Engine Detailing advice needed

[StevenF]

We are coming to an end with my engine install.  My mechanic was on vacation and while he was away, one of his guys put the fuel injector lines back on without cleaning them or having them re-plated or painted. 
After spending money on repainting the car (including the engine bay), rebuilding the engine(Metric Motors), new hoses, having the radiator recored, new thermostat, water pump, etc, etc, etc, I want the engine to look as "correct" as possible.  I have seen many pics of various engines that are "detailed to the nines" with fancy colors, shiny chrome and many "fancy" extras...which in my opinion look overdone....but to each is own...

 I respect the fact that certain people like the "dressed up" look or have a show car, but I simply want the engine bay to look good, presentable and be as correct as possible without going over the top. 
Please make suggestions with regards to the pics I have included. 
The fuel injector lines have been pulled since the pics---
1-do I send them out to be cadmium plated?
2-do I get them replated  in the "yellowish/gold" color or do I have them simply left "silver"
3-are there any other parts that I should send out at the same time?

Your advice is welcomed and appreciated
Steven

[Shvegel]

It doesn't sound like your intent is to "restore" the engine compartment but rather to just make it look a little better. You obviously made quite an investment in the mechanical end of things and it would be nice if it looked like a new engine when you open the hood.

That being said there are literally hundreds of parts that are supposed to be yellow Cadmium plated on your car.  At this point it wouldn't make sense to pull the engine and "get them all" so I would suggest the following based on the pictures you posted. 

The fuel injection lines, the throttle shaft that crosses the engine (not installed),  the large bracket that holds the spark plug wires by the valve cover,  the bracket that holds the 2 black plastic relays just forward of the brake master cylinder and the coolant reservoir cap should be yellow cadmium. The strap that holds the power steering reservoir to the bracket,  the two clamps that hold the coolant expansion tank to the bracket and the oil filler cap should be "Type 1" or silver cad.   I would also replace the plastic brake master cylinder reservoir and cap and the windshield washer bottle and it will look a lot better under the hood.  I noticed your mechanic replaced the oil cooler lines. If you have the slightest feeling you might want to restore the car one day save the old lines as the ends are removable (you can replace just the hose) and they look quite different from the new crimped on hose ends.

My parts were just Yellow Cadmium plated by Plating Perceptions in Twinsburg Ohio(owners name is Randy)and they turned out great. Most shops have stopped doing cad plating in favor of less toxic and less durable Zinc Chromate.  If you search plating fuel injection lines you will see the ends of the lines need to be plugged before they are plated as they can clog and be unusable when you get them back.  I will warn you they are a production shop and they fit these small jobs in where they can.  Sometimes it is a couple weeks and sometimes it is 10 weeks like my parts.

[Shvegel]

Here are a couple pictures of a really well restored engine compartment.  A couple inaccurate details (Oil filler cap wrong plating and wrong brake master cylinder reservoir at first glance) but all in all a nice job.

[Jonny B]

A very simple and easy to do engine dress up (after the plating and such) is to get the proper hose clamps. These are all available from the usual suspects, and they just make things look very tidy. (from an admitted anal-retentive detail guy).

[ejboyd5]

It's a little late to bring this up now that the engine has been reassembled and replaced in the car. Where were your concerns and what were your instructions to the mechanic in the beginning stages of the project?  Of course, everything can now be reworked to how you want it, but the additional time and labor will be substantially more that if those tasks had been included at the outset.

[Pinder]

Steven.

  1. Paint or CAD the injection lines. (I painted mine but CAD will be better because paint can chip and scratch easily.
 2. cleanup the relays. If they come clean good. If not silver paint will make them look nice. 
 3. CAD for the throttle linkages.
 4. Make sure you paint the Air intake box before install or give it a good clean before putting it in.
 5. the front panel by the battery tray facing forward. Is it body color? I painted mine on my white car black so that when viewed from the front and you look through the grill the grill looks all black and not red paint showing through.
6.  Paint master break cylinder.
7. if you have any rusty looking cable hold down clamps paint them or CAD. and for the wire from the harness that goes through the whole and rubber grommet, if the grommet is crumbling you can get that part from Home Depot. its possible to replace without removing the wires if you put a slit in the grommet.
8. Im not 100% sure but the striker plate for the hood is not painted. Not sure if that is how it should be. I had painted mine. (but not the screws).
7. for the wire harness I used fantastic spray to cleanup the grease and gunk. Some places I used laquer thinker. there are ground wires by the radiator overlfow tank. Any exposed ends I cleanup so the colors of the wires are bright. Mostly used lacquer thinner to do that. Be very careful and not get it on your fresh paint.