Ive read on here a bunch of times about guys using water to pop out dents and Ive recommended it to guys as a free fix,,,,,,,,,,dont do it, I just ruined a set of runners by freezing water in them, on the 3rd time when the dent was almost out it ripped a 3/4" slit on the side of runner. Now I have to weld em.

 

Cast aluminum doesn't like heating & cooling. That expands & shrinks material. Billet aluminum would be safe. Cast aluminum no.

 

Will the cast aluminum take a good weld or is it like every other cast metal Ive heard of ?

 

I've never tried to weld cast, only extruded.


I hear it is possible to do, but I don't know how easy or hard it is to do. Good luck!

 

jb weld... if you dont wanna buy a new set. I do have a dent set of runners tho (lol sry)

seriously backyard mechanic it and jbweld and then sand and paint

 

Since when are the runners cast aluminum? Only the flanges are on f-bodies.

 

I've done lots of them..........never split a one. I've done the same thing with motocross pipes no problems. Did you plug it or something?

 

I did mine this way. It didn't get the dents out completely (might have with several applications), but I was afraid I might split them. Sorry it happened to you. Best thing to do is take them to a music store that repairs brass instruments. Got mine fixed for free ... but I gave the guy a $5 tip 'cause I couldn't let him do it for nothing.

 

didnt plug it, just filled and set in freezer

 

For the people freezing them, what temps are you freezing them too?.. and for how long?


I finally tried this, this weekend. First attempt, didnt appear to remove any of the dent(s). I put them in this am for a second attempt.

 

I was putting them in for a few hours or over night,,, let em sit in the sink for an hour or two then run water till the rest of the ice comes out and redo. Maybe not letting the ice defrost on its own was were I went wrong?

 

When you fill them up, do you fill it to the top or leave a little room for the water to expand?

 

I'm leaving them in over night. Also filling them about 3/4 of the way. Also letting completely drain naturally inbetween freezes.

Fixing to put them in for a 3rd time, but I didnt see any difference on the first or second.

 

It shouldn't matter. Either way it's not under any more pressure.

 

Chest type freezer in the garage overnight. Oh and filled them all the way up and let them warm by themsleves to room tempature.

 

What is the temp of that chest freezer? I dont have access to one, but I can adjust the fridge one I have.

 

I HAVE DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES BUT USED MILLER LIGHT BEER. WORKS MUCH BETER..IT EXPANDS AND FREEZES MUCH QUICKER

 

one beer for the intake, two for me

 

tastes great, less filling.. no joke the freezing properties of beer is different than pure water and the dents come out

 

yea i noticed that.... put some in the freezer one time and left them to long, realized it and then got them out......hmmm still liquid SWEET...opened it up and then it froze right away and made a beercicle out the top of the bottle

im going to try this on a TPI setup i got that me be sold or installed on another camaro in the near future

 

This is the only time I will condone wasting a beer. I don't understand beer freezing faster than water, though. Beer contains alcohol, which lowers the freezing point of beer. I think it will freeze "differently" than water (which may explain the better expansion (maybe something to do with carbon dioxide?), but I doubt it will freeze faster. Pressurized beer won't freeze unless it's REALLY cold. "Real" beer ... not the watered-down American beer like I drink ... probably won't freeze unless it's dipped in liquid nitrogen! LOL.

Boyles Law

Heat and pressure are related. When the pressure is reduced, the temperature goes down.

Let's not get into a science discussion, though. Let's see some results from those beer runners! Got any photos of your dents removed?

 

Doesn't freezing beer inside the runner affect it's taste?:-) Maybe you start selling Runner Mugs? Great for a party of four close friends?!

 

The gayest image ever just popped into my head. Four red-necks with Kentucky-Waterfall hairdo's wearing flannel shirts, trucker hats and cut-off jeans drinking beer out of the same runner. Get it out! Get it out!

 

roflmao!!

I hate to waist some money on beer when water is said to do the trick.

I took before pics. I'll take some tonight and see if they look different. I guess it may be time for the large wrench trick.

 

Take it to a music shop ... seriously. They have all the tools necessary (better than a "large wrench") and probably won't charge you much if anything.

Unless you're talking about pouring a beer on a large wrench, pouring a beer in the runners, sticking the wrench in the runner tubes, freezing them, then prying the wrench around in the frozen beer to try and knock out some dents ... kidding.

 

One would need to find a shop first. Then beable to take it to them when working 50-60 hr weeks.

Plus I have another set now. Just trying to piddle around and see if they can be removed. I didnt see how this would work, and after trying appears it doesnt.

 

50-60 hrs./wk.? Man, you work too much. LOL. Kidding.

I've heard good things about the wrench trick as long as the dents are near the inlets of the runners. You can't work a straight wrench down in the runners. You might could put an old wrench in a vice, heat it and bend it to make your own tool, though.

 

i know this is off topic but how are you guys getting dents in your intake runners? sorry i am kinda new to the tpi set up!

 

The ones I have came with dents in them when I bought the intake as a set.

I could see dents forming when pulling an engine, or working on the intake and the runners fall off where-ever you set them and onto the floor or other parts.

 

Stock runners are very "dentable". They are pretty thin aluminum and the least little knock will leave them with a whopper of a dent. And the fact that they are cylindrical and curved makes dents and dings show up big-time.

 

they also get dents from shipping.
wannab03ss bought these runners from me with no damage but,ups apparrently found a way to beat the living crap out of them!

 

oh ok guys so pretty much it is just from handling, and working around them. So i dont have to worry about denting mine just from day to day use of the car!!