Good morning from Utah, Hey all I was wondering if the exhaust and intake manifolds were painted from the factory? I have access to a good glass beading machine and figured if I get mine cleaned up on my 53 3600 AD truck I want to do something so they don't just get rusty the first to any kind of humidity hits them.
The manifolds were painted with the engine colour at the same time the engine was.
The exhaust manifold burned the paint off almost immediately so your "flash rust" is the normal look for them. There are a few coatings guys have had (some) success with on the exhaust manifolds with various prepping and even with recoating religiously, but it's very tough to keep them rust free forever. Some of the POR products and high heat cast blast are a couple of the products that guys have had success with. Do lots and lots of reading on many sites and then prep them immaculately and you might have good luck.
Calyx Manifold Coating/Dressing has worked for me, for many years on six-cylinder Stovebolt and GMC exhaust manifolds (16 years on the 261 in my Suburban).
It can easily re "re-dressed", if a little rust shows through.
The manifolds have to be clean and any paint, grease, and/or loose rust should/must removed.
Calyx Manifold Coating/Dressing has worked for me, for many years on six-cylinder Stovebolt and GMC exhaust manifolds (16 years on the 261 in my Suburban).
Good to hear. What have you typically done for a prep - full media bast then apply?
The intake manifold should stay painted if some type of "high heat" enamel is used on it. Exhausts- - - -about the only thing I've seen that stays put well is "stove polish", the black greasy stuff that old-time wood stoves got treated with periodically to retard rusting. It's basically carbon black powder suspended in a beeswax/grease carrier that burns away, leaving the black pigment behind. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The intake manifold should stay painted if some type of "high heat" enamel is used on it. Exhausts- - - -about the only thing I've seen that stays put well is "stove polish", the black greasy stuff that old-time wood stoves got treated with periodically to retard rusting. It's basically carbon black powder suspended in a beeswax/grease carrier that burns away, leaving the black pigment behind. Jerry
One of the old street rodder tricks that ran chrome headers was to spray the inside of the tubes with white lithium grease before installation. It is supposed to burn on and create some sort of coating that prevents blueing. My personal experience in my very young days was to try it on a new set of cheap headers. The factory paint lasted many years which normal experience was it lasted very few minutes. I don't know if this applies well to this conversation but if exhaust is off, it can't hurt and may help prolong any coating put on the exhaust manifold.
I painted the intake with the same engine paint I used everywhere else about two years ago and it has held up great. I painted the intake with a product from Eastwood. It had pretty good reviews so I gave it a try. EW Satin Black Hi-Temp manifold coating. Less than a year and entire manifold was speckled with rust marks popping through. I took this picture this morning. The pictures are fresh paint and two years later.
53& me I dont think chevy worried about painting the manifolds they were building trucks for work not show. the new kind of oily manifolds would burn -off to an iron gray ! Then they would stay about the same.
