To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

[Brandon T.]

I've bead blasted intakes and they look above avg near as good as one that has been "reskinned".

what's involved in this process? I have no need to go reskinning intakes I only have 2 cars I'm just curious but it seems to be a BIG secret. Do they just tumble them then tank them or what?

thanks

[Craig O.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

"I've bead blasted intakes then gone over them with sos pads to put the sheen back on them and they look above avg near as good as one that has been "reskinned".

Brandon lets see a photo

[Brandon T.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

"I've bead blasted intakes then gone over them with sos pads to put the sheen back on them and they look above avg near as good as one that has been "reskinned".

Brandon lets see a photo

Sure here is my 68's I refinished, the intake for my 58 needs done thats why I was going to experiment with a tumbler and whatever else is needed to reskin one but it seems to be too big of a secret even between ncrs members! so guess I'll bead blast it and go that route.

[Ridge K.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

Brandon, I've personally done business with four different sources for aluminum casting "re-skinning". I've talked to all four of the owners of these businesses, ....... some small one-man operations, and some fairly large (Jerry MacNeish).

My experience is that these folks do not want to discuss in detail EXACTLY what their own specicfic process is. Might be referred to as having "trade secrets". Personally, I don't have any problem with them being a few little secrets, as after all ..... this is a tough, competitive, free-market, capitalist society. I love that it is.

You may have noticed my recent crude description (posted) of how my Muncie case was re-skinned. That's about as detailed as I can get after dealing with four different vendors, and quite frankly spending a lot of money with them.

One final comment which is strictly my opinion, and worth exactly what you have paid for this opinion:
I've been restoring GM muscle cars since my 16th birthday. Even before "restoring" was cool. I'm now 56 years old.
I've not only had dozens and dozens of factory intakes (initially fine sand blasted) later along .....bead blasted, I've also purchased well over a dozen virgin NOS intakes from the 1960s and 70s.
In my opinion, nothing can duplicate as closely to "as-cast" aluminum, as a reskiining process. Zero, ....zip.
Just my two cents (which happens to have lost 20% of it's value in the last ten years).

Ridge.

[Dick W.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

Equipment will cost you >$20k plus the cost of experimenting to get it right. I looked into it in the '90's and decided that as a stand alone business there would be no payback on the investment. If I was build carbs, fuel infestation units, or alternators it would have a reasonable payback.

[Stuart F.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

Back in the mid-90's I found a product that was in a spray can and used it with the desire to just get the gas stains off. I applied it on both my intake (on the car), and the valve covers (off the car) and it worked beautifully. To this day I have not been able to find the stuff again. I thought it was called "Alumi-blast", but that (or something like that) turns out to be a paint now. I've tried various wheel cleaners w/o success, and a number of other metal cleaning products, but none are even close.

I'm going to research my notes to find out what it was. I recently cleaned my valve covers again during a valve adjustment, but nothing worked well except elbow grease and a metal polish. This is hard on the fingers, specially around the script, Ha!

Stu Fox

[Ridge K.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

Equipment will cost you >$20k plus the cost of experimenting to get it right. I looked into it in the '90's and decided that as a stand alone business there would be no payback on the investment. If I was build carbs, fuel infestation units, or alternators it would have a reasonable payback.

Exactly the cost figures I've heard.
That investment would be prohibitive for most do-it-your-selfers .....

[John H.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

I am curious. In my business,after the product is cast and allowed to cool, we break it out of the mold (devest it) and then blast it to remove any remaining investment. How did GM's casting vendors clean them up before machining them? The passages in the blocks and in intake manifolds would certainly have debris in them that would need to be removed. I am talking about investment castings and not matched die castings.

[Mike G.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

i sent mine to lamar walden in doraville (atlanta) ga. after its done he machined all the surfaces. looks like a new part. he has done 2 for me.

[Jim S.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

I've bead blasted intakes and they look above avg near as good as one that has been "reskinned".

what's involved in this process? I have no need to go reskinning intakes I only have 2 cars I'm just curious but it seems to be a BIG secret. Do they just tumble them then tank them or what?

thanks

I had my intake and valve covers redone with Jerry MacNeish a while back. I spoke to him alot during that time , and all I could get out of him was that he tumbles them in a ceramic of some sort.

I was however very pleased with the final result .

Jim

[Ridge K.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

I had my intake and valve covers redone with Jerry MacNeish a while back. I spoke to him alot during that time , and all I could get out of him was that he tumbles them in a ceramic of some sort.

I was however very pleased with the final result .

Jim

I got this same brief clue from MacNeish, Jim.

I discussed the issue with the owner of an indistrial supply house that sells sand blast cabinets, bead and media blasting equipemtn, as well as the industrial tumblers.
This same owner said some vendors he has supplied use ceramic pieces, and some use small chunks of somewhat rounded, steel. Showed me a sample of little steel bars about and inch and a half long.
He further stated that the chemical liquid medium used, is likely the key step. He did not know what was being used.

Rochester fuel injection historian Ken Kayser recently got into a venture with this type of tumbler.

I hope this all helps you somewhat, Brandon.

Ridge

[Michael F.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

I would think an acid wash followed by a tumble. The exact media probably varies from user to user.

If you really want to find the process? Look outside your favorite auto restorer.

Look in the industrial community. There are plenty who deal with aluminum surfacing,restoration,casting etc... I am sure their processes are not a secret.

[Mike G.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

if you bead blast it makes them nice and shiney. however, thats not how they are suposed to look. media blasting leaves a non tipical finish and you will be docked points accordingly. i have seen the tumbler that lamar uses. its a big cabinet. i dont know the rest of the process. it makes them look factory correct.

[Michael F.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

I got this same brief clue from MacNeish, Jim.

I discussed the issue with the owner of an indistrial supply house that sells sand blast cabinets, bead and media blasting equipemtn, as well as the industrial tumblers.
This same owner said some vendors he has supplied use ceramic pieces, and some use small chunks of somewhat rounded, steel. Showed me a sample of little steel bars about and inch and a half long.
He further stated that the chemical liquid medium used, is likely the key step. He did not know what was being used.

Rochester fuel injection historian Ken Kayser recently got into a venture with this type of tumbler.

I hope this all helps you somewhat, Brandon.

Ridge

That key step is hydroflouric and phosphorous acid mix. Diluted with water to an appropriate strength. Then followed by the tumbler. Many alternator rebuild shops have the tumbler.

[Bruce B.]

Re: To reskin a intake? whats involved with it?

Checkout Ken Kaysers website, www.kayserspeciality@aol.com for his metal refinishing process.
I have seen many aluminum parts which he has refinished and they look great.