Buffing The Intake Manifold

[TomoHawk]

Has anyone tried buffing or polishing the intake manifold (Mine is the L28E) while it it on the engine?  I have been rubbing it with some different grades of sandpaper and steel wool so far, to get to the good metal under the oxidation and a bit of shine.  It looks like  Spring may be coming early, or I might get the torpedo heater back soon, so I could try polishing soon.

 

I would like to just do the plenum part of it first, and then later, take off the fuel injection s stuff and get the runners too.

 

I figure I would need a kind of a high-powered moto tool with a long flexible extension and a small buffing wheel, right?  Then just a lot of black polish and time & effort.

[rossiz]

i posted a thread about my intake shave & polish - its a LOT of work, i used a die grinder with different abrasive wheels and it took me many hours to smooth down the sand-cast finish and get it looking decent. if you just want to clean it up and have a burnished look, a small wire wheel will do the trick - the kind where the bristles are pointing forward, vs. the radial style. 

i don't know that i'd try to do it on the car though, too many things to bump into and work around.

[S30Driver]

I cleaned up mine while it was off the motor.  Used a dremmel with small sanding disks to get into tight places, small wire wheel brush on a drill, scotch brite pads, carb cleaner, etc.

The manifold has a textured finish from the casting, so you have to remove that if you want a high polished look.

 

Rossiz did a refreshing the intake thread which might give you some ideas.

 

If you can accomplish it with it still in the car, my hats off to you.

[TomoHawk]

that is why I would just like to do the plenum  for now.  It's mostly flat so it should go easily.  I used Scotchbrite pads to clean the intake manifold when it was off, but my polishing guy (the neighbor's kids) didn't get time to buff it, and it works just as well in the present condition as if it was polished.

 

I think using the flexible extension should  give enough dexterity to the tool to avoid the "bumping."

[Stanley]

Carbed intake is different of course, but I did the same way: hit it with a small wire brush on the electric drill, small hand-held wire brushes where you can't reach with the drill. Apply aluminum polish with rag and toothbrush. Rubbed it out with rags and a cone-shaped

foam buffer in the drill, got it at O'reilly.

Off the car would be better and easier, looks much better though.

[TomoHawk]

I have the webbing still intact, so it's different for me.

[CEgg11]

Never thought of doing that - I have several intakes - I think I'll polish one!

[TomoHawk]

Sure, you can start with Mine!    It'll save me a lot of skin...