Morning all,
I was wondering if anybody has successfully removed dents from their TPI Runners. I have a large one on my RH forward runner. Thanks for any help you can give me. If not, do you know of anyone who would like to sell a complete set of runners for a 1986 IROC-Z 305/LB9 motor?

Thanks, Steve

 

Some have used a steel ball and pushed it through. Others have filled the runner with water and froze it. Either outside in the Winter or in a freezer.

RBob.

 

I've been thinking about buying this TPI dent removal kit from ebay to repair my dented runners:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3TUNED-PO...-/370509104812

It's a steel ball that is also supposed to stretch the TPI runners for better airflow.

 

I tried the frozen water trick, but with no success. I purchased a set of the runner *****, and they worked pretty good. It is not a "Plug and Play" solution, though. You have to grind down the port on one side to get the ***** inside the runner, and then you have to be very careful you don't "Over-do" the stretching. I did, and wound up with a series of small bumps from the series of ***** inside the runner. It will work, but you just need patience.

If you only have one dent, I have also heard of some success using a box or opened end wrench to fit into the tube, and gently turning to push the dent out.

 

The trick with the water method it to freeze it for a few hours then remove it and heat the dent with a propane torch until the ice starts to melt then toss it back in the freezer. it takes several applications and when you forget the runner in the freezer your wife will think you have a screw loose.

 

are the runners easily damaged? never heard of this before the only way i can see it happening is when the runners are off the car. last time i had my intake off i was pretty rough with it, i didnt realize they were that fragile

 

Oh yes, they are VERY soft. You can easily push them in if you lean on them, or if you drop a 15mm wrench on them it will leave a dimple.

 

Freeze works great ! I used the chest freezer in my garage, maybe because the did was in the center instead of on a end

 

a damn fine reason to get a set of SLP runners!!

 

Yeah, but darn, the price tag for the Edelbrock Runners are a bit steep ($459.00)

 

How did you cap the ends? Tubing caps, or aluminum tape?

Steve

 

I didn't left it in there for about a week. Spare set I ebayed. I had forgot about them until the wife said what is that in the freezer? lol

 

This is an older thread but I had trouble figuring out how to take the dents out so I'm putting this out there. First I ground down the lip where the runner meets the flange using a carbide burr. Then I hit it with a 120 grit cartridge roll where the lip was and a little inside the runner tube, but I didn't get too heavy with it. After that I sprayed a bunch of WD-40 into the runner. After the oil I put a 1 &1/2" diameter chrome steel ball into the tube and using a ball peen hammer smacked it down as far as I could. Then I put a 1 & 3/8" ball in and smacked that down, then a 1 & 7/16 ball and once again I smacked that sucker down. All in all it took 1- 1&1/2" ball, 1- 1 & 3/8" and 5 1 & 7/16" ***** but it worked and worked pretty well. Just make sure you don't hit the flange when using the hammer.

 

How long did it take for all 8 runners?

Do you think the runners would flow any better now?

 

It took a little over an hour, and yes it really opens them up. The tubes look a lot fatter and it eliminates the indentation that is supposed to be for the bolts. The important thing is to ground down the lip and try not to hit the flange too much with the hammer.