Ways to clean cast iron intake for paint?

[69L48Z27]

Degrease in parts washer > rinse with soapy water > media blast > clean with soapy water > automotive grade wax and grease remover > paint.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

GOOD oven cleaner works quite well. Two or three soak and rinse cycles. Think Dow or Easy Off brands, not the cheapy dollar store stuff.
(I am assuming you Californians are allowed oven cleaners?)

 

[HT413]

Easy Off oven cleaner and a scrub brush..

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I’ve done that too. The yellow can, which is the one that still has lye in it. Kicks ***.

 

[HT413]

...carb cleaner...

Nah, he’s in sunny California. But they don’t need carb cleaner anyway cuz their pumps floweth with unicorn pee, so carbs no gunky gunky.

 

[Bad Sport]

Ha! They permit power washing.

Are you serious?!? You have to have a permit to power wash something? Wow!

As to the intake, I'd blast it with some glass bead media. If you're worried about it getting in the crossover, wad up some tin foil and shove it in each side just enough to block the opening.. As far as the runners go, you can wash them out after with some soapy water and a bottle brush.

Dry well, prep..........paint.........done!

 

[jamie]

I would drop it off at a machine shop and have it hot tanked being it is cast iron. So many nooks and crannys with probably oily carbon here and there you just can't reach to clean. That gummy crap will be a magnet for any blasting media. Sand seems to get everywhere no matter how good you seal it off.

Or do as others said and clean very good by hand,wire wheel,pressure wash and paint.

 

[aeon280]

I have a sandblaster but no blasting cabinet. I was worried about blasting because it's an intake and I don't want any blast media to get stuck inside and then destroy my engine.

How would you prevent that ?

Soda Blast it. will strip the paint and grease and is easier to blow off when done. if minor amounts are still there it will just get blown out the exhaust valve after an initial use.

 

[beanhead]

Ha! They permit power washing.

In California we have emmission laws now. Processes which release fumes that damage the ozone are under fire. We have to use low VOC auto paint formulations. Chrome plating shops are getting shut down or heavily regulated and can't do the good type of chrome anymore... etc.

I've been told it's hard to get stuff hot tanked now because of that.

You've been told wrong. Engine shops use hot tanks (caustic bath) every day...Chrome is obviously another issue but that's federal EPA and not just CA. Get a price quote to have it tanked and compare that to the cost for the labor involved to have it blasted...or break out the elbow grease and do it and home for cheap..

 

[zyzzyx]

First of all, DON'T put your intake manifold in your oven and roast it at 425! Not unless you have a Harley
Davidson in the living room AND you're not married! Hot tanking is the best idea, but because of the EPA
that's been drying up due to the cost of disposal fees. Easy-Off oven cleaner is caustic Soda, and will remove oil
but you have to soak it in a hot solution to get down into the porous cast iron. A burn-out oven would work too,
so if you can find an electric motor rebuilder near you, they probably have a burn-out oven. Don't bake it over 600
though. when you're done, you can blast all the ash off and you'll be ready for paint.

 

[BSB67]

Nah, he’s in sunny California. But they don’t need carb cleaner anyway cuz their pumps floweth with unicorn pee, so carbs no gunky gunky.

Good point. Is mineral spirits an option? I have pretty much moved to that for most is my solvent based cleaning.

 

[66 Sat]

You will definitely need to take the heat shield off the bottom of it has one. Just tap a chisel under the screw heads and then twist them off with pliers. There will be a ton of gunk under there for sure.

 

[themechanic]

Take the easy way out and send it to @CudaChick1968 for powder coating.

 

[zsn0w]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Zep-128-oz-Degreaser/3621246 I've had success soaking super greasy parts in this stuff for awhile. It's really nasty, though, don't get it on you if at all possible. Haven't had problems with it eating away at iron at all, but it warns not to use on aluminum, so I haven't. That should get most off after a day, then take a wire brush and get the rest, spray with some carb cleaner/brake clean if there are some stubborn bits and lacquer thinner for anything REALLY sticking.

 

[Johnpat]

Sounds to me like it,s time to find a new
state to move to.

 

[Evan Frucht]

I spray 2k paint in my driveway and do other work that I might not be supposed to being doing at home, so I have no problem bending the rules myself, and it's easy to get away with here in Cali ;)
Shops still have parts cleaning tanks but I think they use less effective chemicals now... Just what I've gathered, I could be wrong.
I should of probably mentioned in the original post that I'm trying to do it at home anyway to keep down on cost.