cleaning a used upper and lower intake...?

[thorco3]

...not exactly sure where to post this, but hopefully somebody can help me out. I've got a 94-95 cobra intake that I had been planning on cleaning up and putting on the car when I install my blower. I've been polishing on it and working on making the outside look nice due to some chipping/flaking of the original finish. Well, in the last couple days I decided it was time to clean out the inside and get rid of some of the nasty carbon buildup.

I've got the lower cleaned up pretty well but carb cleaner doesn't seem to be doing the trick on the upper... how can I get it cleaned up. I mean, the stuffy is nasty, I can use my finger and knock off big flakes of black, something I def wouldn't want in my engine bay.

I have had such a hard time with it I've been thinking about selling the intake and just buying something new so I wouldn't have to deal with it.

what do you guys think.. suggestions?

 

[AaRoN]

My 01 motor, when I got it, was really nasty. I probably spent a whole day's work cleaning it up. Anyway, I used "Engine brite" engine degreaser. Worked wonders. I sprayed it on and then let it sit for a few minutes then scrubbed it with a small brush. I did use carb cleaner too and it seemed to work good for me. :dunno:

 

[McGarrh]

Aaron can we see a picture of that engine in your car?

 

[AaRoN]

Aaron can we see a picture of that engine in your car?

 

[McGarrh]

Thanks, I was just curious how it looked. :thumb:

 

[AaRoN]

Thanks, I was just curious how it looked. :thumb:

It's really dirty now. I have a recent pic of it in my "Tracking down an Optima" thread.

 

[thorco3]

My 01 motor, when I got it, was really nasty. I probably spent a whole day's work cleaning it up. Anyway, I used "Engine brite" engine degreaser. Worked wonders. I sprayed it on and then let it sit for a few minutes then scrubbed it with a small brush. I did use carb cleaner too and it seemed to work good for me. :dunno:

I'm more concerned with the insides... I've already got the outside looking great on both the upper and lower. I have tried degreaser though, but it didn't do a dang thing.

 

[AaRoN]

My 01 motor, when I got it, was really nasty. I probably spent a whole day's work cleaning it up. Anyway, I used "Engine brite" engine degreaser. Worked wonders. I sprayed it on and then let it sit for a few minutes then scrubbed it with a small brush. I did use carb cleaner too and it seemed to work good for me. :dunno:

I'm more concerned with the insides... I've already got the outside looking great on both the upper and lower. I have tried degreaser though, but it didn't do a dang thing.

Did you let it sit?

 

[thorco3]

My 01 motor, when I got it, was really nasty. I probably spent a whole day's work cleaning it up. Anyway, I used "Engine brite" engine degreaser. Worked wonders. I sprayed it on and then let it sit for a few minutes then scrubbed it with a small brush. I did use carb cleaner too and it seemed to work good for me. :dunno:

I'm more concerned with the insides... I've already got the outside looking great on both the upper and lower. I have tried degreaser though, but it didn't do a dang thing.

Did you let it sit?

yes. but you can't really just "let it sit" inside a runner, it just runs out... doesn't really stay concentrated inside of a tube, know what I mean.

 

[AaRoN]

My 01 motor, when I got it, was really nasty. I probably spent a whole day's work cleaning it up. Anyway, I used "Engine brite" engine degreaser. Worked wonders. I sprayed it on and then let it sit for a few minutes then scrubbed it with a small brush. I did use carb cleaner too and it seemed to work good for me. :dunno:

I'm more concerned with the insides... I've already got the outside looking great on both the upper and lower. I have tried degreaser though, but it didn't do a dang thing.

Did you let it sit?

yes. but you can't really just "let it sit" inside a runner, it just runs out... doesn't really stay concentrated inside of a tube, know what I mean.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Damn, maybe there's a better cleaner you buy :dunno:

 

[9d5-sn95]

go down and get some (probably spelling it wrong) barrymans PROFESIONAL carb cleaner... i had the same problem... i bought my cobra upper and lower for like 150 looked perfect... ran it and my car was super rich... took it off.. about 6 months later (car broken now.. and decided to clean it up... it works good... takes a lot... buy a few cans... expencive.... but works..

 

[thorco3]

I've got some aircraft stipper that I generally use to strip paint. It's what I used to strip the original finish off the upper... but I've been told that I can dilute some of that with water in a big enough tank then just let the whole thing soak and possibly clean out the inside... dunno, haven't tried that yet.

I don't know the major active ingredients in carb cleaner but it is supposedly the same stuff as in this aircraft stripper.

 

[Paul]

Aircraft stripper kicks ass. That's what I'd use.


Then I'd blast it and powdercoat it.

Paul.

 

[thorco3]

Aircraft stripper kicks ass. That's what I'd use.


Then I'd blast it and powdercoat it.

Paul.

I was originally going to polish the dang thing... and have already spent hours of sanding time on it. After much thought, though I think I'm going to paint it a graphite color and just polish the raised lettering at the top. I really don't want to sink any more money into the thing. Otherwise pc would be the way to go.

 

[Paul]

A sanitary looking engine bay is always worth the time/money/effort.

 

[95 svt cobra]

^ +1 on the aircraft stripper and the sanitary engine bay

 

[thorco3]

spent a couple hours on it this afternoon before heading into work. It looks pretty good, but I made a surprising discovery... It appears that the stock/factory finish that is on the intake seems to be on the inside as well... :dunno: weird, buy my guess is they just dip it in something.

the aircraft remover/stripper does a dang good job but there is no way to just let it soak/set long enough. I'm going to drop it off tomorrow at a local automotiver stripper place. They've got tanks of aircraft stripper that they say they can let it soak in. $50 and it should be clean as a whistle.

now I don't know if I should finish polishing it or just paint it and polish the raised lettering at the top...

I'll edit in a few with a couple pics