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I am detailing my 455 as I swap 1977 D88 PC bits and pieces to it.
The 455 Edelbrock Performer intake manifold has been/is snugly/perfectly installed. I'm cleaning it / acid washing it / thinking about putting a coat of high temperature clear on it before re-installing carb etc.
Has anyone successfully applied a clearcoat to their clean aluminum intake manifold? What product did you use? Does it blister from heat?
I am also considering installing the OEM engine lift strap. This would require removing (and then re-tourqing) the forward two intake manifold bolts on the driver's side.
Do you think removing/reinstalling two intake manifold bolts is likely or unlikely to compromise the intake manifold seal?
This is a picture of the type of strap I'm speaking of. I wouldn't be buying this one, I'd be taking the one off the Pace Car:
I’ve used a high temperature clear coat but I can’t yet vouch for it’s longitivity. As far as lifting your engine with the aluminum manifold, I would use the carb mount lifting plate instead. It uses four bolts instead of two and they are in-expensive to buy.
I have zero intention of using this lift strap for its intended function. Yes I am already using a lift plate, thank you.
I would be installing this lift strap for cosmetic reasons only. I would be disinclined, however, if doing so is going to cause a vacuum leak between the heads the intake manifold.
I tried clear coating my manifold, blistered and yellowed pretty quick. I don't remember what product I used. I ended up pulling it and painting it blue to match the rest of the engine. i like the blue better.
i blasted my filthy performer intake and didnt want it blue or leave it natural because of stains etc.
I read somewhere that spraying it liberally w silicone will keep it looking clean for a long time....so i did that and so far mines been 2 years and maybe 2k miles and the intake still looks nice w no stains and natural aluminum color.
X2 on not using a lift plate with an aluminum intake... JMO, but I would fear the aluminum threads stretching or stripping and loosing holding power, especially since most carb bolts are only 5/16"...
Duly noted re: the lift plate. I am only using the lift plate to cover the hole. I usually use accessory bolts in the heads fore and aft (with a load leveler) to yank engines.
Talk to me about how the bolt torque order on intake manifolds is critical - but me loosening two out of sequence isn't going to be a problem.
X2 on not using a lift plate with an aluminum intake... JMO, but I would fear the aluminum threads stretching or stripping and loosing holding power, especially since most carb bolts are only 5/16"...
I have lifted my entire engine/transmission/Bolt on’s No problem using the plate.
Duly noted re: the lift plate. I am only using the lift plate to cover the hole. I usually use accessory bolts in the heads fore and aft (with a load leveler) to yank engines.
Talk to me about how the bolt torque order on intake manifolds is critical - but me loosening two out of sequence isn't going to be a problem.
Would question using carb bolts to pull engine/trans on aluminium intake, why chance it? Torque sequence is for initial sealing of intake.
I read somewhere that spraying it liberally w silicone will keep it looking clean for a long time....so i did that and so far mines been 2 years and maybe 2k miles and the intake still looks nice w no stains and natural aluminum color.
I would like to hear more about this silicone application - there's lots of different kinds of that.
I have now done several rounds of intake cleaning with Eagle 1 Mag Wheel cleaner (a caustic acid) and then "Zep A-lum". I'm not done yet but most of the stains are out.
A little bit of old blue paint overspray on the runners is proving impossible to remove, and my attempts up till now have only smeared the blue paint further. I will hit this area again with a stronger dilution of Zep A-lum (like "full") next.
I will need to detail the intake bolts in some fashion (engine paint?) either before or after I "seal" the intake...
i blasted it w glass and got it reasonably clean, i then sprayed it w wd40 specialist silicone about 5 times and let it soak,
i thought it would leave the surface shiny and slippery but its a natural dull aluminum color...ill take a pic and post.
I would do it again ive been happy w it so far but i dont have any leaks and i havent dripped any thing on it either.
Last edited by RetroRanger; November 28th, 2017 at 12:38 PM.
Looking for tips on what to do about the blue overspray on the bare aluminum shown in the first two pictures below. I've tried paint thinner (mineral spirits) and carb cleaner - in addition to the mag wheel cleaner and the undiluted Zep-a-Lum.
I've tried a razor blaze but the chips of blue aren't "popping out" and the blade leaves fine scratches the surface.
I haven't tried sand paper, what do you think about that? Other ideas?
Speaking of undiluted Zep-a-Lum - some of this was left on for "too long" and bleached the S out of the driver's side of the carb riser. I plan to fog some VHT aluminum paint on this before sealing the intake with silicone - perhaps some of the same paint will be used to cover the blue overspray up as well?
I need to decide what to do about detailing the intake manifold bolts - paint them Black? Blue? Aluminum? Prep them with naval jelly and TSP first.
