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Re: Cleaning the lower engine compartment- What a Mess!  1 Saabers Like This Post!
Posted by StoicBlue87 [Email]  (#1829) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from StoicBlue87) on Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:15:53
In Reply to: Cleaning the lower engine compartment- What a Mess!, Matt Grimes [Profile/Gallery]
, Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:49:15
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This could be an almost philosophical discussion. Why do engines/engine bays get dirty?
I think engine oil is the source of most mess around the engine.
You could start with a routine source of leaks: the oil filter. Changing that filter involves some oil spill. You can be really fussy when removing the old one but you'll still get some splatter and drips. It falls down and flows into the lower tray area and starts collecting dirt. The messier you are, the bigger the buildup over time.
The valve-cover gasket often develops some leak areas that will follow gravity and drain downwards, collecting dirt along the way and over time.
The turbo has some oil mixed in with its intake air and when small vacuum leaks grow and persist, you've got some small but dirt-attracting oily spots around the intake.
The front and rear engine seals decay over time and oil gets thrown around the front and back of the engine. Up around the clutch area, it'll drain behind the flywheel and down onto the underneath front of the transmission. Where it floats and flows further down until it's collecting on the skid plate or the cross members before your driveway. The front seal (against the firewall) will throw oil a little bit but it too flows out and down across the back of the transmission before heading downward to its final stop, your driveway.
I have seen some old Saabs who appear to have used blindfolded oil-service technicians. The resulting oil and dirt accumulation were shocking.
I just cleaned the engine and engine bay of my 92 900S when I had the engine out this past summer for a transmission swap. It's pretty nice to peer in at a still-relatively clean area but there are signs of oil seep happening; it looks like the engine/transmission mating surface area is leaking/seeping slightly. I re-torqued all of the transmission mount bolts and I'm watching to see what happens.
I'd prefer the bay remain clean always and forever but I've rarely seen it happen on a routinely-driven car. I try to keep everything as clean as possible during routine maintenance (it can make spotting leaks much easier) but I don't get too worked up about the eventual oil- and dirt-film.
If anything, the oil/dirt is the sign of a car used routinely. That's a good sign, no?
->Posting last edited on Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:19:47.
, Sun, 28 Apr 2019 19:49:15, Mon, 29 Apr 2019 13:58:41, Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:50:45
, Tue, 30 Apr 2019 11:24:08
, Wed, 1 May 2019 19:50:49, Thu, 2 May 2019 08:35:49, Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:15:53 <-- Viewing This Message
1
, Fri, 17 May 2019 08:13:50, Fri, 17 May 2019 13:26:36
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