[eaglesan13]

I'm building my 455 engine and want to leave my intake unpainted. I intend to glass bead it and want to know if there is something I can apply to the intake that will protect it and maintain the bare aluminum finish. I'm hoping there is something that I can use that will not discolor over time. Any suggestions?

[steve25]

If you do not want to leave it just the way it is then way to go is to get it powder coated in flat clear, or Aluminum.

[Steve C.]

Related....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...s-nice.497565/

I have had mine done with 'silver' ceramic coating before and it's maintenance free. Shown here....

http://www.pontiacstreetperformance..../SC2003eng.jpg


.

[pgp66]

You could find out you does this in your area, I have had a few bits done here in Australia recently, see pics of my intake and also a before and after of a valve cover, it is long lasting finish and looks good. Works on all soft metals.

http://www.vaporblastingequipment.co...asting-process

Paul

[STEELCITYFIREBIRD]

I can vouch you definitely DON"T want to clear it from a rattle can.


.........unless you like a yellow/brown tinge soon.

[lust4speed]

I had a set of aluminum heads and a manifold polished out to a high gloss because of the staining, overspray, and other ills that accumulated on the aluminum before I purchased them. I had the setup for about 4 years before selling it, and all it ever took was a rag and tube of polish to make it look like new again. That high shine isn't the look everyone wants though.

One thing about leaving it natural is you can always take it off and media blast it again in a year or so and have it looking like new.

Had a friend powder coat his RPM manifold on his 59 Catalina and it looked pretty good for about a year before the leaky carburetor stained the finish. While we could wash off some of the stain, there was still considerable discoloration. We were afraid to try and blast the powder coating off because it might have been harder than the aluminum underneath, and once we got a spot going, it might have chewed away the adjacent aluminum faster. Didn't know, and didn't want to chance it. Couple shots including the closeup that shows what the manifold looked like after we cleaned it as good as we could.

[max 93]

How about Eastwood Aluma Blast? I used it on an intake and some other parts with great results.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by STEELCITYFIREBIRD

I can vouch you definitely DON"T want to clear it from a rattle can.


.........unless you like a yellow/brown tinge soon.

i have used engine enamel clear from a rattle can on lots of aluminum engine parts over the years & it works great. normal clears wont last under engine temps & fluids but a true high temp engine enamel clear will last just as well as engine paints in a can. i like the rustoleum engine enamels over plasticoat or duplicolor but im sure they are will work ok.

ive used it on aluminum intakes, valve covers, water pumps, brackets, & most recently on a set of edelbrock heads. they all look like the day it was sprayed, no yellowing or burning at all, even on the exhaust port areas of teh heads, which i expected to burn off rather quick based on what engine paint does on stock iron heads ports.

after you glass bead the intake, spray off any remaining residue with brake parts cleaner or wash it real good, then spray 2 very light coats a couple minutes apart, let it cure for a day or 2 & it should last a long time. i have valve covers that are about 9 years old & look great & the e-heads are about 3 years old with at least 3-4000 miles of summer driving as well as 20+ dragstrip runs.

yes a true powder coat clear or color would be good too but $50+ vs $5 for so far equal results is a no brainer to me. plus if you ever want to remove powder coat its a huge PIA.

[Blued and Painted]

agree with lust4speed.
The rough casting or bead blasted finish (even coated) will hold way more road grit, and be harder to clean than a smooth finish.

[Tim Corcoran]

Originally Posted by 78w72

i have used engine enamel clear from a rattle can on lots of aluminum engine parts over the years & it works great. normal clears wont last under engine temps & fluids but a true high temp engine enamel clear will last just as well as engine paints in a can. i like the rustoleum engine enamels over plasticoat or duplicolor but im sure they are will work ok.

ive used it on aluminum intakes, valve covers, water pumps, brackets, & most recently on a set of edelbrock heads. they all look like the day it was sprayed, no yellowing or burning at all, even on the exhaust port areas of teh heads, which i expected to burn off rather quick based on what engine paint does on stock iron heads ports.

after you glass bead the intake, spray off any remaining residue with brake parts cleaner or wash it real good, then spray 2 very light coats a couple minutes apart, let it cure for a day or 2 & it should last a long time. i have valve covers that are about 9 years old & look great & the e-heads are about 3 years old with at least 3-4000 miles of summer driving as well as 20+ dragstrip runs.

yes a true powder coat clear or color would be good too but $50+ vs $5 for so far equal results is a no brainer to me. plus if you ever want to remove powder coat its a huge PIA.

