Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

The edlebrock RPM Air Gap intake has some slight discoloration and what appears to be light surface rust specs. . How do you clean this stuff off?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Have you tried carb cleaner?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

light media blasting / cleaning then a good coat of high temp clear has worked for me in the past. It will look brand new.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Aluminum mag wheel cleaner works well too.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Dishwasher on high heat potscrubber cycle will go a long way. Make sure your wife is not home.....

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

aluminium does not rust

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

:haha:

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

My neighbor recently bead blasted my old cruddy Performer RPM. Came out real bright & clean. I sprayed it with high heat clear to keep it from getting all stained up again. Finished product looks kinda cheesy/shiny like it's been painted with aluminum paint. I may grind the PERFORMER logo off and paint it Chevy orange.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Yes... this stuff sprays on and hoses off, I beleive its a mild acid. Its available at Oreilys etc.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Glad to see I'm not the only one who does things while the wife's away. I use the stove & kitchen sink quite often myself. All the cleaning brushes in the kitchen really do a good job cleaning the fine part details.

Bead blast will clean it well and a matte clear coat should prevent the cheesy/shiny to glossy look.

In the absence of a bead blaster, wheel cleaner will also do the job but requires a little more elbow grease. Follow the cleaner product instructions and don't leave a acid based cleaner on to long. It will etch the aluminum leaving a dull look to the metal.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

The dishwasher is a great cleanup device, for relatively small stuff. The same principle is used in the big rotisserie style cleaners in transmission shops. Watch out what you use for cleaner- some of the household ones will discolor aluminum. I had to bead blast a Triumph motorcycle head after that error. It wasn't a consistent nice grey color, either. I've often considered getting one of those free-standing dishwashers (I don't know if they're still made). I used one for cleaning up motorcycle parts, many years ago, much to my housemates' dismay. The built-ins are nice, but motor crud can discolor everything inside them (nice white wire baskets and trays? Not anymore, man!). Actual parts cleaner powder can be had from ZEP, it works great, ain't cheap, but well worth it.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

the clear will yellow after it goes thru some heat cycles, i would just leave it aluminum, because your taking away what aluminum is supposed to do disapate heat

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

If you clear it, it will yellow. What I do is after a good cleaning, Spray a little Krylon brand Dull Aluminum paint and dab it with a paper towel absorbing the access paint off. Don't wipe it or the paper towel pieces will roll up on the intake. Just dab it and do a little place at a time until the whole thing is done and it will look like a new intake. I did the one on my truck and after 2 years of driving on the weekends it still looks new. I read it in a Hot Rod magazine once and it really works.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

I washed as much of the clear (Rustoleum Hi-Temp.) off with thinner today and I'm happier with the way it looks. I'm sure there's still some soaked into the porous surface. Ain't scared about the heat dissipation, The General painted a zillion iron ones. At the rate I'm NOT getting it put back together I'll be awhile before it yellows.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Mime never yellowed.. drove the car for 8+ yrs won many shows.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Greased lightening on a cloth for spot cleaning. Scrub and rinse.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

A bath in hull cleaner or phosphoric acid should do it.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

I've taken misc. aluminum parts, intake, wheels and even a trailer with aluminum fenders and trim to a truck wash and had them acid bath the parts. They never charged for the small parts.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Last month I used a batch of Freon TF Solvent, which I think is illegal to get now.
Before to after:

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

It corrodes, but it does not rust. Rust refers only to iron and steel corrosion.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Bead blast and clear powdercoat

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

2nds on the clear coating. This intake is almost 20 years old and counting. The gas will discolor it over time where it seaps from the carb but I cant complain. I also threw in some pearl in the clear to still give it some sparkle.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

CST10, is the manifold on or off the truck? If it is off the truck I use a product that I get from the plumbing dept at Home Depot called hair and grease remover. I just use a paint bucket with a throw away paint brush and just paint it up and when it turn white (just a few minutes)hose it off and its clean like new.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Sorry for the late response. The intake is on the truck. Really don't want to take it off if I don't have too. Will the al cleaner mess up the engine block paint?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

workin on this one,finished smoothing now,gona blast it soon,then blue for the 79.
new Quad too

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Yes

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Thanks for that info. Someone told me to use a wore brush and lightly scrub the intake and not the painted block. Anyone do this before?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

product called super clean comes in a purple bottle spray it leave it for 20 min then wash it off good cause it will eat the aluminum fast i put some in a spray gun and the next day the pot crumbled to dust in my hands

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

You could probably get away with spraying some of that al or oven cleaner into a small cup or container. Then use an old toothbrush to dip into it and apply to the intake with little action (scrubbing) then rinsing with hose etc... not long after (before it dries). Repeat until done.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

That's a good idea to try. That way it doesn't get on the painted surfaces. I used a wire brush lightly and it worked pretty good, just took a while to do it. I should have high temp coated clear that sucker when it was built.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

have you tried soda blasting

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

No I haven't. Does it work?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Air conditioner coil cleaner works well, spray on and hose off. It is a citric acid base for cleaning aluminum.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Thanks. I guess you can buy that coil cleaner at an ac shop?

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

@ Ace hardware. It works pretty good but RINSE IT OFF AS DIRECTED.
I left it on a intake and forgot about it,, it turned it chalky white.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

The Purple Power can discolour the surface if not removed quickly. The citrus cleaner is a good choice, and it makes a great cooling system cleaner.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

"Marine Clean" from POR-15... amazing stuff.

Gary

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

Marine clean, gotta be better than a smal wire brush I just used. Gunna have to find some.

Re: Aluminum intake cleaning? Any options
 

I used a bead blast cabinet with aluminum oxide then clear alodine which most part stores carry to seal the finish, you just spray it on the wash it with cold water and let dry, its amazing that was a old yellow colored and dirty manifold from another project just a few days ago.