Media blasting harmful on intakes?

[Michael Jones]

I was talking to my mechanic about having my '57 aluminum dual quad intake manifold glass bead blasted to remove all the oil and gasoline stains and put a nice finish on it. He recommended against it saying there's always the possibility of some of the glass beads getting lodged in the manifold even with the best of cleaning and wreaking havoc on the cylinders and rings. He said even when people have taken extra steps to protect against this, therew have been some bad experiences. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Thx,

Mike

[Bill Clupper]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

Even worse is that the original finish on the aluminum will be destroyed by beading or blasting process, and it never can be made to look correct again.

[Jeff Burkey]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

What about giving it a "tumble" finish in a media that does not blast, but tumbles the intake in a container...??? Am looking at having this done as my aluminum intake was, what looks like, sprayed with some type of silver finish...?? tks, Jeff B.

[Lonnie Wiggins]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

Or, how about blasting with pecan shells?

[Dale Pearman]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

I forgot to thoroughly clean an aluminum intake on a truck engine after glass beading it. You could feel the minute abrasive particles in the oil!

Engine sealed up right away at 185 psi and ran almost 300,000 miles without problems. I panicked at first and changed the oil several times in quick sequence. I've since learned that a shade-tree trick is to add Comet cleanser to the oil in a new engine! The bearings were NOT harmed by this error.

DO NOT bead blast a Corvette intake. This process destroys the surface due to compacting.

Dale.

[Michael Jones]

Sounds like a good idea! *NM*

[Gary S.]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

Dale, what is the Comet cleanser supposed to do? I hadn't heard this shade tree trick. Is it used on all new rebuilds and what are the techniques for using it?
Gary Schisler

[Dale Pearman]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

I wouldn't do this deed to a new engine.

The DIRT TRACK racers around here add cleanser to the break-in oil to help the rings quickly seat. They typically race at night what they build during the day so they don't have time to properly break-in an engine.

The abrasive in the oil helps the rings to seat and cylinder sealing is quickly achieved, ususally at very high pressures.

They say that the bearings aren't harmed.

I've seen this trick used and it does indeed work. I just don't have the nerve to try it intentionally.

Dale.

[Dave Stafford]

Babo is better! *NM*

[Dave Suesz]

I have had excellent results with...

Glass beading, BUT- 1) Clean with degreaser and "elbow grease" as good as it will get, 2) Allow to dry thoroughly, 3) Use NEW BEADS at NO MORE than 30psi, 4) Clean with detergent, brushes, and a LOT of water, 5) Air blast dry, especially intake runners, screw holes, etc. Some manifolds have a sheet metal baffle on the underside- This MUST BE REMOVED first, as well as ALL plugs and vacuum fittings.

[Gary S.]

Interesting concept

and I doubt that I would be able to do it either.
thanks,
Gary

[Wayne K.]

Re: Media blasting harmful on intakes?

Mike,

I cleaned up my 67 L79 intake by first giving it a good bath with a degreaser and a scrub brush. I then blew it dry with compressed air and went at it with a water soluble paint stripper rinsing after and giving it another scrub bath. I thought it came out looking good and it didn't change the surface appearance. A friend of mine likes running any parts he can get in the dishwasher through a couple of pots and pans cycles when the little woman is gone and they come out looking nice too.

[Duke W.]

Bon-Ami

I don't know if I spelled it correctly, but this "trick" has been around for probably as long as I have. When I first heard about it, the deal was to add some Bon-Ami scouring power to the oil to quicken ring seating. I don't think Bon-Ami is around anymore, but Comet and Ajax powder cleaners are along with some generic brands.

It's an interesting story - maybe just another old wives' tale - but I sure wouldn't try it. I think sprint cars still use chrome rings because of their abrasion resistance and all the dirt the engines ingest. Maybe Bon-Ami or similar products will help the rings seat, and I wonder if any top teams are doing this. Somehow I doubt it, but you never know.

Duke

[Dale Pearman]

If You Really Want To Hear

some weird stuff I should share some of the tricks used at Bonneville. OUTRAGEOUS butchering of engines but with good results.

Dale.

[Joe L.]

Re: Bon-Ami

Duke-----

Bon Ami is still around. Until not too long ago you could even get it from GM under GM #1050011. However, it's discontinued through GM now. But, you can still find it in grocery stores. Bon Ami is an extremely fine grain polishing compound and is far less abrasive than Comet or Ajax. Primarily, it's intended for use on glass. I've never used it in an engine and I doubt that I ever will.