I want to put clear coat on my e-heads and intake manifold. I found Rust-Oleum Hi Temp 2,000 degree clear in a matt finish but I believe this paint requires it be baked in an over to sure it. I found the Rust-Oleum 600 degree engine clear but can only find it in gloss. I would prefer a matt finish as gloss on an intake I don't think would look natural. What am I missing any other options?

[61-63]

Dust it with Eastwoods Satin Clear. Don't spray it on thick just dust it which will keep it from oxidizing until the engine bay oily film settles on it. I've been dusting intakes and bead blasted AFB carb bodies and airhorns for years and they retain a bare aluminum finish for a long long time after this. But no matter what you do IMO you are going to have to redo after a length of time because everything breaks down and/or gets stained by fuel spills, oil and grease spills, and repeated high heat cycles. The high heat engine enamel clear '78w'72 mentions in post #8 may work as well as satin clear if it is just dusted on? Any paint is going to look like paint and not bare aluminum.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by Tim Corcoran

I want to put clear coat on my e-heads and intake manifold. I found Rust-Oleum Hi Temp 2,000 degree clear in a matt finish but I believe this paint requires it be baked in an over to sure it. I found the Rust-Oleum 600 degree engine clear but can only find it in gloss. I would prefer a matt finish as gloss on an intake I don't think would look natural. What am I missing any other options?

I havent seen the 2000 matte clear, will have to check that out for future use, does it specifically say it needs to be baked to cure? If so, you could probably find a local powder coater that would let you throw it in their oven when they do a batch of parts, or let it sit in the sun on a hot day and carefully use a heat gun over the surface? Should be able to figure something out.

Does the 2000 paint say its resilient to automotive chemicals? The clear I used is good for lighter exposure to most chemicals, obviously pooled fuel over time or brake fluid will eat it, but normal light amounts of oil, coolant, even fuel if wiped up soon hasnt hurt mine.
The valve covers & misc brackets I did back in 2007 on 1 car still look great too, the E-heads & other parts I did around 2013-2014 that I mentioned in that post from 2017 also look great still, even the E-heads have no signs of failure or yellowing. I get a laugh out of people that say clear will flake or yellow fast, maybe they used the wrong stuff or didnt prep the part right, but engine clear works great in my experience & lasts a very long time if prepped & applied right, i have no reason to believe it wont still look good at 20 years & beyond.

I was a little concerned with using gloss too, at first it will be glossy, but it does dull up to a semi gloss/satin sheen in a short time after wiping off dust/dirt... but even a gloss clear looks 100x better than the chalky corroded dull look I see on many aluminum heads & intakes after a few years, I live in the upper midwest so maybe winters and condensation contributes to that more than dry warm states?

I can get current pics of the heads and intake if youre curious what they look like and give a couple tips on how I prep the heads, but heres a few pics of when it was freshly applied, 1st pic is before any run time, last 2 pics are with a couple hundred miles & dyno time. Everything looks the same 9-10 years later on this car with thousands of miles & lots of drag strip time, same for my 78 & 81 that are ~15 & 12 years since restoration.
Everything thats shiny metal has the engine clear on it, radiator tanks, brackets, valve covers, even the brake & fuel lines, some lines are pretty close to the headers too. Im still surprised the exhaust ports on the E heads arent burnt & yellowed, must be the aluminum that stays cooler than iron heads that wont hold paint. I have an aluminum HO intake now thats also lightly cleared.

Hope that helps you decide what to use.

[61-63]

Originally Posted by 78w72

I havent seen the 2000 matte clear, will have to check that out for future use, does it specifically say it needs to be baked to cure? If so, you could probably find a local powder coater that would let you throw it in their oven when they do a batch of parts, or let it sit in the sun on a hot day and carefully use a heat gun over the surface? Should be able to figure something out.

