Hi all,

After thinking about having to clean my intake from a big oil and even bigger coolant leak, I realized that I could instead polish the thing since I have a Dremel tool with the flexible extension. Eastwood sells a polishing kit.

What is a good procedure for doing it? How long would it take for the polishing?

Thanks for any advice.

p.s.: Its a ZZ4 aluminum intake.

Dave,
Before you take on this project, find a small rough aluminum part, maybe an old alternator, and try to polish a small part of it. It really think that once you realize how many hours (been there, done that) it is going to take you to do the intake, you may change your mind. I am not saying it wont look nice but by the time you are done you will be kicking yourself for ever starting !

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

I had my intake done by a professional for 150.00 which included fabricating one new bolt hole that was broken off.
That would probably figure out to about 25 cents an hour http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Dean Call
Overland Park KS.
A.C.E.S. # 00235
N.C.O.A. # 4350

macc.chevelles.net (http://macc.chevelles.net)

I looked at the Eastwood catalog and a lot of their wheels have a 1/4" shaft, so I assume a Dremel would be too small for this?

How many hours are we talking? Is it a weekend job - take intake off on Friday, polish all Saturday during cartoons and sports and Hot Rod TV and until SNL comes on, then put intake back on on Sunday?

BillK, did you use a drill for yours? ps: I am in the DC-Balt area too, do you know of anyone around here who can do this?

To Dave and others . My bro-in-law bought an engine from a friend who had the intake bead blasted and he sprayed it with clearcoat and it looks great. Maybe BillK or some machine shop can do this for you.

Have the intake glass beaded. At $25.00 - $30.00 you be very happy with the results.
One precaution after glass beading, make sure every port hole in the intake is thoroughly cleaned (glass beads polish cylinder walls just as well)

Does bead blasting make the surface smoother, or does it just clean it?

Dave,
I bet I spent at least 50 hrs doing it. First you have to use sanding rolls to get it real smooth, then you start polishing, and polishing, and polishing. You get the picture. By the time I was done I wish I had never seen a die grinder, or a sanding roll. I went through 3 eastwood kits to do the job. You can tell I am going to do my best to talk you out of it. I really have been staying away from sales pitches here on the tech page, but we bead blast them and them paint them with Seymour's Dull Aluminum engine paint, and they look like new. The other advantage to this method is easy touch up if it gets real dirty. I don't know exactly where you live but if you are close, you can stop by and I will show you how it looks.

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

hey just a thought get that intake powder coated p.s. they have alumn. color also.

hey just a thought get that intake powder coated p.s. they have alumn. color also.

I just picked mine up today after having it powdercoated silver-sparkle (looks just like aluminum to me) and then clearcoated (hi-temp) with a 20% gloss. It looks great and I was only charged $50. And I didn't spend 50 hours doin' it!

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Stan Hanek
'70 SS - 396 4 sp.
haneks@wdni.com