Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: 1970RT]
#2512224
06/23/18 03:47 PM
06/23/18 03:47 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,052 N.W. Florida
Fat_Mike
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Joined: May 2003
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N.W. Florida
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The process of polishing aluminum is simply to make it smooth (as glass). Simply start with a medium that will remove the roughness (maybe 150 grit?) and then move to less and less abrasive material. In the end, before the polishing wheel, you need to be sanding (smoothing) with 1500 - 2000 grit paper. Of course, the challenge with a manifold is all the nooks and crannies. You'll have to get creative for some areas (dremel?) It probably will take a week...BUT, once it's done, it's done. Just the occasional touch up... Get after it!
Last edited by Fat_Mike; 06/23/18 03:48 PM.
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Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: BigBlockMopar]
#2512487
06/24/18 09:49 AM
06/24/18 09:49 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,668 Buford, GA
I_bleed_MOPAR
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Posts: 8,668
Buford, GA
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You might drop 340SIX a PM. I believe he's big into polishing and could probably give you some hints. Tim
'71 Charger 383/727 '17 Challenger SXT (Wifeys car )
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Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: 1970RT]
#2512879
06/25/18 03:09 AM
06/25/18 03:09 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 246 Cranberry Twp PA (North of Pit...
rumblefish72
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Posts: 246
Cranberry Twp PA (North of Pit...
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I polished my Eddy Victor 383 single plane. It took several nights of work. It came out nice and I like it. I hit it with Never-Dull at the beginning of each season just to get it looking great again. I was in the same oat as you ... I had the manifold and didn't want to pay $250 to get it polished so I just took my time and did it myself.
1972 Pro-Street 'Cuda, 500" Eagle stoker B Block, Eddy RPM heads, Victor Manifold, 850 Mighty Demon, Hemi 4 Speed, Dana 60 w/4.88 gears - Built by Hansen Racing Middlesex - NJ
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Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: 1970RT]
#2512941
06/25/18 11:21 AM
06/25/18 11:21 AM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,645 Stuttgart, Arkansas
rickseeman
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Stuttgart, Arkansas
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Tumble/barrel/vibratory finishing won't work on that. Wheels are smooth to start with. You can do that with vibratory. Intake manifolds are a sand casting (rough). Tumble/barrel/vibratory is to enhance the finish of the surface that is already there. They are not to remove metal.
2011 Drag Pak Challenger
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Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: rumblefish72]
#2513005
06/25/18 01:32 PM
06/25/18 01:32 PM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,052 N.W. Florida
Fat_Mike
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N.W. Florida
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I polished my Eddy Victor 383 single plane. I was in the same oat as you ... I had the manifold and didn't want to pay $250 to get it polished so I just took my time and did it myself. Rumblefish, do you remember the grit/material you started off with? Any tips or things to avoid?
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Re: Polishing an aluminum intake manifold
[Re: rumblefish72]
#2513056
06/25/18 03:10 PM
06/25/18 03:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,645 Stuttgart, Arkansas
rickseeman
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master
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,645
Stuttgart, Arkansas
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I polished my Eddy Victor 383 single plane. It took several nights of work. It came out nice and I like it. I hit it with Never-Dull at the beginning of each season just to get it looking great again. I was in the same oat as you ... I had the manifold and didn't want to pay $250 to get it polished so I just took my time and did it myself. Yours looks good. My man is $450. It looks good when he gets done but the price hurts.
2011 Drag Pak Challenger
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