Below are my before and after shots (after the Eagle 1 Mag Wheel Cleaner and then various dilutions of Zep A-Lum). In addition to the overspray there's still an ugly stain on top of the PS rear runner near the HVAC vacuum port (red cap) and I'm still not happy with the front part around the water neck (inconsistent shading) as well as some of the depressions (vocabulary?)
thank you BUT that is literally ALL of what I have been doing.
it was very effective at reducing the overall surface area of the offending blue overspray (as shown in the Before and After pics) BUT the deepest pores of the aluminum have resisted giving up the blue paint (as shown in the two close-up "After" pictures of the overspray at the top of the post above)
Looking for tips on what to do about the blue overspray on the bare aluminum shown in the first two pictures below.
I plan to fog some VHT aluminum paint on this
There's your answer. Spray the entire intake manifold. I bought a Performer 455 from someone on ROP (I think) who painted it aluminum and it looks good.
The over spray can be removed by using Evercoat Aircraft Remover. It is designed originally for stripping the paint off of aircraft as the label says and it will attack most any hardened paint if applied as directed.
Many people have trouble with removers not working because they don't let the product work in the manner they were designed to. Once applied you must leave the applied stripper alone so it can form a wet seal at the top of the film and this keeps the chemical reaction working under it. If that film is upset (you brush it again) the stripping action will stop in tell the film forms a wet seal again and the process starts over. By this time the stripper has lost 1/2 of it's strength ... Just my experience...Tedd
Acetone works good. Done it many times. But you can spray over the over spray. May need to spray the blue areas first to get even coverage from your paint.
Last edited by coppercutlass; December 3rd, 2017 at 09:12 AM.
I was previously using nylon paint- and scrubbing-brushes in combination with TSP/hot water, then Eagle One Mag Wheel cleaner ("for cast aluminum wheels") and then Zep A-lum in various dilutions, ending in "straight". The wheel cleaner didn't seem to do enough upon initial exposure. The Zep A-lum definitely does a lot more - but takes some of the texture off the grain of the aluminum as well as dulling it a bit.
I have now used a "steel welders brush" (not brass as oldcutlass shows below - although thanks for the push in the right direction guy!) in combination with the same Eagle One Mag Wheel Cleaner and I'm pretty pleased with the test results, shown below. I only did some of the driver's side rear quarter of the intake (the runner for cylinder 5 and the depression in front of it, and just the flange across #7) - where the blue overspray was - because it was late last night when I finally got to this.
I was trying to remove the paint alone - but the combination of the steel brush and the wheel cleaner lent an unexpected SHINE to the area AND removed the paint (it took several passes with the steel bristles to dig out every flake).
In addition to the SHINE, the grain of the aluminum is also popping out more after the steel brush and wheel treatment. I did not get anywhere near those results when I used the wheel cleaner initially (with a nylon brush) - although it did remove the dirt, it didn't shine up like this.
I don't know how much of this effect is due to the area having been Zep A-lum'ed first - but I think I like it. You can really see the difference between the runner for #5 and for #7.
Glad you found some joy finally. Are you going to smooth what looks like repair at the corner of #1 and the plenum. A die grinder should smooth it out and a small wire wheel will rough it up and blend it in. Practice on the underside of the manifold first.
The bleached area is due to an unchecked application of Zep A-lum. It is truly unfortunate - my friend who brought me the Zep A-lum brushed it on to show what it could do, then we turned our attention to welding up the A/C bracket and we both forgot about it until it was bleached out as shown.
I will see what it looks like after hitting it with the same steel brush.
Originally Posted by oldcutlass
Glad you found some joy finally. Are you going to smooth what looks like repair at the corner of #1 and the plenum. A die grinder should smooth it out and a small wire wheel will rough it up and blend it in. Practice on the underside of the manifold first.
I have updates on my intake cleaning below. I also have questions about what colors to paint the intake bolts and other trim:
intake and accessory bolt heads: semi-gloss black?
allen key threaded intake plug, driver's side by carb: replace with new black oxide piece from hardware store
heater valve - new gold irridated part helpfully discolored by cleaning agent, to be replaced
water fitting, driver's side rear - supposed to be gold? black?
anything else to paint on the intake?
I am also thinking that I will not attempt to re-install the factory lift strap. "No breaking any seals" has been the operative phrase so far and I don't think it's worth it. "Next time".
I am super tired of cleaning/prepping this intake manifold (and the trans - another post). The last thing I've been using is the EagleOne Mag Wheel Cleaner (before rinsing with water). FYI the post above about "wet seal" is "spot on".
The deepest plenum discolorations are not going to come out any brighter. I've done a couple total go-rounds and some spot cleaning - but that generally requires doing the whole thing again. The most recent several go-rounds, as I've tried to address a (relatively minor) swirling, or inconsistent coloring (result of the cleaner's action/Amateur Hour), I've created a new, different swirling or discoloration. I've gone around the whole thing at least three times now with the Eagle One.
The top of the two passenger side runners is a good example. The rear is discolored because there was a stain there (oil from the HVAC vacuum port), and I _really_ got it good with the brush = not the same color (at least from the driver's side angle). The front runner appears darker, also at the front plenum passenger's side - this is probably due to inconsistent wet seal application times.
