I'm working on my second intake manifold, this one a 2bbl 4 bolt type. The first intake was a rather rusty ECZ-A 4bbl.



My setup is a 30 gallon plastic barrel with the top cut out, a 6/12 volt battery charger, a piece of 1/2" rebar, and washing soda. I loaded the water with a lot of washing soda and some TSP. I bolted a piece of romex copper wire to the intake and clamped the battery charger clamps to the rebar and romex.



The ECZ-A was in the solution with the battery charger set to 6 volts for about a month. The red rust and all the paint came off, but the surface was still a dark gray color. I assume that the red rust was converted to magnetite, but that the magnetite rust was deep enough that it wasn't going to come out.



I sprayed the cleaned intake with phosphoric acid, washed with water, dried it and painted it Ford Red.



I thought the 2bbl intake was pretty rusty, but in two days the top side is down to bare cast iron, even the exhaust cross-overs are coming clean. I've got it flipped over and I'm working on the underside. It, too, will get a phosphoric acid wash.



I'm thinking I'll paint this engine 'truck yellow' to go into my 54 F100. It has been painted Ford Blue over Ford Red. The block was a B9 and I think it was yellow painted (under Ford Blue).



When I get the time (I work two jobs), I'll get a larger plastic barrel to work on engine blocks.



Questions, comments?




Best regards,



Paul Menten

Meridian, Idaho