Tried Dustless Blasting a GTS Manifold
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Tried Dustless Blasting a GTS Manifold
Before:
After:
After:
#2
Let's see the close up pics? Looks like there remain chunks of paint/ceramic/coating around the bell housing intake trumpets? I just completed 2 GTS Intakes, I had to make 3 special tools to deeply penetrate the intake runners and scrape/chip where my media blasting did not and could not reach AND clean at the same time. The S4 is a much easier animal to clean. It's easily an 8 hour job, having a good media blaster nearby makes it much easier.
#3
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Let's see the close up pics? Looks like there remain chunks of paint/ceramic/coating around the bell housing intake trumpets? I just completed 2 GTS Intakes, I had to make 3 special tools to deeply penetrate the intake runners and scrape/chip where my media blasting did not and could not reach AND clean at the same time. The S4 is a much easier animal to clean. It's easily an 8 hour job, having a good media blaster nearby makes it much easier.
#5
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I'm pleased - I've used other media blasters in the past with less worthy results.
#6
Former Vendor
These manifolds suck.....no matter how you approach the job. Hours and hours of work.
What is used in a "dustless" process?
#7
Less worthy results from this and or past Blasters? Wow! I won't even turn my machine on for 50 bucks. Sorry Kevin, but that really is unacceptable from my perspective, but...if you're happy, cool! The 1st GTS manifold I did for Sean Ratts and Roger for free as a test mule with careful analysis on time blasting, chipping, tools needed, etc. I sent it back not to 100% clean, this bothered me. I then finished up Roger Nixon's GTS with made-specific tools to dig and chip and remove the deep coatings inside. I told Sean and Roger to send theirs back and I'll finish it, and they agreed and it will go to powdercoat to be coated in the original color - still as a test mule, and they sending me a truck load of S4 Intakes.
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#8
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
And you're right GTS manifolds are notorious for the difficulty in removing their coating. I continue to be pleased with the head start I got for cheap, Just ask Kevin Wilson about the nightmare he encountered with his GTS manifold.
#11
Rennlist Member
#12
Former Vendor
Sand/broken glass suspended in water and a rust preventative . You can see it lauded by Jay Leno. The added value for dustless is that when used on steel the surface ends up sealed and ready for paint. My folks specialize in restoring Mustangs and having a process that ends up with a rust preventative coating is a good thing. Also, learned that soda blasting while it does look good at first - the paint will peel off in a couple of years. These folks learned that the hard way when a customer with a very high end restoration returned a couple of years later with paint falling off.
And you're right GTS manifolds are notorious for the difficulty in removing their coating. I continue to be pleased with the head start I got for cheap, Just ask Kevin Wilson about the nightmare he encountered with his GTS manifold.
And you're right GTS manifolds are notorious for the difficulty in removing their coating. I continue to be pleased with the head start I got for cheap, Just ask Kevin Wilson about the nightmare he encountered with his GTS manifold.
For the remainder, we've found that gently heating the coating with a map gas torch softens it and makes removal pretty easy. When you get inside the runners, you can heat the outside and the coating will come loose on the inside. You don't need to apply so much heat that the coating actually starts smoking....it really doesn't take much.
I worried about catching the manifold on fire for the first half a dozen or so I did....and while I'm still careful about applying too much heat, I've convinced myself that big chunks of magnesium are fairly difficult to get started burning.
It still sucks up a bunch of time....and a couple of custom tools come in handy. The tools aren't sharp, but more of a blunt tipped tool to "plow" the coating off.
#13
Former Vendor
#14
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Also, brought the manifold to local motorcycle restorer that offered vapor blasting - they could not guarantee the process could remove the coating.
Moved on to the dustless blaster.
#15
Former Vendor
Another data point for everyone to see and decide if this particular way helps them.
Without people trying different approches, there's no.learning.