I was speaking with a guy in a paint shop about painting my TPI setup. He asked me what kind of aluminum it was ... I didn't really know what to say. He then told me that certain types of aluminum need to have an "acid wash" spray used on it to "prepare" the surface for painting. Anyone that has painted your plenum and/or runners please post and let me know how you did yours. Anyone else that knows anything about this "acid wash" please post as well. Thanks in advance.

 

have u thought about anodizing them? there is an article in the tech page.

 

The acid wash will remove the surface oxide coating but I'm not sure that it's necessary, though your paint shop guy should know his stuff.

I used carb cleaner to degrease my plenum and then a laquer thinner wipe before painting the grooves.

For the entire setup, anodizing or maybe a powder coat would look great.

 

Anodizing won't work. I've thought about it a long time and emailed the guy who wrote the tech article on anodizing aluminum parts and he said that he doesn't recommend anodizing the plenum and runners. See, the anodizing process requires the parts being anodized to be COMPLETELY clean and free of dirt. The insides of the plenum and runners will be nearly impossible to get completely clean and free and when the item is submerged in the acid solution used in anodizing the dirt, carbon, or anything else left in the inside will contaminate the solution and the part will not be anodized properly.

The only solution to this that I could come up with that would "possibly" work would be using metal plates cut to the shape of the openings that could be bolted on to prevent the solution from going inside the plenum and runners. However, this would have to be "air tight" in order to not let the solution in and I don't see how that's possible. In addition, if it is "air tight" then there's a big air pocket on the inside of the plenum and runners and the item will want to float in the anodizing solution so you would have to have some way to hold the item(s) down in the solution while at the same time not allowing the item to touch the ground plate in the bottom of the solution.

 

I would suggest cleaning it like Jim did. I used a brass wire wheel and then cleaned it with a paint prep liquid, so far so good. You have to figure theres going to be some oil and grease on the outside and paint doesnt stick to that stuff.

 

i painted my runners and intake along with my accesories brakcets and i used etching primer on the parts. this primer bites into the aluminum and then the paint bites into the primer. you can get a can of this at any paint store, it comes in an arersol can. not cheap either.you must make sure your parts are clean before adding any paint. i had my father take them to work to be bead blasted. this process removed every last bit of dirt and oil. the parts looked brand new after they where done. i had to plug the threads up so i wouldnt get blasting crap in them. my parts looks great. i used a silver/metalflake color to paint the intake and brackets and black ppg automotive paint for the runners. i put a few coats of clear on them too.

 

Just curious why not powder coat? The cure is at 450° and Eastwood just came out with some 1000° heat range powders.

Pre-baking the aluminum once before coating will remove the trapped gases and then just clean with thinner or DX330, coat, and bake.

 

Back to the money issue. Powder coating requires A. a spare oven (don't have, costs money) B. a spray booth of some sort (don't have, costs money) and C. a special powder coating spray gun (don't have, costs lots of money).

I've looked into the powder coating option. Quite expensive to get started. The guy that wrote the tech article on anodizing is going to be doing powder coating and said he could do my plenum and runners for under $100 but this is my daily driver and I can't have it apart for several days while I send in the parts and then wait for them to come back.

My options are limited and the plenum and runners look like crap right now.

 

I have an extra set of punners and plenum i can put on my car until it's done. Can you get me some contact info so i can see what the guy would charge me to powder coat mine.

 

i painted the runneres and only cleaned then as if i was painting any other part. it turned out fine.

 

I cleaned mine first with Castol Super Clean, rinsed thorougly with water, let dry, spray down with brake clean & spray painted with Rustoleum Industrial Titanium color paint. I have heard that anodizing does not work well on sand cast aluminum, too many surface impefections makes the coloring blotchy.

 

stroked92z28@hotmail.com .... his name is Chris.

He told me he was just waiting on his spare oven.