Inlet manifold coating?

[Petrol Head]

I quite fancy a couple of 54201 edelbrock inlets and four 600 cfm carbs.

Edelbrock have just replied saying they dont make ANY inlet manifolds for boats.


So now, I'm looking for a company that could irridite, or use another process to protect a couple of these ally inlet manifolds.

Has anyone had this done or could recommend a good firm to do it please.

 

[simon johnston]

i put elderbrock performer rpm 's on a pair of 454's....... as far as protective coating's go i was told the best thing to do was to do nothing to them because if you did coat them and it failed in one spot the corotion would concentrate on that area...... this came from a specialist coatings guy who does work for the millitary

 

[Petrol Head]

I have a pair of those right now, the last owner tony said that they were coated with a tea stain like finnish wich would be irriditing I think. If my memory serves me right Tony said this was the marine finnish version supplied by edelbrock. I have their marine heads to fit bu the marin finish ids different all the waterways are black inside and so are the extrernal faces too.

Perhaps I should just stop flappin and start doin.

 

[simon johnston]

i met a guy in the states who uses ally blocks / heads on a $700000 . [yes seven hundred ] MTI , it doesnt seem to worry that lot !!......... i pulled the manifolds off after a year and they wernt corroded....... the boat i have now has ally intake and exhaust

 

[Jon Fuller]

That tea stain finish is Alachrome, it's what you see on an XR2/2.5 efi OB block, and is used as a pre treatment before powder coating, spraying etc. (by the better companies)

The fuel tanks in my boat were alachromed (inside and out) before powder coating, with this process, if the outer coating is broken with say, a scratch or similar, the corrosion is much less likely to 'creep' under the remaining coating.

Many years ago, when I worked at British Aerospace, allthe Ali components were Alachromed before painting assembling, and if a part got scratched, after the scratch was polished out, Alachrome was re-applied in that area before re-painting.

It's a cold process that doesn't require any more than submerging the item in a vat of said liquid for 20 mins or so, or on a small repair, a cloth soaked in it would be held against the area to be treated....easy, you've just gotta find a treatment firm who do it.

 

[Petrol Head]

If I can source the carbs cheaply enough to sit on top.

I think I'll do it.

IF I can get them coated before they go on good if not lets not stop the show hey.

Cheers for your help guys.

 

[simon johnston]

That tea stain finish is Alachrome, ...easy, you've just gotta find a treatment firm who do it.

i'll dig out his number if u want petrol

 

[jw.]

It's a cold process that doesn't require any more than submerging the item in a vat of said liquid for 20 mins or so, ....

What is 'said liquid', JF? It sounds a useful product.

 

[Petrol Head]

Nothing ventured...

i'll dig out his number if u want petrol

That would be great, thank you Simon.

Jon did you work on the Brooklands site I wonder. From the google results. It seems as though the Alachrome and the irridite are trade names for similar things. We did repairs to ally the same way. When I worked on tactical Radar for Racal-Decca.


So I shall post here and find out!

 

[Jon Fuller]

Steve, Yes, I worked at Brooklands road Weybridge, from '80 to '87..happy days

 

[Petrol Head]

I worked at Tony brooks garage 87-90 in Brooklands road.

Crap job, but Brooklands college was a blast and the unofficial road/ track testing in the airfield site was fun too.

 

[Jon Fuller]

I was at Brooklands tech '80 through '86

Screaming up and down inside the disused 1/4 mile long 'B1' hangar (VC10 assy hangar on the byfleet side of the runway) on/in Bikes and cars was cool. Perfected the oul wheelies on my DT175 MX on the runway, managed the whole length a couple of times. ..happy days.

For the last 4 years I was there, is worked in the Aircraft labs, just behind Tony Brooks garage.

 

[Jon Fuller]

What is 'said liquid', JF? It sounds a useful product.

Jeff, I only know it as 'Alachrome', I have a gallon of diluted product given to me by my local powder coaters, (before my 'mole' left to work for BA).

They were very handy there as they had huge treatment tanks full of the stuff, so Alachroming things like my fuel tanks was easy, well, once you'd got the fkkr to sink in it, then you just had the problem of gettin all the stuff out through the filler, vent, pickups etc, those tanks were pretty heavy with 45 gallons of Alachrome in em.

 

[Petrol Head]

I saw flying at college.

IFor the last 4 years I was there, is worked in the Aircraft labs, just behind Tony Brooks garage.

I used to ride my trials moped outidse the college. Jumped right over the principle once. I was personally invited / summonsed to a private little audience with him in his office the next day. Subject:- To discuss the legalities of trial biking off road; in the rather confused context of , my 'future' at the college. Well I had to see it his way didn't I but, the next day as I left in the back of a mates car, my mate identified him and as retribtution (rebadged as justice), sped up along that conifer lined drive. The principle heard the roar of DCOE's and lept out in to the path of my mates oncoming car,and put his hand up. I buried my face for what I thought was long enough, but when I looked up the principle was diving accross the corner of the bonnet. His brown leather brief case, now open and emptying its contents flying across the other corner.

Thats as close as I got to studying Aviation at college