Builds Work In Progress aka: Badass (20 Viewers)

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Cool thanks.

 

[Spike Strip]

I wouldn't touch the weld. Leave as much material there as is -- won't affect anything. Are you going to use a flat plate when you reassemble?

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I wasn't talking the weld line directly. He left a chunk the size of a small pea attached to the side of that vertical section of the grill facing the weld. And yes I believe I'm going to get the heat riser block off plate.

 

[Spike Strip]

Oh, yeah, I think I see it now: at about 12:00, in the shadow... Doesn't look like it'll effect anything, and it's out of the way of the sealing surface.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

So I brought my intake to another welder near me, he did as much of a test he could on it... he added bubbly froth from dish soap to it then used his air to blow up from underneath. He said it did bubble some so he cleaned out the crack and added more weld to both sides and showed me the test when I picked it up yesterday and I could see no bubbling from his test. $40 done and he guarantees that if it leaks he'll fix it for free. Unfortunately he dinged up the carb mating surface so I'll need to smooth that before reassembly. I didn't notice it till after I got home. Kid was w/ me so I was a bit distracted.
And I've found an automotive machinist via a local tool machinist here in town.
They gave me a guesstimate of $150 over the phone. Only thing I forgot to ask was turnaround time. I'm guessing a week depending on how busy they are, right?
And had a little bit of time yesterday while kiddo napped to check out the side of the block where the side cover goes... I've got some leftover cork gasket stuck on tight. Other than an poly ice scraper anyone have a liquid suggestion to softening it so it will scrape off?

 

[White Stripe]

I get the wire cups from harbor freight. Put one in a drill and it cleans off gasket surfaces great.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Those welds look a lot better. Peace of mind there. As far as cleaning up the gasket surface on the block - the good news is that it's iron and less susceptible to damage. I wouldn't scrape with steel unless you have some experience doing that. I don't think solvents will have much effect. I would use brass or plastic to scrape, then a Scotch Brite pad with brake cleaner to get it really clean. That's my process anyway. I don't have a problem taking a single edge razor blade to get the fine stuff but you have to be careful.

Nice progress keep it coming.

Eric

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Sounds good. I have access to all that in my mess of a garage. Appreciate the suggestion.

 

[gregnash]

Those welds look a lot better. Peace of mind there. As far as cleaning up the gasket surface on the block - the good news is that it's iron and less susceptible to damage. I wouldn't scrape with steel unless you have some experience doing that. I don't think solvents will have much effect. I would use brass or plastic to scrape, then a Scotch Brite pad with brake cleaner to get it really clean. That's my process anyway. I don't have a problem taking a single edge razor blade to get the fine stuff but you have to be careful.

Nice progress keep it coming.

Eric

Yup this almost exactly what I did and my buddy recommended when I was rebuilding my head. Go after it with the brake cleaner and scotchbrite pad first then what you cant get off go after with the straight edge blade. Go very gently with very little pressure and let the blade to the work for you.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Wish I had a good pix of how nasty grimy the intake was after all the heat from the oven and weld process.
This pix was before the second weld. Gross but not like after the second.
I read up on Easy Oven Off and decided to go that route for cleaning it. I sprayed it and let it soak in for about an hour not quite out on my deck in the sun, temps not quite 40.
Scrubbed right off. I put a second coat on and scrubbed it wet w/ a wire brush and then finished it off in a bucket of warm water, dawn soap, a bottle brush and a sos pad.

 

[mwebfj60]

Very nice! If you have other parts to cleanup, Carbona oven cleaner that you can get at Lowes is amazing stuff. That and pre-paint degreaser/wax remover (from a paint supply house) are my go to cleaning solvents. If you haven't painted that exhaust manifold, the POR15 flat black high heat is excellent. Comes out looking factory fresh.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I did one coat of high temp paint on the exhaust so far. Wanted to get something on after I did the molasses bath to stop any flash rust. It's far more shiny silver (shown in top pix in my post above) than I wanted but it's okay. Plan on bringing them both now to a machinist tomorrow. Last I wanted to do was drop them off all nasty for them to deal with.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

So I'm not a guy but seriously seeing these two bolted together all clean and spiffy gives me a girl chub for sure.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

Nice. So are you going to have it machined as an assembly? And BTW you might be the only chick in the world who uses her washing machine for a workbench.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

Yeah trying to decide if I should clean up the exhaust horns first before bringing it to the shop or not. They have wicked stone hard build up on one curve of each end. I feel like I want to make the job as quick and effortless for them so they don't sit on it.
And yea I tend to use my house in ways most chicks don't.

 

[mwebfj60]

There's a word for women like that Swamp..."Keepers".

 

[Prairie Swamp]

That looks like rust and the machinist won't put his tools to it that way I don't think. So either you or he will have to clean it. If you have Harbor Freight this is a good $3 investment:

Combination Sharpening Stone

If you hear a machinist talking about "stoning" something they are talking about running a stone like this over it to take the burrs off. I wouldn't hesitate to take a cheap stone like this with some kerosene and knock that rust off. Obviously you don't want to damage the surface but scratches don't hurt as it's getting machined anyway.

 

[2mountainfish]

I media blasted mine. Still couldn't get all of that stuff off. I coated it with this stuff and 6 months later, it still looks like new. Definately have the intake and exhaust surfaced together.

 

[4Cruisers]

I posted early last year about using a similar product for my 3FE exhaust manifolds:

Manifold Makeover - EZ-Slide Coating Approach

I might go ahead and treat the 2F exhaust manifolds on my other Land Cruisers the same way.

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I was impatient and simply bought the very high temp stuff they had at advance auto. Like I said it's okay but not the shine I was seeking. Guy thought it would be more flat. Lesson learned.
I have some stones for my demel and I'm at tractor supply now, I'll see what they have. Closest HF is a bit away for what I want to get done today. Thanks for the directions tho!