I don't really want to be Textbook Amateur Restoration over here - but I'm resigned that's essentially what I'm doing: lots of time and elbow grease (and noxious fumes), but not a lot of $$ out the door (and not disassembling too much).
When I first started this post I was I thinking I would not go over the intake again - just wipe it down real good one more time (acetone?), shoot the aluminum at the bleach spot - and then plan to cover the whole thing with silicone once the bolt head trim paint is dry.
But now after really looking over the pictures I don't think I can leave the passenger's side looking so different than the rest...and that probably means another go-round of the whole thing.
Looks good, now your going to have to do something with those bolts and fittings. MAW paint the valve covers... Oh I see this really snowballing from here.
Be careful about using "hardware stuff". The cheap bolts are grade 2 and not strong. Use "grade 5" bolts. Are you using hard washers under the intake manifold bolts ? You could use the engine paint color on the bolts and touch up after torgueing or maybe an "aluminum" color to blend with the manifold ? All the pipe plugs might look good if painted with an "aluminum" color, they might look better longer. I guess its your choice. Thanks for posting. Maybe other people will have ides and post them. Ralph
I went over the intake again with the mag wheel cleaner. I switched to "basting" it on with a foam brush and (without understatement) paid a little closer attention to the time of application on the four separate quadrants ("five minutes"). Then I wiped it w towels (to minimize runs) and then rinsed it w water and blew it dry.
There are still many flaws (like the stains on the HVAC vacuum port) - but the worst of the finish inconsistencies appear to have been minimized, and I'd like to think because of my change in technique (including "not brushing"). It's very difficult to get an Excellent picture - these are all with the flash on my iPhone, but no auxiliary lighting. The flouescent lights in the garage are shadowed on the passenger side by the car on the lift.
All of that is to say that the passenger side forward portion doesn't really look as mismatched in person as the pictures appear (?). HOWEVER - like my work with the transmission, I may be willing to...Give Up? Leave well enough alone? Call it Good Enough? My F It Factor is "High", and I want to Move On. I'd liked to think I'm done applying chemical cleaners to this.
I will still:
Wipe it with Acetone (?), then spray the bleached spot w aluminum paint. Detail the bolts. Finally, coat aluminum liberally with silicone.
I bought some 3/8" stainless bolts from my local hardware, and then got some thick stainless washers off Amazon. I think it looks good. Now the 2 black 12-pt. bolts that fit the 2 tight spots on the passenger side really stand out (in a bad way). I couldn't easily find these in stainless. Here's a few pics:
Be careful about using "hardware stuff". The cheap bolts are grade 2 and not strong. Use "grade 5" bolts. Are you using hard washers under the intake manifold bolts ? You could use the engine paint color on the bolts and touch up after torgueing or maybe an "aluminum" color to blend with the manifold ? All the pipe plugs might look good if painted with an "aluminum" color, they might look better longer. I guess its your choice. Thanks for posting. Maybe other people will have ides and post them. Ralph
Stay away from grade 2 fasteners, unless repairing your screen door, hardware store 18-8 stainless isn't much better only offering corrosion resistance. Like Ralph states above use grade 5 hardware at the minimum, best of both worlds grade 8 chrome.... All available at your local ACE
Intake manifold bolts don't require much torque, the SS bolts will not be an issue.
Gonna have to call ya on this one, you state manifold bolts don't require much torque?
And that Stainless Steel will not be an issue. I beg to differ as your 3/8-16 intake bolts should be torqued in sequence to 25 ft lbs or 300 inch lbs on an aluminum intake according to edelbrock -- a 3/8-16 bolt made from 18-8 or even 316 stainless for that matter should not exceed 250 in lbs or 21 ft lbs... unless of course one is only concerned with fashion and not function.... put 25 foot lbs to a stainless 3/8" fastener, sure you may be able to without twisting the head off, but why risk it just to look pretty?
Oldcutlass & Delta7388:
Grade markings on stainless hardware seem to vary quite a bit. The stainless bolts I purchased have 3 radial lines on the head which should indicate they are grade 5 hardware. They should be strong enough for the intake manifold torque requirements, unless there's more that I don't fully understand.
The stainless bolt in my close-up shot is a 304 fastener which I bought for the headers. It's marked F593C which has a yield strength of 65,000 psi. Is this strong enough for the header bolts? I think grade 5 hardware is rated at 80-90,000 psi.
Last edited by cdrod; January 8th, 2018 at 04:14 AM.
Intake manifold bolts don't require much torque, the SS bolts will not be an issue.
x2
FWIW, I bought grade 5 bolts at the local hardware store for my intake manifold and they've worked fine for at least 8 years. I did take the intake off recently to clean evrything but all I used is Simple Green.
November 20th, 2017, 09:29 AM
All available at your local ACE
