Exhaust Manifolds

[Gary P.]

I would like to know what to treat my exhaust manifolds with as to not to loose points in judging if possible. Thanks Gary.

[Harmon C.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I put WD-40 on them with a brush. They smoke as it burns off but two or three times and they stay looking natural with a little rust over time and you just put more on and the rust goes away. Others use a Quanta product the same way.

[Joel F.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

Gary,

What year is the car and which engine does it have? Big blocks had varying degrees of orange paint on them as did small blocks for certain years.

For the most part, any coating that would not be consistent with factory production will result in a modest deduction, but I would not let that 1 or 2 points stop me if a good looking engine were my main goal.

Joel

[James W.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I would like to know what to treat my exhaust manifolds with as to not to loose points in judging if possible. Thanks Gary.

I beleive there was an article in a past NCRS Restorer magazine that someone put together on how make a "home brew" for exhaust manifold treatment. I'll see if I can find the article before I leave for St. Charles.


Regards,

James West

[Larry M.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I would like to know what to treat my exhaust manifolds with as to not to loose points in judging if possible. Thanks Gary.

Gary:

Jerry MacNeish Camaro Performance has a process for exhaust manifolds that provides a nice, natural finish. The people that I know who have had this work done are pleased with the results. I believe that John Hinckley had this done for his Z28 and/or 1967 Corvette. Hopefully he will see this and reply.

You MAY lose a few judging points with this process, but I think you will feel good about the final result. I know if I were to restore my own 1967 Corvette exhaust manifolds, I would either send them to Jerry or do them myself with POR exhaust manifold (hi-temp) paint.

Website is www.z28camaro.com

Larry

[Eric J.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I use a product called Calyx that I think came from Corvette Central (can't recall). I was not real excited about the prospect of pulling manifolds and was looking for an alternative. I wore out a wire brush getting all of the rust and scale removed, but it was worth it in the long run. I applied the Calyx initially with a toothbrush and ended up using my finger to rub it in. The consistency is similar to a graphite in a grease base. Once it is worked into the metal, I ran the engine for about 10 minutes to let it cook in and set. After cooling for about 30 minutes, I lightly buffed it with an old t-shirt. They look brand new.... for a while. The heat seems to take its toll after a few weeks and some of the manifold pitting is apparent after it has burned in (and off) in places. It's a real quick fix that I use as part of my pre-show detailing and touch-up. I always get a lot of comments on the manifolds.

Hope this helps!
EJ

[Pat M.]

Exhaust Manifolds

When I got my car the previous owner had applied some sort of high temp paint to the manifolds. They looked pretty good, but a little dark to me. So I then applied a little Mid America manifold dressing (similar to Calyx) to add a little light silver coloration. But this did leave a coating, and a judge was able to wipe off a bit on his finger, and I got docked a few points.
Since then I lightly wire-brushed the manifolds, and then lightly wiped them down with a towel, and I'm still pleased with the color, yet you don't get a smudge when you wipe your finger on it. They've even rusted just a tiny bit since then, which I think adds to the natural appearance.
I may still loose some points as it is, but I can live with it.

[Rick S.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I had my exhaust manifolds powder coated a few years back and have been extremely pleased with the results. I did not receive any deduction at Chapter Judging in June 2007 but I expected to receive a deduction, beginners luck?

[Harmon C.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I think at a regional they won't fly.

[Eric J.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

You're probably right on Regionals taking some dedux using this product. I'm not at the point to have mine judged just yet, so the manifolds have good 'curb appeal' - looks good from the curb, at about 10 feet away. I'll get there one of these days. A lot of sage advice on this board - and I'm taking it all in!

[Anthony S.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

[John H.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

Sometimes it's hard to predict what will "fly" and what won't; if you want them to look nice, don't like rust, and use some type of coating/preservative/whatever, the "finish" deduction is only three points anyway regardless of what you use. "Calyx" isn't popular with some judges, as it never dries and rubs off on skin, shirt sleeves, etc.

Photo below shows the results of Jerry MacNeish's "re-skinning" process for cast iron on my '69 Z/28, which involves plasma-spraying molten aluminum to a thickness of about .005" (which forms a permanent barrier moisture can't penetrate), then painting with Seymour 1200* hi-temp Cast-Blast for color. Jerry did mine seven years ago, and they still look the same as the day I installed them. As Jerry says, "they'll never rust".

[Stephen L.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

I put WD-40 on them with a brush. They smoke as it burns off but two or three times and they stay looking natural with a little rust over time and you just put more on and the rust goes away. Others use a Quanta product the same way.

What is the Quanta product in question?

thanks

[Patrick H.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

What is the Quanta product in question?

thanks

PreLube 6

I don't think Quanta carries it any more. We ordered a box of 6 cans of it from another online source a few years ago.

[Chris S.]

Re: Exhaust Manifolds

question - -
the manifolds from the factory where painted while installed on the engine
has anyone powder coated theirs orange?
did it discolor?
did it look like a "fresh" factory engine ?
Just wondering.

I had Jerry do my exhaust manifold - he does great work