What's the best way to clean an aluminum intake without affecting the original finish and appearance?
Thanks,
Jack
Thanks,
Jack
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Jack Ottofaro -
Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
i'm sure I'll get shunned for this but on both my '65 L76 and my '78 L82 aluminum intakes I glass beaded them.
The key is to use as low of a pressure as possible and still clean it up. If I recall I started around 15psi and had to go up to about 20-22psi in a couple spots.
I did the same on my valve covers but used even lower psi.
After I did the intake and valve covers on my '65 and got the motor back together I had a chance at a show a few months later to be able to compare my intake and valve covers against another car next to mine that had just had the intake and valve covers "reskinned' by Jerry MacNeish. Jerry's "reskinning" process is very recommended by many as the best way to make your aluminum parts look just like new.
I studied my car and the other car very carefully for a good 10 minutes to try to find any differences and could not see even the tiniest differences between the two sets of parts in the finish and texture.
Ironically, as much as glass beading these parts is frowned upon by most NCRS members as they claim it ruined the original finish, I was using the blasting cabinet at a friend of mine's house who is heavily involved in NCRS and is chairman of his local chapter and he even commented how nice the parts came out looking.
here is the intake:
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Barry,
Thanks for the advice. Intake looks really nice...Jack OttofaroComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Try Berryman B-12 Chemtool. Joe Lucia recommended it to me couple mos. back. Worked great on my (ex-leakey carb), 67 L-79. P.S. I've since cleaned up my "Over restored" exhaust manifolds.Comment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Jack, I hate to disagree with some of our members here. And I do hope they are not upset with me as I mean no disrespect. But since I know a little about aluminum refinishing in my FI business I highly suggest you don't just bead blast your aluminum. In doing so you will ruin the natural skin of the casting. Rest assured if you show your car the judges are going to ding you for this. Sure bead blasting is an easy way to refinish a casting but it is also a good way to destroy its originally and value. Spill a drop of oil on a bead blasted casting and you are done.
Best way is to send your castings out for refinishing to someone who specializes in this process. The cost is quite affordable and the end results are typically quite pleasing and rewarding. That casting of yours is a bear to clean up by hand. Good luck, JohnComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
John
I knew I'd get people to say how wrong I was for glass beading my intake, I was expecting that. I'm just reporting that it's one method and it worked well for me.
BTW, oil and fuel spills clean up easily off the intake with a bit of brake cleaner spray.
If someone wants the "safe & sure" method than I'll always recommend sending out to someone like Jerry MacNeish for "reskinning" and you know it will look great.Comment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Barry, Yes brake clean works good for cleaning up oil and grease marks. . Unfortanately though the non green brake clean works a lot better than the watered down crap that is safer for the environment. JDComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
I wondered what the real differences were between the regular brake cleaner and the green cap stuff. I haven't really noticed a difference if one really worked better than the other. I haven't noticed any difference myself but i don't have a need to use brake cleaner a lot to have noticed differences but I don't doubt you, you are probably correct.Comment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Even though I have not yet done anything with mine.....I have been told and heard that Soda Blasting is a much safer way to make your aluminum look as new. Any comments?
The other stuff I've been told works very well is Alumiprep 33 (google it) Again, any comments?
Thanks,
DavidComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
The engine shop that rebuilt my 67 L79 just put the intake in a "hot tank". I'm not 100% familiar with the process, but here are the results.
Chris Enstrom
North Central Chapter Judging Chairman
1967 Rally Red convertible, 327/350, 4 speed, Duntov @ Hampton in 2013, Founders @ KC in 2014, family owned since 1973
2011 Z06, red/redComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
This subject, as addressed a number of times in the past, will always raise a number of equitable methods to clean up the manifolds and valve covers. There are probably many good methods that will satisfy each owner as well as the judges. As for me, my manifold has never been off the engine to date, so I look for a way to keep it looking as natural/new as possible. In looking at the posts, the glass beading looks good (something like the finish of early aftermarket manifolds), but not natural for Corvettes. The hot dip manifold looks great, but not natural. I know there were some years, like 78, where several vendors were used on the L-82, and one looks like it is painted silver, and may be, and the other looks more natural. Point is, you may want to assertain how your manifold looked as new or how it should look for your specific year, then find a way to get it back to that condition or to one that pleases you.
John D.); I didn't know there was a watered down brake cleaner, but that explains why the crap I buy today does not clean like I remember it used to. You might as well be just pouring on water as this stuff just does not work anymore. When I did my brakes, I had to clean things several times with this stuff and my elbow grease, where as the old stuff just blew the grime away and dried clean.
Thanks for mentioning that.
Stu foxComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
How exactly does the reskinning process work? What is done to the piece?
Thanks!
SteveComment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
On aluminum castings, I have had very good luck with a brass kind of steel wool and a polish like Wenols or Flitz. No, I am not trying to polish the metal, just get it clean. On a cyl. head for a Triumph motorcycle that had been partially sand blasted, it brought the metal to a new appearance and there were no facets to the metal, that glass beading does. Just use the brass wool and polish to rub it.Comment
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Re: Best way to clean aluminum intake
Steve,
I'll be very curious to see what John Degregory has to say about this.
From what I have gleaned, the practitioners of this art generally like to keep it pretty close to the vest. My guess is a barrel tumbler with some fine metal shot in some sort of liquid (soapy water perhaps?).
Stay tuned . . .
Chef Art: a bottle of your choice of the cheep booze is on me if you divulge the secret potion!Comment
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