DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

You must have the patience of a saint to make your cars look so great.

maximatech12

The piping is steel but the connector may be cast aluminum. I'm sure I heard the block is cast aluminum and the water outlet assmbly. Looks like cast aluminum too with steel piping attached.

muratic acid isnt a good choice for aluminum!
So your left with what? Toothpaste? That can't be a very great choice.
What about rubbing compound?

CS_AR

Do not soak aluminum parts in acid. It turns them dark and they will dissolve.

Quote from the aluminum parts page.

You can use rubbing compound and a polisher on smooth aluminum parts surface areas. However, I don't use compound it on sand cast aluminum surfaces that are rough. That's where I found the toothpaste treatment with an old toothbrush works to get into the cracks and crevices clean the sand cast surfaces. It just takes time and patience.

maximatech12

Yeah sorry thats what I was referring to. The smooth flange area where the gaskets cake on.

CS_AR

NP. I use a fine grit sandpaper paper to smooth gasket mating surfaces like the one above.

maximatech12

I think someone put RTV on the flange here on this one to reuse EM gasket. I got a bottle of adhesive remover.
I'm going to work that into it.
Toothpaste worked great on the rough surface!

CS_AR

.
Gotta love cleaning up an unnecessary mess. 😀

CS_AR

Glad to see it worked out. I tried everything from vinegar to Windex through the years before I found toothpaste.

It looks like I'm not the only person to use header paint on the water pipes.

Check out this thread posts.

https://maxima.org/forums/members-ri...ml#post9143742

:-)

maximatech12

My pipes were not salvageable.
I ordered new fitting and piping. I ordered the O-rings and bought the fel-pro seal for the connector.

I wound up with water dripping afterwards when I ran the system.
Previously the pipe was seized and I couldn't get it from the connector.
I can't seem to determine if the leak was those O-rings not holding up?
This may explain the one pipe seized? Someone may have had this issue previously and added some sealant?

maximatech12

Well after resealing the connector & piping I still had a leak.
I bought the Dayco lower radiator hose and installed that too before. This is where the leak was from!
Since the hose was thicker than the OE the clamps would not fit they sold me on band clamps with a worm gear.
Well I must ve not had it tight enough!
Personally I think the Dayco lower radiator hoses for the VQ30DEk are defective.
They are thicker rubber and made in Mexico not the USA like the upper.
The upper is fine.