polished intake manifold

This might not belong here but here it is anyhow. I bought an aluminum intake manifold from Edelbrock. After having it machined, ( of course this happens afterward, why make it easy ) I think I might like it better if it were polished. Has anyone polished an aluminum intake? (I am talking about the exterior surfaces not the ports.) How would I go about it and what would I need to do it? I see polishing kits in magazines but will they have everything necessary to do it right?

|UPDATED|11/12/2002 3:09:28 PM|/UPDATED|

Did you check out the "Intake Manifold Cleaning" thread? There are a couple of suggestions and some photos that may be interesting/helpful.

Good luck.
Andy

Yup, browsed through there before but it does not address the question. Are the manifolds easy to polish ( like chrome ) and do the kits really contain everything you need to do it? I have a dremmel tool and drills but have never seen one of the polishing kits.

Hey Glenn ,,, they are buggars to get to the point where you can put a good polish on them if they have the original as cast finish . I,m talking about many hours of labor . If you want a more detailed explanation drop me an e/mail .

Gman

Eastwood Company had a kit and somethimes they have a, how to, link. Good Luck

|UPDATED|11/13/2002 4:03:53 PM|/UPDATED|

Thanks

I did it once, never again. The big flat surfaces are easy, but getting into all those corners is a major pain! You need a large assortment of sandpaper and sanding cones and a sanding block. Start with 120 grit to get the rough cast look off, then do it all over with 220 or 240 grit, then 320, then 400, and maybe 600. Then start using the buffing wheels and cones first with red rouge to cut the sandpaper scratches, then with white compound to shine it up. When you are all done, spray with clear so it doesn't corrode in two weeks. Joe

This is begining to sound like it may be both cost and time effective to just take it to Franklin metalworks down in Philly. They seem to do a lot of advertizing for chroming, plating and polishing.
Thanks, everyone, for your responses.