Well the engine has been in for almost a year now and has been running great. I finally have some time to work on tuning in the top end and it is coming a long very smoothly, we hit just over 10 psi last night and the car is pull harder than hell. I pull the engine last week to install a new throw out bearing because it was the shitty Spec one (it was squeaking and driving me nuts). While in there I added a motor mount (sorry no pics I did have my camera) underneath the a/c compressor and am working on heat shields for the intercooler and the intake that passes by the hot side of the turbo. I also decided I was sick of looking at the upside down 3400 on the top of the intake. Playing around with FeatureCAM my boss helped me throw the intake in our mill and clean it up.
Get some red powdercoating powder (flame red) and fill the letters in with it. Then bake it. you will get a nice transparent red that will be 3d as the powder will not flow out it will stay in the grooves and hold itself in place from the surface tension.
Thanks for the suggestions guys. The powdercoating sound like a good idea but I don't want to have to pull the intake again. I think I am going to try and mix some paint and epoxy and see how it looks, and go from there.
As for the lettering it is all machined into the manifold. I did consider making a separate piece but was worried about tapping into the manifold to deep and didn't want to have to try and seal the bolt holes.
How hot does the intake get? I imagine a bit hotter then normal with the turbo. They probably have some stained glass powder at a craft store that you could pour in there and melt down with a torch, and assuming it doesn't get hot enough to melt glass again you should be cool. I think a transparent, candy apple red would look juicy. And you wouldn't have to take the manifold off to bake it.
stimpy wrote:That looks extremely sweet. Very custom-fab.
How hot does the intake get? I imagine a bit hotter then normal with the turbo. They probably have some stained glass powder at a craft store that you could pour in there and melt down with a torch, and assuming it doesn't get hot enough to melt glass again you should be cool. I think a transparent, candy apple red would look juicy. And you wouldn't have to take the manifold off to bake it.
you could do the same with the powdercoating with a heat lamp, so you dont have to remove the intake.
Here is a close up of the powdercoated flames on my intake, you can get an idea of the transparency and color. If I had left the tape on when baking, It would have turned out sweet, but I didnt think it would withstand the temps. Regular old masking tape will hold up in an oven at 450 degrees, I found out because I left some on the intake on accident and found it after the heating process.
If you do a nice job and fill it in evenly it will look alot better than mine.
That engraved intake is sweet looking just the way it is. It looks like it came from the factory that way. :thumbleft: I would just use some high temp clear spray paint on it to keep it from oxydizing.
Ok, I know people will think I am joking, but seriously, you might want to get a hold of Orief. If I remember correctly, he used some kind of epoxy paint when he was making his door tabs.
'88 Fiero GT- 3800 Turbo Best E.T. 11.36 Best MPH 121.50 (Sold and gone)
2021 Hyundai Veloster-N (SCCA Solo D-Street)
2004 Mazda RX-8 (SCCA Solo STX)
WNY SCCA-Region Auto-X Program Chair
I have been stupid busy with school lately, just took the Fundamental Engineering exam the other weekend.
I was having problems with it over boosting because the waste wasn't able to open far enough. I have replaced it with one from a DSM and it is holding 10psi nicely now (but she is still not quite ready for that much now). The car has got to the point where I need to take it to the dyno and finish getting it tuned. I don't have the time to take it on long drives at be constantly flooring it worrying about cops. Hopefully some time this winter/early spring I will get a couple hours in on the rollers!!!!!
Shaun how is your car running? What code are you running on your ecu?
My car is running good. I am running a modified TGP code but for iron heads that Sinister Performance did for me. And I of course have my safc to fine tune it. he did me one for 24lb injectors and one for 42 lb injectors, but I have yet to throw the 42's in yet as I haven't reached the power needed yet for those. Probably soon though as I am going to be running more boost and more nitrous with this new engine.