97 454 L29 build plans

[Supercharged111]

What have you guys used or done to remove the paint from the aluminum valve covers? Mine are blistered where the egr plumbing was and I wanted to get them powder coated black Going to use the chevy red/orange on the rest of the iron parts of the block.

The powder coater should sandblast them for you.

 

[Piratehunter]

he will, I want to clean them up pretty good first, so not to take up too much shop time. A government job in and out the side door. Might try aircraft remover to strip them.

 

[Supercharged111]

Can try Easy Off too.

 

[454cid]

It's the corners that are such a pain. I used a soy based paint stripper that I bought years ago. It's called something like Franmar Soy Gel, but it's name has been changed. I wanted to buy some good ole fashioned methylene chloride only to find out that it's been outlawed.

 

[454cid]

Can try Easy Off too.

Bad idea on aluminum.

 

[Supercharged111]

Bad idea on aluminum.

How so? I used it on my stock lower intake on my 1500 eons ago and it didn't hurt.

 

[454cid]

How so? I used it on my stock lower intake on my 1500 eons ago and it didn't hurt.

Oven cleaner (the yellow can) is mostly sodium hydroxide (lye) and it'll eat aluminum. Something like an intake is pretty thick and is sandcast, so if you left the oven cleaner on long enough to start eating the aluminum you probably didn't notice it. It's possible that there are other things in oven cleaner that would protect the aluminum a bit, over pure lye, but I wouldn't trust it to sit.

I recently pulled my valve covers, and they're sludgy, so I'm considering using oven cleaner on the inside, but it'll only be few minutes contact.

The aluminum pizza pan, I tried cleaning with pure lye, started foaming as it ate the aluminum. I came back after 1/2 hour, to a tub/tote full of foam!

 

[Piratehunter]

just some notes on the egr. if you're deleting the egr, the cap on the exhaust header is adp304-c-14 14 jic cap, the intake manifold plug is adp5406-p-12 12mp-plug, you may not choose to use this plug, it will keep the port clear incase you go back to the transfer tube, the egr cover plate is GM 12554606. to get leverage on the manifold connection couplers I used a crowfoot I found on Amazon that let me add some leverage over wrenches.

Sunex 97760A 1/2" Dr. 1-3/8" Jumbo Crowfoot Wrench​

The transfer tube is a valuable piece, don't throw it away.

 

[Piratehunter]

Update, all the measured IDs were within spec, putting the engine back together with standard bearings and rings, polish crank and hone cylinders. All the comp cams valve train as planned. The intake half’s were loaded with egr carbon, that took a lot to clean up, but we also have coolant cancer around the front cross overs on the lowers. going to try flycutting a tiny bit on the surfaces to gain some better surfaces. Those lowers are difficult to find.

 

[Supercharged111]

Should be able to fill that cancer in with JB Weld and smooth it out.