my 76 ray

What can I use to shine the aluminum intake manifold and transmission case? I have all the grease off, but they are still a dull gray.

Thanks in advance.

Roco71

Eastwood used to offer a kit for smoothing and polishing and buffing intakes. Looks like a lot of work.

corvetteload

Are you after a polished (chrome like) look or a factory look?
If you are looking for the polished look, strip the trans case out and ship it to a polisher, it isn't worth the time or the grunge for you to try to do it yourself, ship the intake along with it.
If looking for the orig look, there are places that can restore the aluminum, contact me if that is the option. The guy I will recommend DOES NOT reskin them.

Any chrome plater can do the polishing work by the way..........

7T1vette

Well, you can get to bright metal by using a wire brush wheel on a drill. But, it won't stay bright for long, as aluminum oxidizes almost immediately and will go to the dull, gray look quickly. You can buff, then clearcoat...but it would probably be better to paint the housing with a good quality aluminum spray paint, instead. VHT hi-temp paint comes in aluminum color and lasts pretty well. And, if you paint it 'aluminum' color, you don't have to wire brush it. Aluminum oxide holds paint just fine.

1-2-b-67L89

Sure you have heard of Jerry MacNeish and his reskinning process that is actually a type of tumbling process that renews the alum to a new look. Hands down the best you can do to give it the orig. look if that is what your after. Intake runs $175 and do not remember what our trans cases cost but believe it was similar. Since the intake is an intricate part of the engine when the hood is open IMHO get the intake restored but again, not sure of what look you are after.
Or you can glass bead at 15 to 20 PSI and use some 0000 (super fine) steel wool to lightly go over afterwords. The extreme low pressure is not enough pressure to change the character of the alum. I give credit to that info from past threads I read (JohnZ) and it works.
Chick

...Roger...

Dang,there used to be some spray aluminum cleaners that were mild acids that just left a shiny appearance,are they all gone ?

corvetteload

I don't know about that,but the cleaner I got one time for aluminum left it white if you even turned your back on it!!!!! I tried it on my orig alt for my 69, ended up taking it to a guy here in PA who uses a 3 step method and cleaned it to factory look, no beading, reskinning or abrasives used.

3JsVette

I think you mean Busch Aluminum Wash. It has worked great for me in the past. The intake comes out looking like new.
http://www.buschshineproducts.com/in...products_id=25

...Roger...

I used to buy an aluminum screen door cleaner that you sprayed on and hosed off,and it left the aluminum nice and shiny. I'm guessing EPA made it go away. I know the basic acids are still out there,finding them in combination is a different story.

...Roger...

No , never heard of it but I have now,Thanks . I have been looking !

The Money Pit

This RPM intake was on the 406 for a few years, then I tried a Vic Jr for a few more years, and decided to go back to the RPM. It was a bit "dirty", so I cleaned it as best I could, and dropped it off to be powder coated silver sparkle in color. The manifold has been on now for six or seven years and still looks like the day I put it back on.
The stuff is like a teflon frying pan,..nothing sticks to it.

This shot is from when I did the manual brake conversion last winter. I made a plate of 3/4 inch thick aluminum to mount the MC, and had it coated with the same color.

rick1025

You might want to try wheel cleaner for uncoated "mag" wheels.It is a mild acid and cleans aluminum wheels OK. rick

my 76 ray

I have tried two different brands of that. I only remember that the second brand was Mother's. Neither of them did much.

I'm just looking for a factory look.

I may try some aluminum paint on a small part of the transmission case and see how I like it. I don't want to try it on the manifold first because it's more visible than the tranny.

jackson

aluminum brightener in gallon jug ... just ask for it at your local BIG truck stop. Suggest you RTFM before you dive in ... some are acid some are alkaline ... KNOW what's needed to neutralize ... some can do some real damage ... even etch glass.