HELP cleaning the stains from my Offy intake!
- Thread starter wildirishtime
- Start date
51504bat
Well-known member
You might check with a motorcycle restoration shop. Some of them use a process called Vapor Blast on aluminum that they say leaves the metal polished. Of course this would mean removing the manifold and from what I understand its kind of pricey. Just a thought, not sure if it would work or not.
vaporblastingusa.com
vaporblastingusa.com
TomT/Williamsburg
Well-known member
Well, I think you are SOL with intake stains in that area. Even when cleaned they would not stay that way for long. That's the heat riser of/for the intake and it gets hot. Any grease or oil in that area will turn some shade of brown on an aluminum intake when heat is applied. But ....
I used a Gliptone product called Emerald Clean - you spray it on a cold intake, wait 15 minutes, and wash it off. Best stuff I have ever used ....
Back to cleaning that particular area, my avatar has a stock intake and the paint constantly peals off in that same area ..... again, a tough spot to keep ...
Good luck ...
I used a Gliptone product called Emerald Clean - you spray it on a cold intake, wait 15 minutes, and wash it off. Best stuff I have ever used ....
Back to cleaning that particular area, my avatar has a stock intake and the paint constantly peals off in that same area ..... again, a tough spot to keep ...
Good luck ...
Last edited:
Bored&Stroked
Well-known member
Hmmmmmmmmmmm - you guys are making me think about some alternative coatings. I've been using ceramic coatings on many internal engine parts for a few years (everything from thermal heat barriers, to lubrication, to oil-shedding, etc..).
External Parts: I also have done an experiment with my latest engine to apply ceramic coatings to my Stromberg 97 carbs - a nickle finish to the bodies and a semi-gloss black to the bases and linkages. I did the carbs because of a similar issue, they always leak some amount (it just happens) and the bodies get stained. I've found with the ceramic coatings that I just use a toothbrush and all the crap cleans right off. Secondly, I don't have any corrosion on the bases (which usually rust) - or the linkages . . . same deal.
I'm pondering using clear ceramic coatings on polished intakes (to keep them shiny and so I don't have to continuously attempt to re-polish them). I've not thought about doing the same on a cast finish . . . though it might work. My only issue is that I am NOT running a cast-finish intake on any of my hotrods. With that said, the hardest thing to coat is an existing casting that has become oil soaked -- as it gets into the metal and even with baking the oil in the casting makes it hard to clean to perfection (which is key!).
If somebody has a NEW intake (cast finish) that they'd like me to ceramic coat as an experiment - I'm willing to do that first. If that works out, then I'd be willing to do a used one as a further experiment. Ceramic coatings are very expensive - but if they do what I've seen them do on other things, might be worth a collective experiment. Anybody game?
The way I look at this -- the world of ceramic and performance coatings has greatly expanded in the last 10 years . . . with great results in many application areas. I was simply amazed how our piston and valve coatings held up on our Flathead Cadillac Bonneville engine - after a fire and a terribly hot 'lean condition' (due to losing fuel at full throttle and the guy keeping his foot in it). On 4 of the cylinders, the spark plug electrodes were completely burned off --- yet we didn't burn the pistons or heads. This is at 21 lbs of boost and extreme racing conditions. Needless to say, I think the coatings saved our ***!
Just to let you know, if it DOESN'T work out, then you simply bead blast the coatings back off.
Here are some pictures of the carbs:
External Parts: I also have done an experiment with my latest engine to apply ceramic coatings to my Stromberg 97 carbs - a nickle finish to the bodies and a semi-gloss black to the bases and linkages. I did the carbs because of a similar issue, they always leak some amount (it just happens) and the bodies get stained. I've found with the ceramic coatings that I just use a toothbrush and all the crap cleans right off. Secondly, I don't have any corrosion on the bases (which usually rust) - or the linkages . . . same deal.
I'm pondering using clear ceramic coatings on polished intakes (to keep them shiny and so I don't have to continuously attempt to re-polish them). I've not thought about doing the same on a cast finish . . . though it might work. My only issue is that I am NOT running a cast-finish intake on any of my hotrods. With that said, the hardest thing to coat is an existing casting that has become oil soaked -- as it gets into the metal and even with baking the oil in the casting makes it hard to clean to perfection (which is key!).
If somebody has a NEW intake (cast finish) that they'd like me to ceramic coat as an experiment - I'm willing to do that first. If that works out, then I'd be willing to do a used one as a further experiment. Ceramic coatings are very expensive - but if they do what I've seen them do on other things, might be worth a collective experiment. Anybody game?
The way I look at this -- the world of ceramic and performance coatings has greatly expanded in the last 10 years . . . with great results in many application areas. I was simply amazed how our piston and valve coatings held up on our Flathead Cadillac Bonneville engine - after a fire and a terribly hot 'lean condition' (due to losing fuel at full throttle and the guy keeping his foot in it). On 4 of the cylinders, the spark plug electrodes were completely burned off --- yet we didn't burn the pistons or heads. This is at 21 lbs of boost and extreme racing conditions. Needless to say, I think the coatings saved our ***!
Just to let you know, if it DOESN'T work out, then you simply bead blast the coatings back off.
Here are some pictures of the carbs:
