Cleaning up intake?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 936
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa OK
Cleaning up intake?
Anyone have any sugestions for cleaning the stains off of a cast aluminum Performer intake? Bubba apparently thought it was OK to drive around with a leaking water neck, and now the whole front half is all stained up. I've tried scrubbing it with Simply Green and power washed the engine compartment. So far, nothings done much to it. The other kicker is this is my daily driver, so pulling the intake off for any length of time would leave me without a car right now.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,668
Likes: 43
From: Eastern US XX
Originally Posted by Xakk
Anyone have any sugestions for cleaning the stains off of a cast aluminum Performer intake? Bubba apparently thought it was OK to drive around with a leaking water neck, and now the whole front half is all stained up. I've tried scrubbing it with Simply Green and power washed the engine compartment. So far, nothings done much to it. The other kicker is this is my daily driver, so pulling the intake off for any length of time would leave me without a car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
The only way I have found that makes them look like new is to sand/media blast them.
Whether you use steel-whool, plastic scrubbers, wire wheels, etc etc... they just never clean up as good as blasting. Aluminum stains go down into the pores of the metal. Tough to really get out.
Chemical cleaners will help, but I tried all of those as well and blasting cleans it up 10 times better.
I'm sure someone will chime in with chemical/scrubbing technique...
Whether you use steel-whool, plastic scrubbers, wire wheels, etc etc... they just never clean up as good as blasting. Aluminum stains go down into the pores of the metal. Tough to really get out.
Chemical cleaners will help, but I tried all of those as well and blasting cleans it up 10 times better.
I'm sure someone will chime in with chemical/scrubbing technique...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,672
Likes: 1
From: New Cumberland PA
Originally Posted by pws69
Mag wheel cleaner works great - just be careful. Use the Simple Green after you scrub up the stains.
Thats what I would suggest. I just cleaned a water pump and it looks almost as good as the new intake.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
Likes: 43
From: San Antonio TX
If you use wheel cleaner, get one of the more caustic ones...more sulfuric acid in the mix. Blasting does the best job but I've always found the finish to be almost bleach-white when blasting. It no longer has the shiny satin "as cast" look.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 814
Likes: 2
From: WESTLAKE LA
Originally Posted by mandm1200
Thats what I would suggest. I just cleaned a water pump and it looks almost as good as the new intake.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,470
Likes: 1,491
From: Little Rock AR
Rough cast wheel cleaner followed by a light dusting of VHT dull argent silver high temp paint. 
Thin enough to show the cast aluminum grain but thick enough to hide the stains.
-Mark.
Thin enough to show the cast aluminum grain but thick enough to hide the stains.-Mark.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
i tried all kinds of cleaners on my intake ,and was not happy with the results so i por-15 it, i had to use the gasket with the block off for the crossover because the paint would burn so i did it a few time before i got it right-----