Cleaning Aluminum Question

[64VetteMania]

whats the best way to clean my aluminum intake and valve covers ,,,they are outta the car now so nows my chance,,,they are in good condition but i want them to look like new....thanks

 

[IH2LOSE]

I never had luck cleaning aluminum.I did have my intake manifold reskinned and I can post a picture if you need it I had it done by a fellow named jerry mcneish ,I also had a bellhousing done they look perfect

 

[64VetteMania]

would it be ok to glass beed the intake?

 

[IH2LOSE]

It depends on what endresults you want.For just a clean look glass beading is ok but you can pretty much always be able to tell its be blasted.Also its nearley impossible to get all of the fine beads back out of the valve cover or maifold.(real scarry to think it would get into the enginge)


I used to just spay paint my aluminum with a high temp aluminum paint to make things look cleaned up.I now have them re skinned

 

[Dave65]

I plan to send mine to Jerry MacNeish at Camaro Hi-Performance

http://www.z28camaro.com/restosvcs.html

This is the reskinning process referred to in the previous post. It is some sort of tumbling process. I am told the parts look great (new) when they are done.

Dave

 

[IH2LOSE]

this is a picture of my intake manifold he re skinned for me

 

[IH2LOSE]

this is a picture of a bellhousing he did

 

[Tom Bryant]

Looks great. This seems to be the meathod of choice with the guys that want the new look for a correct restoration. I think I'm going to do this to a couple of 2x4 manifolds I have. Might I inquire as to the cost on the manifold?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[IH2LOSE]

Tom I am sorry but some how I quickly forget how much I spend on the vette.I can almost tell you to the penny what my last 12 utility bills were but thankfull any thing I spend on the vette is quickly forgoten.

But I do know that to have my exchaust manifolds reskinned is going to cost me $180.00 for the pair so I can only assume the pricing will be simular.

Lastly this fellow was a plesure to deal with he is into camaros and racing them so dont try on the week ends he probabley be at the track.Every time I contacted him via Email it was returned it seemed imdeately.
Good Luck

 

[JohnZ]

Jerry gets about $125.00 to re-skin an intake, depending on condition - here's some more of his work on my '69 Z/28 (intake, valve covers, carb, etc.):

 

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks John. Your Z looks perfect.

 

[BLACK MOON]

I always beadblast my aluminum and frankly they look much like the pictures above. consider spending $25 on beading and then you can decide. When you are done wash the item very well before reinstalling. the heat plate on the bottom has to be removed and replaced after cleaning. Just my opinion.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Just for comparison to John's photo this Offy has been bead blasted.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Here's a closeup for surface detail. I'm happy with this finish on this manifold but then this isn't going on a top Flight restoration. It wouldn't be the correct finish for that.

 

[pauk]

Beadblasting changes the porosity of the aluminum, it looks clean but not "correct". I have been happy with Jerry MacNeish's process.
http://www.z28camaro.com/restosvcs.html

 

[Tom73]

I just took the easy way for my valve covers, just got a good alumn wheel cleaner and a Scotch Brite Pad and went to work on them. Came out very nice.

tom...

 

[Tom Bryant]

I painted my '59 valve covers with black wrinkle finish in'71 because they were stained and cruddy looking. A friend that worked in a chrome shop wanted to plate them so I let him take them in. He never finishes anything but he did run them through the strip tank. I eventually took them out of his car because Iwanted to drive the Corvette and they had light white corrosion on them from the stripper. I used 0000 steel wool and to my suprise they looked like fresh castings afterward. The strip tank chemicals had cleaned out all of the stains without disturbing the surface. I have no idea what the strip tank chemical was.

Tom