Zero10

Hahahaha, was there some motivation behind that name?

I don't understand why the block would be so bad. It's already very smooth. I'd bet it's about as much work as an intake, which several people have done with success.
I have the whole winter... I don't start getting really crazy until around february though. Perhaps that's when I'll try polishing one. I have one that's scrap. I'll try it on a small patch of that block first

Crazy Eddie

If you really look into what some said after they did it excluding Mike Murcia, who I am learning doesn't mind loosing the skin on his fingers :-) or his capillaries rupturing then I guess its no big deal
It just that when it comes to getting the last 20% correct that is the deal breaker
It takes a great deal of abrasive action to get those casting marks down to where you need them to make it glow... I can't remember the member ( he was a funny guy, he had a shot of Kramer in his avatar ) he described it best as to what a messy ****ty time consuming job it is....
When instead for a 100 bucks, some guys got a 30 hp machine that can do the job in minutes instead of months ...
Your choice but don't say I didn't warn ya .....
Good luck
regards
Ed
ps I am sorry for hijacking this thread

Zero10

I was thinking with a buffing wheel on a drill and some compound it would shine up in a matter of a few hours.... If it will take months, forget it, I'll find somebody local if I want to do it. However if it will be a couple hours it's worth it to me

That's about where I draw the line.

Crazy Eddie

You'll spend," a couple of hours" just changing sanding pads
Trust me ! If you are just thinking of cleaning the block then maybe after a
day you could probably clean it up ( although a drill may not be powerful enough to do even that ) If you are thinking of removing the casting marks
Don't even try the intake there are so many curves, etc. It wil put you in a padded cell.
Either way good luck, you'll need it
Regards
Ed
ps Ski's friend JWL ( Jim ) bead blasted the block and it looked great .. That might be the route to take ?

Zero10

Hahaha, it will put me in a padded cell... well, then I'll get a BIG drill and attach the padded cell to it, apply some compound and use IT to buff the engine block! BAHAHAHAHAHA......

Okay, maybe I'm a little unstable already.
I'm changing my plan already.... thinking about replacing with an LS1 when this motor blows up..... mmmmm 400hp....

Chris White

Instead of polishing or painting you can put a wire wheel in your drill and have it nice looking in no time. The Alusil responds to a wire brush nicely – it will get shiny in no time. The mat finish of the soda blasting will stain way too easily and paint will get discolored for gas, oil and heat.
I can’t stand working on cars with painted intake manifolds – A little brake / carb cleaner will take that off or make a gooey mess….

Chris White

zerMATT951

I think my head was "media blasted" when it was in for a rebuild recently, is soda the media of choice these days? I haven't picked up the head yet, but I know it's pretty darn clean. Should I do something to keep clean looking before I install it?

I've been following this thread, but I'm still unsure what is the best option. I'm not going for a flashy engine compartment, but I would like it to look cleaner and be somewhat easy to clean in the future. Can I apply a little high-temp clear, or some of that high-temp aluminum paint without causing a mess down the road?

ehall

How about powder coated intakes/cam towers, any problems with those?

DDP

I cleaned a powder coated cam tower in hot soapy water and the powder coat came right off....

Crazy Eddie

OMG !! That's not supposed to happen ???
I would freak, if I paid to have something powder coated, and then see it run down the drain.
Regards
Ed

Bri Bro

If you ever have watched Orange County Chopper? Look at the pains that have to go through to remove power coat from their parts. You can see how tough power coating is to remove if it is applied correctly.

Crazy Eddie

This is who I was referring to
mwc951
Addict
Rennlist Member
Do a search and see what he said
Chris White .. Are our blocks coated with anything ( i.e. paint ) from the factory?
The reason I ask is because when I removed the headers, the down pipe and the alternator, the block in those areas was very dull and not shinny like the rest of the block. I was thinking it was probably the heat in the case of the headers and the down pipe ?
So, your saying that a little wheel action will perk that right up ?
TIA
Regards
Ed