e36fl

Doing runners and plenum and maybe the intake manifold if it can withstand the 400' baking temperature without warping?? Anyone have their intake powder coated????

DinoBob

Let us know how your plenum comes out. I would like to do mine so it stays perpetually fresh looking.

I don't know for sure on the intake but it gets pretty hot on that engine!

e36fl

Will do, looking for a polished look without the maintenance.

Dt86

Post before and after photos if you can. I been thinking about doing mine. Not sure on the color though.

CREWZIN

Had runners, plenum and valve covers all powder coated together. The only problem was the valve covers. Came out with dark spots. Used matching paint to cover them.

e36fl

Nice. I am also doing the chrome look. They won't do my valve covers because they r magnesium..sp.? Mag. doesn't do well at high temps when baking powder coat.

CREWZIN

That's probably why mine came out with the black spots, but matching high temp spray paint fixed them right up.

e36fl

Yup will spray the vcs with hi temp paint. They have a lot of pitting so they will blast them and hope to fill them and then paint....If not then will get some nice polished alum ones online for 50.00.

e36fl

Do u think its useless to do the intake manifold because u cant really see it under the plenum and runners and fuel rail???? They r also doing the the thermo housing. I'm worried that some of the threaded holes and injector seats might suffer. Might opt out of them doing the intake manifold depending on what u guys think......??? May just clean and paint it like the valve covers??? Its not much more but worried that it may be a potential nightmare if not done properly...

Dt86

I just sanded my valve covers to avoid the pitting issues. I started bead blasting one and it was pitted badly underneath so I abandoned that. The silver rustoleum high temp paint is a very close match to the original color.

e36fl

Mine r very pitted. Might try sanding and filling with bondo then painting. Not sure if bondo can take the engine heat tho???

Midnight 85

I have done two different tpi units and both turned out great with no warping. You can use a product called lab metal to fill the cavities in the valve covers but to be honest, lab metal is not cheap so the $50. ones are a bargain as far as I am concerned. Just be sure & get short ones or they will not clear your wiper motor.

A good powder coater will put silicone plugs in the threaded holes and injector seats so there is no issue there. Once the intake is done you will be amazed at just how much of it shows. I may have some pics of the ones I powder coated myself with an Eastwood kit and an old kitchen electric oven. If I can find any I will post them.

Midnight 85

I'm afraid this is the only picture I still have of my last tpi I had on my car but it does show how the intake is very visible when it is done. My intake, runners, t stat housing, and plenum were all done by me at home. This unit is now on an El Camino in Texas and still looks like it does here.

Midnight 85

Found another one,,,,,,,,

e36fl

Very nice. Hope mine looks that good. I'm gonna go for it.....thx

yaknow

here is a pic of my powder coat job, as you can see I did not do the manifold

e36fl

Nice, u can barely see the manifold...point taken...thx

whalepirot

Also, that shiny is hard to keep, longterm, in the real world. I like the look of that red intake and it may be less prone to showing all the crap that finds it way onto shiny parts.

e36fl

I agree my original was very dirty. Hoping a smoother finish might be easier to keep clean....Wasn't very much extra to do the manifold and t stat housing.

Midnight 85

That is the beauty of powder, dirt rarely sticks to it. It is so smooth & slick that even if it does get dirty it will hose off,,(unless you have an opti). I used to clean that red tpi with window cleaner and a clean rag.