Does the 2000 paint say its resilient to automotive chemicals? The clear I used is good for lighter exposure to most chemicals, obviously pooled fuel over time or brake fluid will eat it, but normal light amounts of oil, coolant, even fuel if wiped up soon hasnt hurt mine.
The valve covers & misc brackets I did back in 2007 on 1 car still look great too, the E-heads & other parts I did around 2013-2014 that I mentioned in that post from 2017 also look great still, even the E-heads have no signs of failure or yellowing. I get a laugh out of people that say clear will flake or yellow fast, maybe they used the wrong stuff or didnt prep the part right, but engine clear works great in my experience & lasts a very long time if prepped & applied right, i have no reason to believe it wont still look good at 20 years & beyond.

I was a little concerned with using gloss too, at first it will be glossy, but it does dull up to a semi gloss/satin sheen in a short time after wiping off dust/dirt... but even a gloss clear looks 100x better than the chalky corroded dull look I see on many aluminum heads & intakes after a few years, I live in the upper midwest so maybe winters and condensation contributes to that more than dry warm states?

I can get current pics of the heads and intake if youre curious what they look like and give a couple tips on how I prep the heads, but heres a few pics of when it was freshly applied, 1st pic is before any run time, last 2 pics are with a couple hundred miles & dyno time. Everything looks the same 9-10 years later on this car with thousands of miles & lots of drag strip time, same for my 78 & 81 that are ~15 & 12 years since restoration.
Everything thats shiny metal has the engine clear on it, radiator tanks, brackets, valve covers, even the brake & fuel lines, some lines are pretty close to the headers too. Im still surprised the exhaust ports on the E heads arent burnt & yellowed, must be the aluminum that stays cooler than iron heads that wont hold paint. I have an aluminum HO intake now thats also lightly cleared.

Hope that helps you decide what to use.

What is the number on the rustoleum clear engine enamel you are referring to?

[Half-Inch Stud]

I have seen some aweful powdercoated CAST aluminum parts. Too thick. Too slippery at the bolt holes.

Spray clear from a rattlecan is much better. Even if you have to re-apply. So, i think the proper clear is the solution.

Plan B, an alternative to perm coatings: rub the bare intake down with a grease/oil/vaseline of your choice.

[Tim Corcoran]

Originally Posted by 78w72

I havent seen the 2000 matte clear, will have to check that out for future use, does it specifically say it needs to be baked to cure? If so, you could probably find a local powder coater that would let you throw it in their oven when they do a batch of parts, or let it sit in the sun on a hot day and carefully use a heat gun over the surface? Should be able to figure something out.

Does the 2000 paint say its resilient to automotive chemicals? The clear I used is good for lighter exposure to most chemicals, obviously pooled fuel over time or brake fluid will eat it, but normal light amounts of oil, coolant, even fuel if wiped up soon hasnt hurt mine.
The valve covers & misc brackets I did back in 2007 on 1 car still look great too, the E-heads & other parts I did around 2013-2014 that I mentioned in that post from 2017 also look great still, even the E-heads have no signs of failure or yellowing. I get a laugh out of people that say clear will flake or yellow fast, maybe they used the wrong stuff or didnt prep the part right, but engine clear works great in my experience & lasts a very long time if prepped & applied right, i have no reason to believe it wont still look good at 20 years & beyond.

I was a little concerned with using gloss too, at first it will be glossy, but it does dull up to a semi gloss/satin sheen in a short time after wiping off dust/dirt... but even a gloss clear looks 100x better than the chalky corroded dull look I see on many aluminum heads & intakes after a few years, I live in the upper midwest so maybe winters and condensation contributes to that more than dry warm states?

I can get current pics of the heads and intake if youre curious what they look like and give a couple tips on how I prep the heads, but heres a few pics of when it was freshly applied, 1st pic is before any run time, last 2 pics are with a couple hundred miles & dyno time. Everything looks the same 9-10 years later on this car with thousands of miles & lots of drag strip time, same for my 78 & 81 that are ~15 & 12 years since restoration.
Everything thats shiny metal has the engine clear on it, radiator tanks, brackets, valve covers, even the brake & fuel lines, some lines are pretty close to the headers too. Im still surprised the exhaust ports on the E heads arent burnt & yellowed, must be the aluminum that stays cooler than iron heads that wont hold paint. I have an aluminum HO intake now thats also lightly cleared.

