I've got an Edelbrock 455 performer intake. The winter was not kind to my engine. There looks to be a white powdery substance that has formed all over the intake. My question is can I sand blast my intake? Will this damage it at all?
Thanks, Alex

 

Mag wheel cleaner will take most of it off. Sandblasting will work, stay away from gasket surfaces.

 

Mag wheel cleaner? Huh Thanks for the suggestion!

 

I agree with oldcutlass and would try the mag cleaner first. It's common for aluminum to build up this powder on the surface.


John

 

The powder is aluminum oxide and like rust on ferrous metals, it never sleeps. Of course, the intake should really be removed before cleaning to avoid getting caustic cleaners or sand where it doesn't belong. And if you do resort to blasting, use glass beads instead of sand. Sand leaves a telltale unnatural finish on cast aluminum that not only doesn't look or feel right but exposes even more surface area to moisture to accelerate the oxidation process in the future.