maybe jack the car up in the driveway, and put it on stands, then spray it all down underneath, let it sit awhile, then hose it off with a strong stream of water, or better yet a power washer. i forgot to recommend using goggles, and rubber gloves, but if your cleaning your oven you would use these anyway right? you would still take these same precautions if using it to degrease your engine.

i have used this stuff numerous times on different cars engines, never had it mess up paint on older paint jobs, or ever had it damage any rubber or plastic parts. of course i dont purposely spray it on a cars fenders, just the engine, and K frame, and lower frame rails if grungy.

yes it will discolor aluminum as it is caustic. and may screw up blacktop, never had it mess up my concrete driveway tho. if you are going to clean the engine you wouldent doing this method in your garage anyways as you have to rinse it off with water to neutralize the oven cleaner.

i stand by this, i have cleaned many different engines and K frames this way, its fast, and cheap, never had it strip any engine compartment or body paint, im sure it will strip wax off the paint tho, and it doesnt leave any oily residue. castrol super clean, or purple power clean is great too, it is also caustic to aluminum parts as well.

if in doubt about your fenders , cowl, and hood, tape em off with plastic sheeting to keep the water and oven cleaner off them while cleaning it up.

to each their own, but this works for me.
just my .02
matt

 

[1Fast340]

Wooohoooo ... Just got my first busted lip from a wrench falling on my face ... OUCH!!!

Those moments realy do suck bigtime.. two other places to get busted up pretty good is rolling over under the car on low jackstands and hitting the transmissionmount with your nose yep bigtime nosebleed. second place is slipping with the wrench when breaking lose the converterbolts,that can also create severe nosebleed.

and no i dont have a huge nose.i also dont get nosebleeds easy,that nose has taken more punches than i care to count without getting nosebleeds but these moments got me bad.

if your car is like with manual everything and no a/c .....i can get the engine out in 24 minutes after the radiator is drained .....i have timed it before

and thats with clean non rusty exhaust flange bolts.....those can kill the time if they get stuck.

whats your secret to get to the transmission bolts? i can use that kind of time only to get two of those bolts out,my arms and hands just dont fit in very well betwen the firewall and the rear of the block im seriously thinking about putting a holesaw to good use on the firewall to be able to get those bolts out from inside the car..

 

[darc1722]

Take the car to your nearest car wash and soak the engine with the cleaner of your choice. There are many good ones mentioned here as well as others at the local parts store. Make sure to put a rag in the carburetor and don't spray directly into the distributor or alternator. Then start feeding the quarters and spray the heck out of it, also nice to have a pair of safety glasses to keep spray out of your eyes. This way you don't mess up the driveway or the garage! Nice to see more women joining our ranks, good luck!