Hope that helps you decide what to use.

Thanks for your post and pictures

I will try the Rustoleum engine paint clear gloss since it only comes in gloss. I would get the 2,000 degree and bake it in my wife's oven but I think it would stink up the house and she would kill me.

For the Rustoleum 2,000 I was looking online and couldn't read the instructions on the can but some of the reviews said you have to bake it using mutiple bakes at different temperatures, but I don't know for sure.

[NeighborsComplaint]

SharkHyde in aerosol. I even coated my Tuble polished carb, it’s fuel resistant. Carb and intake still look fresh after 3 years.

[HWYSTR455]

So one of the issues I have with 'coatings' is that if you ever need to touch it up, you have to pull the intake and do the whole thing over. The other issues are also previously mentioned, yellowing, discoloring, etc.

I just spray items like that with aluminum engine paint, my preference is DupliColor 1615 (NOT 1650!). It has the closest shade to natural that I have found, and in some cases more natural than some of the 'as-cast' products.

You can tape off sections while it's on the car for touch-up, wipe with acetone, let it dry, mist it, and it pretty much blends in after a heat cycle or two.

The best way is to catch the intake before it's installed, etch it with MetalPrep, and then shoot it. Once it's etched and painted, it's pretty much sealed, and the porous properties are gone.

Been doing it this way for years, it's easy, paint can be found in normal auto parts store, and affordable. Pretty sure I've posted this before, even with side by side intakes for comparison.


I've tried everything too, Zoop, powder coating, etc, and in the end, the above solution works the best for me.




.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by Tim Corcoran

Thanks for your post and pictures

I will try the Rustoleum engine paint clear gloss since it only comes in gloss. I would get the 2,000 degree and bake it in my wife's oven but I think it would stink up the house and she would kill me.

For the Rustoleum 2,000 I was looking online and couldn't read the instructions on the can but some of the reviews said you have to bake it using mutiple bakes at different temperatures, but I don't know for sure.

YW.

I did some research on the 2000 rustoleum you mentioned, it is intended for automotive applications just like the type I used, says its fuel & oil resistant. I might try that next time I need to clear something.

Also found the directions, looks like it can be cured in a oven, if you dont have access to one or the part is on the car it says you can cure it on the car too, thats how other high temp paints like POR-20 header paint or exhaust manifold paint say to do it... let dry for stated times then start the engine for a few minutes the 1st time, let cool then run a little longer, let cool then run for like 30 minutes & let cool. Obviously depending on the location of the part the run times may be longer such as headers vs an intake. can use a infrared temp gun to check the temps.

I think the matte finish will get you closer to the ideal sheen but the gloss isnt too glossy IMO on cast parts with a texture & does dull up pretty quick. Heres a link to the instructions- https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/D1...9B621537F.ashx

[78w72]

When using the spray can paint the part doesnt need to be removed for touch ups, just mask off surrounding areas, clean/prep the area then spay to touch up or recoat the whole thing just like a pigmented paint, touch ups blend very well. As for yellowing/discoloring etc, if you apply it right & use a good paint, these high temp clears dont yellow, discolor or flake, some of my parts have been in use for 15+ years with no signs of any of that happening. These paints can be bought at most auto parts stores or any home store like home depot or menards.

The HO intake i have was powder coated by the prev owner, looked terrible, super think & uneven plus chips & dings from wrenches etc, not to mention possible heat retaining issues... i called around to see about removing it, blasters said they wouldnt do it as its very hard to get off & could damage the aluminum. I called a powder coater & they said the only way to remove it without damage was to acid dip it which they have a big tank for that, they dropped it in the acid for 24+ hours & it was all stripped off with no damage to the intake. I lightly blasted it then prepped it & lightly sprayed with clear (had been blasted before so lost a little of the sand cast finish) but looks as good as it can and will stay that way for 20+ years.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by 61-63

What is the number on the rustoleum clear engine enamel you are referring to?

The engine enamel clear I use is #248944. https://www.rustoleum.com/product-ca...-engine-enamel

The 2000 clear says its a ceramic type paint, I will be trying it next.