With the air snorkel removed, the starter is a corroded and ugly piece hanging onto the motor.

Has anyone messed with cleaning theirs up, painting it, etc?

Also, curious if anyone knows if there are "universal" starters that fit our Maximas both Automatic and Manual transmissions.

 

No on the universal bit

 

Too bad, for $65 this one on amazon looks like a deal



http://www.amazon.com/Starter-Infini...8&sr=8-1-fkmr2


And way better looking than the one I have now...

 

This is funny. And only because I've gone through this whole Benjamin Button detailing effort on my engine bay this year, and I relate to your observation. My starter is still original, and quite corroded. (Yuck)

However, my car starts just fine, so...

As far as the "ugliest" thing in the engine compartment goes, I bet your transmission motor mount is looking pretty nasty now that you can see that too.

 

It's kinda like those horns in your sig...you never really pay attention and then you realize <yuck!>

BTW, I like the Joker added to that photo

 

Thanks. When best executed, humor is like an onion. Just like ogres. Funny how not a soul has asked me about the avatar du jour.

I bet your power steering pressure valve and wiper motor are pretty gross, too. And those are right out there in plain sight.

I will admit, I've thought about proactively replacing my starter motor. That's a slippery slope, though. Might as well proactively replace my entire car. (And people do that, you know. First time something fails... time for a new car.)

 

Wait a minute... I think I missed the obvious.

Troop, did you leave your stock airbox off the car when doing the STS mod, and go with a new air intake system?

 

I left off the air snorkel (way too congested) and drilled 4 one-inch holes in the filter cover. Sort of a modified GAB mod.

And that is a good thing, at least for me, as I sell cars for a living.

 

Oh. Right. Ghetto.

 

If I buy a WAI, then there will be even MORE ugly stuff that will be visible and then I'll have more work to do.

BTW, there is a product called Toon Brite that is used by pontoon boat owners to clean up their corroded aluminum pontoons. I wonder how it would work on the engine and transmission housings on our cars?

It does not "shine" them so much as it whitens them up a lot.

 

Are you thinking about maybe the timing chain cover? I'm really at a loss what to do there. Maguires metal polish doesn't do squat on that stuff.

 

That and the whole area around the ugly corroded starter.
Toon Brite is s spray-on, wash-off product. I think it is mostly muriatic acid.

 

I used steel wool on my timing chain cover. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on it, so it's not perfect yet, but I'd recommend it. It works quite well.

 

All of you have issues (OCD?). NO ONE looks there.

 

You're right, of course.

But if you bring two people with issues together, you create a shared character trait. And if you bring three people with issues together, you create a club. Four people, and you've got a movement.

And that's what we have: the Maxima.org OCD Movement.

Want to join?

 

LOL, and when the nurse asks you if you have had a movement today, you know what Rochester is talking...