theraymondguy

Looking for input on refinishing this older Edelbrock 2101 intake. I don’t have a blast cabinet or access to one.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

The way I usually do that is with one of these. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-2101

85Z28NOS

iTrader: (2)

media blasting is the best way. Just make sure to get the right media. Google aluminum media blast and you will see its different than sand. We used small shot in our industrial size at the foundry

92GTA

iTrader: (11)

Bead blast it with the right size glass beads. Will look factory new.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Problem of course is, corrosion TAKES METAL AWAY; and bead blasting, media blasting, glass blasting, shot blasting, sand blasting, water blasting, WHATEVER blasting, doesn't put the metal BACK. In fact it TAKES AWAY EVEN MORE metal.

If all you are is a poseur that want a nice shiny part to bolt onto the top of your nice krome motor, then blasting might be entirely adequate. But don't expect gasket surface to seal, for example, once they're all pitted and uneven. Butt if you're one of those guys that goes to "sq in of krome" shows so that all the 8-yr-olds can ooooh and aaaah over all the shiny and you can winch it up into your trailer, and you don't care if it runs or not (at least reliably enough to, say, go to the grocery store without worrying about whether there's a tow truck close by), blasting that thing in the photo is NOT A Good Idea.

No kind of blasting will make it look "factory new". At least, not on the smooth, carefully measured, machined, FUNCTIONAL, surfaces, like the mating flanges to heads carb block thermostat etc. They'll all look ... blasted, just like the raw casting parts will look. Which, again, if all you care is "look", then go for it. Put wheel clear-coat on it afterwards to keep it looking fresh maybe. But if you want to actually USE IT for something, ... not so much.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Soak it in mineral spirits, then paint it with some good engine paint the color you want it.

scooter

iTrader: (11)

If you vapor blast it with some fine grade media it will look like it came out of the foundry and it won't look "blasted" like if you do with dry media. I was skeptical but I have watched some videos on youtube of a guy vapor blasting something and it has amazing results. I plan on building my own vapor blaster to replace my dry blaster in the future.

theraymondguy

Lol, not looking for that finish. Just wanted it to not look like I lifted off of the titanic.

I sought out an early version of this intake as it’s period correct.

I did valve seals a few weeks ago and didn’t bother to paint the flaking valve covers as new paint on them would only make the rusty block look that much worse.

theraymondguy

This looks viable, and the results are impressive - but as much as I don’t have room for a sandblast cabinet, I haven’t room for a vapor cabinet either.

theraymondguy

This is step 2.

theraymondguy

Thanks all for your input. I spoke with an acquaintance in the auto body business, much like sofaking he’s not a proponent of media blasting as the mating surfaces are easily compromised.

He suggested taping the mating surfaces and using red scuff pads to remove the surface corrosion, then mineral spirits and paint to seal the aluminum. I’m not after bling, so depending on the finished product I might just seal it in clear.

thanks again for your input.

NoEmissions84TA

iTrader: (1)

You could have it powder coated. And that place will do the cleaning first. How they actually prep the surface, I can't say.

vinny R

Clean and paint is the way I went. I taped off the gasket surfaces and used Rustoleum Industrial Coating line, tall silver cans, the color is aluminum. It sure does look like finish aluminum! It dries to a nice sheen, not gloss so it is hard to tell it is paint I have had mine on the car for a year now and the paint still looks great, no yellowing and nothing flaking.

Before


After

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

theraymondguy

I started cleaning up the manifold with the red scuff pads by hand, and realized how much I didn’t enjoy that (twenty years as a heavy equipment mechanic, your elbows only can take so much).

lets automate the process.




I cut the shaft off of an old screwdriver, and cut a 1” grove into it to receive the scuff pad. This provides a pencil like abrasive that worked brilliantly to get into the small spaces and clear out all the corrosion, without removing any of the aluminum. I used a light degreased sprayed on the same “roll” and the intake afterward which really cleaned up the part.

before




after




A guy could almost leave it as is and clear coat it...





but he won’t.

I’m well pleased with it for now in its new duplicolor high performance wheel coating. A bit of lipstick to be sure but hey, it’s going on an LG4, so it was bound to be more show than go anyway 😀

Guess this means I’m painting the rest of the engine thus winter.

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Looks like new again!