Intercooler detail question..

[2rvsperf]

Gentleman..

Still getting to know my car... About have the outside close to where I want it, and now I have been considering some detail work under the hood. I have an original engine compartment, and don't care if it is perfect or not, but would like to improve it.

My question... How do you clean and detail the top of the intercooler box. I have marks on the box where the hood seals on it, and was wondering what you use to clean that off and get a clean metalic appearance.

Also, what would be be the best way to clean the valve cover, and get the lettering to stand out. It looks like my engine may have been siliconed at some point, and there is yellowing on the letters that I can't get off.

SVO novice here... used to beadblasting and painting 60's model Mustang engine parts... this is a new area for me, and just want to do a good job.

Thanks for the help!!

-2rvsperf

[dsrk98]

This is what I did

I took mine down to bare metal. I then used 220 grit on the top and front to duplicate the brushed look on the aluminum. Next I cleared it with Dupont v-7500 then taped that up and shot on some black wrinkle paint I got from the eastwood company. Looks pretty close to original.

[2rvsperf]

That will work... is it hard to take off?

I tried to clean it with some fine steel wool, and it just scratched it.. But sanding, then the clear might give it a nice "satin finish" and make it look right.

Probally will need to do the same thing on the valve cover as well.

-2rvsperf

[dsrk98]

.

I took mine apart and bead blasted it. If you want the satin finsih you will need to add a flattening agent to the clear.

[SVOeric]

The bead blasting, and krinkle paint, is a good idea... but here is how I did mine

I just sanded the standup areas off to get the yellow off I used 220 BTW: these were aparently clear-coated from the factory, so they all yellow, yours probably wasn't siliconed.
the black areas of my cover looked decent, with touch-up needed pretty much all over...so--

then I cleaned the cover really good with thinner, and painted the entire cover with flat black, I think I put about 8 light coats on it (I did not mask it off).
because I left the original paint below, it kept it's original texture.

Then take your 220 again, and sand off the stand up areas again. start with about 220, and work up to 1000.

You could clear-coat it at this point, but I just put a coat of polish across the top of the cover, and try to do that a couple of times a year so the un-painted stuff don't oxidize

I think mine turned out really well...I have pictures posted somewhere... or more like everywhere..

[2rvsperf]

Eric,

That makes sense, because nothing has been done to my motor... 43k miles. So probally that is factory clear coat. I like your idea.. I don't think that the beadblasting will be necessary on the valve cover because all of the black is in good shape. I don't know exactly how to get the top of the IC right yet, but I think I will figure it out.

Sounds like a plan... after a few beers to get up some courage!

-2rvsperf:

[lonchair]

The sanding goes a lot faster if you use a drimel or a palm sander.

I did mine like Eric, paint the whole thing then sand off the paint on the polished surfaces.

[dsrk98]

Powder coat

From what I can tell, the factory used powder coating on the top of the intercooler. Mine was so pitted I used a DA at 220 grit to take all the pits out. The black on mine was gone so I had no choice but to re-do.

[SVOeric]

I did use a orbital sander on mine, and I believe 220 was what I started out with.

This same process also works on the valve cover...

[8T6 SVO]

resurface intercooler

I have 2 NOS intercoolers - they look like they were machined from the factory - you know, like having a head surfaced, but machined in one direction. Both NOS intercoolers have a thick, clear powder coat - the surfacing was the part I was afaid of messing up when I thought about duplicating the finish on my original intercooler. Someone had tried to sand my 30,000 mile original intercooler - you could tell it was sanded then cleared. .

How did your intercoolers turn out - When you sanded, where you able to achieve the front to back surfacing? Or did you just clean up the old surfacing with this sanding?

Eric, I like your recomendation on the valve cover, mine is not bad at all, but needs to be freshened up. Still concerned about the finish after sanding though.

[SVOeric]

it is just like polishing your wheels, only easier, because the surfaces aren't as large.

Just start with 220, then go 400, then 600, and final with 1000, if that is still too grainy for you, you can go 1500 - 2000, along with alluminimum polish ...

My avatar is a actual pic of my valve cover after I did it.

with the surfaces being small and divided, it is easy to get them sanded out to a nice finish.

[8T6 SVO]

intercooler, valve cover finish

Eric,

Doesn't sanding scratch the "brushed" finish these parts came with from the factory? I don't know if this is true, but it is my assumption. You know how the "brushed" finish looks - maybe I'm being too much of a perfectionist?!?

Or are you just polishing the factory finish with your method?

Thanks

[SVOeric]

if you want them to look original.. spray them with some some satin clear coat when you have them polished out.

I just polish mine to look nice and shiney