Anyone live on a dirt road?
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Joined: May 2006
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
ORIGINAL: GTlust
Unfortunately there are still a lot of dirt roads here in Florida and I happen to live on one. I'm getting a lot of sand in my engine compartment and my airfilter box. I think it might be coming in from this gap in the inner fender liner.
I want to minimize the sand coming in since i'm getting a CAI in the next few days. The only other light I can see looking from the engine compartment is a small hole in the strut towers. The sand is collecting right near those gaps in the fenders.
Any recommendations on what to fill that gap with? I'm thinking some kind of goop that's black and will dry, but remain flexible. I'll fill the little hole in the strut tower as well.
Unfortunately there are still a lot of dirt roads here in Florida and I happen to live on one. I'm getting a lot of sand in my engine compartment and my airfilter box. I think it might be coming in from this gap in the inner fender liner.
I want to minimize the sand coming in since i'm getting a CAI in the next few days. The only other light I can see looking from the engine compartment is a small hole in the strut towers. The sand is collecting right near those gaps in the fenders.
Any recommendations on what to fill that gap with? I'm thinking some kind of goop that's black and will dry, but remain flexible. I'll fill the little hole in the strut tower as well.
2nd Gear Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 311
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
ORIGINAL: GTlust
By the way have you tried the turtle wax ice yet? I was going to buy some today, but i'm afraid it will turn out to be a dust magnet.
By the way have you tried the turtle wax ice yet? I was going to buy some today, but i'm afraid it will turn out to be a dust magnet.
Thread Starter
I ♥ Acer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 675
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
Because the majority of this sand is being thrown up by the tires and finding it's way into the engine compartment through the inner fender somewhere. I realize it's impossible to keep all dust/dirt out of the engine compartment. These are large pieces of sand, they didn't blow in there.
ORIGINAL: hammeron
I think Justice said it very well. I don't know why you would argue with
him, he's only trying to help. I hope you find a solution to
the dust, that will protect your engine.
"Sand will still go in your engine compartment after that sadly. I'd personally advise against installing a CAI when you have to drive over such roads on a daily basis. They all SAY they filter just as good as a standard filter, only let more air in. It is true that the big particles are being filtered out, but the smaller ones go right trough it. They TRY and hold on to those by using that special oil you get with your filter.
Sadly it doesn't work all that well. So if you want scratches in your cylinders due to small sand particles flying from your air intake right in your engine, install a CAI.
There are undoubtedly other opinions on this, but as Darth Vader’s cousin would have said: Search your basic knowledge; you know it to be true… "
"I'm getting a lot of sand in my engine compartment and my airfilter box.
I think Justice said it very well. I don't know why you would argue with
him, he's only trying to help. I hope you find a solution to
the dust, that will protect your engine.
"Sand will still go in your engine compartment after that sadly. I'd personally advise against installing a CAI when you have to drive over such roads on a daily basis. They all SAY they filter just as good as a standard filter, only let more air in. It is true that the big particles are being filtered out, but the smaller ones go right trough it. They TRY and hold on to those by using that special oil you get with your filter.
Sadly it doesn't work all that well. So if you want scratches in your cylinders due to small sand particles flying from your air intake right in your engine, install a CAI.
There are undoubtedly other opinions on this, but as Darth Vader’s cousin would have said: Search your basic knowledge; you know it to be true… "
"I'm getting a lot of sand in my engine compartment and my airfilter box.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 739
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
again, the fenderwell is NOT attached to the fender lip- it just 'sits' up on top of the lip- and road spray from the tires or carwash, rinses off into the gutter that is the fender lip, and half goes forward onto the shelf behind headlights/fender bumper junction, and half runs out the back. I'll try to find my pics with the fenders off...and again- my biggest worry would be that flap in front of the rear tires- half of the cars Ive seen were open on one side or both, no way to clean out stuff that gets inside...
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 241
From: Dana Point
RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
All of this info is great but I don't necessarily agree with the whole CAI not filtering out smaller particles. I ran my F150 as a desert runner for 5 years with a K&N and never had a problem. That trucks engine bay would be coated with the fine dust that we have out here in the Califonia deserts and Baja. I put just over 160,000 miles on that engine and it ran just as good as the day I bought it.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 739
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
personally I wouldnt worry much about dust small enough to get thru the filter...I dunno what micron our filters will pass, but would expect even larger wear particles flake off and go thru the oil anyway... vacuum brake booster must have a filter on it somewhere when vacuum is released at lifting from the brake pedal- where does the air re-enter from, and is there a filter? also shouldnt PCV be filtered- could be 'stuff' like metal particles/soot in the smoke right? Dirty (non-oiled) air filters likely clean the air better than a new one- but wouldnt suggest not changing regularly...I'm kinda a worry wart anyway, but not about this...
only 'bad' thing Ive heard about CAI's with oiled filters: supposedly oil vapors inhaled can contaminate the MAF sensor and affect calibration. Would expect they get more than a little wet when its raining also-
only 'bad' thing Ive heard about CAI's with oiled filters: supposedly oil vapors inhaled can contaminate the MAF sensor and affect calibration. Would expect they get more than a little wet when its raining also-
Thread Starter
I ♥ Acer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 675
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
I'll have to check out that flap and see if there's a way to open it up or seal it off. I could have 10lbs of sand on each side by now!
ORIGINAL: ford4v429
again, the fenderwell is NOT attached to the fender lip- it just 'sits' up on top of the lip- and road spray from the tires or carwash, rinses off into the gutter that is the fender lip, and half goes forward onto the shelf behind headlights/fender bumper junction, and half runs out the back. I'll try to find my pics with the fenders off...and again- my biggest worry would be that flap in front of the rear tires- half of the cars Ive seen were open on one side or both, no way to clean out stuff that gets inside...
again, the fenderwell is NOT attached to the fender lip- it just 'sits' up on top of the lip- and road spray from the tires or carwash, rinses off into the gutter that is the fender lip, and half goes forward onto the shelf behind headlights/fender bumper junction, and half runs out the back. I'll try to find my pics with the fenders off...and again- my biggest worry would be that flap in front of the rear tires- half of the cars Ive seen were open on one side or both, no way to clean out stuff that gets inside...
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 739
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
pics from under mine ... the last one shows water coming out of a hole in the bottom of the fender/doorpost-cowl foam thingy...both sides had holes torn in bottom -apparenly from pressing them in there(very tight at bottom) and both were full of water...there are 'lettered cutouts' up top, apparentl water gets in, runs down along the center plastic piece and keeps the fender damp- I cut about 3/4 inch off bottoms of mine about 3" up so both water would drain, and it wont rub wet foam on the dirty fender bottom...
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 739
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
another spot I found- if you pull the fenders, a little of the cowl sealant will pull with them- theyre stuck at the bottom...anyway, both sides of mine this sealer had already been separated from the cowl, and you can see where whitish oxidation of the galvanized coating had already started- again, these were taken with 300 miles on the car, never driven in rain (maybe on the carhauler- it was december), but washed twice. the second pic shows big picture of the closeup area by front/bottom of door
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 739
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RE: Anyone live on a dirt road?
few more pics...first two are of the 'scoop' into the upper frame, and the little diverter I 'glued' over it with seamsealer...third is of the foam cowl/fender installed, yellow area is what I trimmed away so water could get out, and it now only 'almost' touuches the fender/cowl, instead of being pressed super tight into it...the upper part of this piece fits well, but the bottom it seemed the inner plastic piece was too big- it had pinched thru the foam on both sides, and inner hard plastic part was rubbing fender...
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