Working in engine compartment rant

[celwin]

Installed an AEM intake yesterday and I now remember why I hate doing anything in an engine compartment short of fluid and filter changes. Does not matter how easy someone says x is to do. It typically never is that easy. The install that AEM claims take 1.5 hrs. Took me 5. Let's start with removing those hoses connected to intake tube. You just about have to pull with all your might to get them off. Especially the BOV one. Then there is the unavoidable dropping of a crucial screw or bolt in the engine bay. A time killer that requires you to raise the car to remove under engine cover to retrieve them. Then finally fighting with trying to get the aftermarket part connected to the factory connectors. And that is just an intake install. Lesson learned again. Next time just have someone else do any engine related install.

 

[Nasscar]

You are a brave man doing this yourself. I think I would just pay someone to do it. Better on your sanity in the long run.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Get yourself an 80’s 6 cylinder boat. You can stand in the engine bay.

every modern 6/8 I’ve worked on it tooooooiiiiight.

2015 ford exploder. Simple dual fan assembly replacement. Should take 20 minutes. Took me 4 hours and a pint of blood out of my hands.

 

[runner1]

Run the engine for a while to heat up the plastics/rubber, and a touch of dish soap and gloves usually works wonders for getting stuff done. I find working on a cold ending compartment is a frustrating event with hoses and couplers for sure

 

[celwin]

Run the engine for a while to heat up the plastics/rubber, and a touch of dish soap and gloves usually works wonders for getting stuff done. I find working on a cold ending compartment is a frustrating event with hoses and couplers for sure

It's tips like this that is unknown and would have gone a long way if I had known that. Thanks

 

[runner1]

I spent 8 hours on a rad change on my c6 corvette a year ago fighting with hoses and panels when someone on a forum said run the car until you reach max comfort level for heat and go at it. Same theory I used for plug change and the coils and coil bolt removal and reinstall were an absolute breeze to manipulate around as needed. Also invest in a 1/4 magnetic sockets and drivers, and I often do snake a flex magnet under where I’m working with hopes a falling bolt/screw grab hold. Has saved my ass more than not in engine bays over last couple years. Right tools save lives lol

 

[SafetyPilotCal]

Conversely, I found the intake install to be very easy, and it took me a little over an hour REALLY taking my time so I wouldn't scratch anything up. That being said, I have small hands and nearly two decades of working in cramped engine bays (GM 3.4 DOHC, Nissan VQ35DE, Corvette, etc) so the Stinger is really just par for the course.

The recirculation and other lines are easier if you don't try to take them off in the order prescribed. Just remove them in whatever way is easiest. The K&N instructions had me trying to remove the lines while most everything was still in the car with little room to work. Once I did it my way, it was a snap. Only the recirc lines where they go on the actual valve were a bit of a pain.

 

[ZyroXZ2]

It's really about your toolset. Having hose removal tools makes any hose come off with ease. I bought a set after going through something similar as you. Now, I just dab a small bit of silicone lubricant on the ends of my hose removal tools, and not a single hose stood in my way installing the K&N intake on my latest Stinger.

The reason the people you take it to will take 1.5 hours or maybe 2 hours is because they have a massive toolset at their disposal. Granted, my toolset isn't "professional mechanic" large, but I have everything a garage mechanic could possibly need. It makes life working on cars much, MUCH easier!

EDIT: Fixed typo.

 

[Dodger Blue]

Invest in an inspection mirror and extendable magnet so you hopefully don't have to take off the under motor trays every time you drop something.

 

[NismoDPB]

Sounds like you just dont have the right tools and are possibly going about it the hard way. If you generally know what you are doing sometimes you just have to use common sense and do what works for you rather than following step by step instructions.

For instance, when I installed my K&N typhoon, the instructions had you removing hoses down at the turbos with the stock air boxes still in. Clearly removing the stock filters and boxes first was the right thing to do because it have so much more clearance to do the rest of the procedure.

