mbeeman350

I have a performer intake on my 72 small block that is currently painted Chevy orange. I am goint to remove it and clean it up to have the aluminum - metal look. But the raw aluminum finish never stays clean very long.

Recommendations on what coating would look good and last? I had my ram horm exhaust manifolds ceramic coated. They have a nice look with no rust

thanks :cheers:

comp

from what i've read i'd go with powder coat on the intake manifold, i think someone has a color to almost match the exhaust, my 2 cents

AKRAY4PLAY

ceramic will hold in more heat = less power

442olds

The ideal situation would be to ceramic coat the underside and the flanges taht butt up against the heads. to keep the heat from the hot oil adding to the intake heat. Also ceramic coat the inside of the water jacketby the thremostat housing. Then apply a thin coat of silver engine paint to the intake, it'll look close to aluminum and you'll have the extra advantage of less heat radiating into the intake. Also if you can do it block off the heat riser passages. to cut down on more heat. The thin coat of paint will allow the heat that does get into the intake to pass through. There is also a heat raditing coating but it is black in color.

I can do the ceramic coating if you like, cost is about $65 plus shipping.

comp

442 ,, what brand of coatings do you use????

mvftw

I powdercoated my L82 Manifold...

mbeeman350

MVFTW, what color did you powder coat your intake?
thanks
Mark :cheers:

442olds

TechLine Coatings. I have had very good luck with them.

comp

442 have you been using long? have you done engine internal parts, i've
been looking at them for awile, got the extra oven over a year ago, so i can
also get a powder coat starter kit,

442olds

I have coated my pistons in my big block with the CBC2(pistons tops) and DFL-1(skirts). I have just recently coated a set of pistons for an 383 LT-1 I am building up right now with the same. I coated and oil pump(dfl1), timing chain gears(dfl1), the underside of an intake (CBC2), wrist pins and cyldinder bores (WSX). All have turned out well, but you have to sandblast everything you want to coat of the coating will puddle which is very hard to buff out. So that means if you want to apply DFL1 to bearings you have to lightly sand balst them. If you have aluminum oxide its better but I am using some very well used white silica sand so that it is a much finer grit than if you just went and bought a bag of sand from the hardware store. Sand balst at around 40 psi at the gun. Then spray it on if you can get a spray gun in the areas, internal passages of intakes require you to use a foam brush, but if you take your time you can get a very even smooth coat on internal passages. As for a spray gun get something cheap that is gravity feed. I have tried suction guns but the coatings even at 60 psi are pretty thick and the gun will have problems sucking it up. If you are using water based coatings, always wash the gun out with straight water first. Any solvents that hit the coating turn it into one big hard to clean up mess. Once you are sure you have it completely cleaned with the water then use a solvent to dry the gun out and get any remaining material out. And before using the gun again, be sure it is completely dry of the solvents or it will clog the gun in seconds.

comp

Cool i may check into it more, i'll let you know i'm not that far from St. L
can you really tell any difference , or are you interested in the safety the coatings add ???

442olds

I started using coated stuff back in college on a Formula SAE engine. Used HPC, they coated everything for almost nothing. I was very happy with the results because I was running super high compression in those little crotch rocket motors. Never had a dyno, but the motors I stuck together always screamed. I think our car finished just behind the turbo charged cars in acceleration, traction limited of course. These motors go through hell, overheated in endurance boiled the engine dry, cooled it down with a box fan filled it back up with water and sent it back out on track. Pretty impressive. I give most of the credit to the mobil one keeping that motor together, but I know the coatings help save it too.

When I found the Tech lines products I couldn't pass up an opprotunity to do something myself. I am a bit of tinkerer. If I can do or build the tool myself I will before i consider buying someone elses product.

I still run astronomical compression ratios. My big block in my vette is at 11.75:1 average (I say average because I wasn't able to get all the combustion chambers the same size. The factory screwed these heads back in 69, had a range of 110.8 to 114.8cc's, I evened them out to a 113 to 114.8) That was a little better. But I am still running on 93 octane with iron heads. Only coated the pistons in this motor. My lt-1 build I am looking at running 11.5:1 (opening up 54cc heads to 62cc's isn't easy), so both the pistons and the heads vavles and exhaust ports will be coated on this engine.

I can't say I've noticed a difference because I have never put together and engine, run it, then torn it down coated it and the run it again. Its just not a very practical apples for apples test. But it does give me piece of mind that if I run lean it will take a little longer before the pistons blow. The intake I have coated is running a little cooler, but I didn't think to coat the inside of the water passage to the thremostat. So maybe next winter when I tear downt the vette for maintence I'll pop the intake off again and coat the water passages.

comp

thanks for the info, saving info for later, I"M A DIY kinda' guy myself, i need
to get a small plating system going first, but it all goes together :thumbs:
i'll check with you when i get started :cheers:

mbeeman350

Thanks to everone who responded for their advise !!
Mark :party:

comp

didn't mean to hijack ya' but it was good info :thumbs: So what ya' going with
on your intake?????

mvftw

The L82 is factory aluminum. I had it coated silver and cleared. Silver must be cleared. This is the way to go. Don't paint it. If you have a gas spill paint will come off :eek:

442olds

If you bake the engine paint and get it to cure correctly, gas will not strip it off. Acuatlly there is very little which will remove it once its baked on. But it is pretty toxic when baking and I don't suggest using a oven you cook food in.

comp

:U :lolg: :lolg: then the old lady puts the foot in your azz :lolg: :lolg: :lolg: