Cleaning the VOD: Suggestions for detailing?

[DavidProehl]

Jim Reeve gave me a hand this past weekend getting me into the valley (thanks Jim!!) to help fix an intake manifold gasket leak, well, after reaching the valley we found it was a messier than expected and plans changed. I'm now in the middle of an unplanned VOD cleaning and water pump replacement.

I'm cleaning out the valley with wire brushes and a Dremel 442 attachement. I've come a long way but am having a hard time reaching the deep pits with anything other than a screw driver. I still see white residue inside them, but its just a tad too big for the smallest brush I found at Home Depot and too deep for the Dremel.

Any suggestions for getting in there to really clean it out well?

Here are a couple pics of before and where it is now. You can see some of the white residue in the second photo.

[Chris 16409]

Wow, I'm doing the same thing as we speak. Looks like you got all your water y-pipe bolts out in one piece. I wasn't as lucky and broke a bolt. It's now repaired and I'm starting to put everything back together. I used some plastic scrapers to get into all the small crevices. It just takes a while to clean all those small nooks and crannies. Just make sure you use liberal amounts of copper anti-seize.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Use the dremel flexable shaft attachment.

[DavidProehl]

Chris - Yes, I was very lucky. Jim had a solution of tranny fluid and brake cleaner if I remember correctly that he used to break up the rust, they didn't go easy, but a couple quick jerks and they came loose.

Dave - I think I'll do exactly that. I didn't realize there was an extension, but that makes perfect sense. The Dremel has been awesome at cleaning things up.

[stevedmc]

No need to get fancy when cleaning the VOD. Just scrape the crud loose with a screwdriver, let some soapy water soak in the valley, and vacuum it out with a shop vac. You can attach a small hose to your shop vac with some duct tape so you can reach the tiny places.

I would advise against painting the valley. If you paint it, the paint can chip, moisture can get stuck in there, and then you could end up having engine rot.

Just go into the valley every few years for inspection and cleaning.

[dmc6960]

Wow, I'm doing the same thing as we speak. Looks like you got all your water y-pipe bolts out in one piece. I wasn't as lucky and broke a bolt.

As I did as well when I first did this to my own car. Along with the screw extractor ordeal. My mistake is David's gain. I used the acetone-ATF mix and all bolts cleanly unsnapped and unscrewed, EXCEPT for the right rear, the one I broke, and the one you broke. (Along with I think 5 other people mentioning that in your thread as well). That one had a lot of tension on it but I could tell from feel that it was going to be fine. I think the heater pipe being held down by it might attribute to its seizing into the engine.

[DMCMW Dave]

I think the heater pipe being held down by it might attribute to its seizing into the engine.

Agree- the seal between the bolt-head and the hole is not as good with that piece of steel in there, it lets more water in to corrode.