 

[TomL1013]

Wow you must have had the worst luck. My Typhoon's took about 45 minutes, box to installed.

 

[Buzz]

Indeed upgrading your tooling is key, I bought this little guy https://smile.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W1046-11-Inch-90-Degree/dp/B000N348BG for a fuel filter change once and now I use it for something nearly every job, the number of times I would have cursed at a hose or clamp or light bulb somewhere impossible to reach without it would have been constant.

Similarly a full set of wobble bits and extensions https://smile.amazon.com/Wobble-Socket-Extensions-Visibility-Markings/dp/B005Z5E5GA Cheap but worth hours of time.

Magnetic parts trays Amazon.com: magnetic parts tray are always a cheap lifesaver, and https://smile.amazon.com/Magnetic-Pickup-Tool-Telescoping-PrecisionMax/dp/B01MRZJDHG/ magentic part pickup tool with LED on the end for when you decided you were just doing a few bolts and didn't need to find your magnetic parts tray and then immidiately drop it down into the depths of hell.

Also as your car ages, just get in the habit of blasting everything you will be working on with a hit of Liquid Wrench and waiting 10 minutes.

And if you get in to trim work, buying a kit like this https://smile.amazon.com/Dualeco-Removal-Plastic-Fastener-Terminal/dp/B081GFP4S allows you to always have new fasteners at the ready, the right non-marring tool ready, and 3 of them to apply pressure from multiple sides when it still doesn't give up.

Finally a compact impact driver with bright LEDs on it is an amazing quality of life improvement if you are in the market.

 

[General_Vodka]

Not enough room? Make some room.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Not enough room? Make some room. View attachment 38727

Easy solution...

4 cyc swap

 

[Disco]

I will add to the recommendations above:

A mechanical grabber for when the magnetic grabber wants to stick to everything but the thing you're trying to retrieve. My wife also just bought me a magnetic wrist band for holding small things close to hand.

I will also see your inspection mirror, and raise you this: An inspection scope. I have the Ryobi TEK4 scope. It is really useful for seeing where you can't. The inspection mirror relies on two straight lines (your eye to the mirror, mirror to object) for seeing behind something, but an inspection scope can see around multiple corners. I use it on the car regularly, and around the house.

As others have said, it can help to take things out to make room. To change the air filter on my Mustang, I don't take the air filter housing out, like you might think, because it's stuck to things you can't move. Instead, I take the intake runner tube off the throttle body. It is way easier to remove, and takes the top of the air filter housing with it. Makes getting the air filter out a breeze.

Hose clamp pliers, spring clip pliers, right-angle pliers, etc. etc. It really does make a difference having the right tool. If you ever get frustrated with a job, stop and assume someone else tried the same thing, got just as frustrated, and then invented a tool to make it easier. This is also why car forums are so great. Most likely someone has already done the exact thing you're trying, and can help with advice.

 

[NS_Stinger]

This is a big reason I went with the BMS intakes. So easy to install them because they still use the bottom half of the airbox and the bottom half of the intake tuning that connects to the turbos.

 

[BlakeDrives4Fun]

Interesting take on it, I'm by no means an engine builder, I tinker and can turn a wrench. I absolutely did this in the 1.5 hours claimed, and now that i've done it I could probably do it in half the time. Further more, I installed it over a long lunch break.

 

[BertBert2019GT]

Try doing anything in a 3000gt engine bay and that will give you some perspective!

 

[Revvdmedia]

and I often do snake a flex magnet under where I’m working with hopes a falling bolt/screw grab hold. Has saved my ass more than not in engine bays over last couple years. Right tools save lives lol

This, times 1,000,000. There have been a few tools that have saved my life, the magnetic pickup tool has been one.

Fun fact, maybe I'm just super lucky in this case, but when I drop a bolt that lands on the engine tray, I find some good rapping with the fist tends to bump that bolt out of the back of it. Again, maybe I just have a magic touch on that lol.

 

[Moses]

Yeah... Upgrade your tooling... Jk