polish intake tube?

[Karl2500]

Hi folks I've been lurking for a few months now. Wow what a great site!! I picked up my truck last month, I love it. I bought a box of all the back issues of tdr I'll be blind in a week if I keep reading as much as I do. One issue has more Info than a year’s worth of "mainstream" mags. So now the Question, while wiping down my engine it occurred to me that the big rectangle alloy air tube is all rough and dull. If I were to grind- buff- polish that baby would I do any harm? If I screwed it up what would it cost to replace it? I know this ain't as important as Rear recalls Or as much fun as bombing but I gotta do something to this truck or I'll go nuts but no cash keeps my dreams of 19. 5s, pnp's, va's And low et's just a dream for now.

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'01 2500 All stock ( for now) 4X4, HO, 6sp, Quad, tow, camper special,SLT 4:10s

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Karl2500, welcome to the board #ad


I took mine off and went after it with emery cloth and smoothed it out. Then I spray painted it black. Looks MUCH better now #ad
I have no idea how spendy that piece is, but if you screw it up, there is the fancy one from Banks for $225. . . look at "Red Cummins Valve Cover" thread (on the Products Forum?) for a picture of it.

Vaughn

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'01 2500 QC Shortbed 2wd, 6-speed, 3. 54LSD, Cab & Fog lamps, Camper & Tow Pkg.
BOMBed: RV injectors, PS Boost module, Amsoil air filter, straightpiped exh. , Aeroquip 3/8" fuel line w/tank mounted lift pump, AutoMeter Sport Comp gauges, Line-X'd, Amber turn signal conversion.
Mildly BOMBed Performance: 0-60 @ 10. 0 sec. ,
40-60 @ 5. 5 sec. ,
0-100 @ 24 sec.

 

[Whitmore]

Karl2500,welcome to the best and most knowledgable club in the whole U. S. A. you will love it here, I am addicted to this site and my new ram.
kevin 2001 eth dee #ad
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[illflem]

Welcome Karl,a new intake from Cummins is only $60,sanding is better than grinding on aluminum. You would be hard pressed to sand all the way though it,just be careful not to drop it,cast aluminum breaks easily.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Check out this post - https://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb//Forum4/HTML/002579.html - on it I have some threads and pictures on how I polished my valve cover. I plan on doing the same with the intake horn and don't see that it's going to be a problem, just haven't had time to get to it yet.



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-Steve St. Laurent - President of the Great Lakes TDR
'98 QC LB (CMNSPWR), 4x4, ISB, 5sp, 4. 10 LSD, TST Powermax, 275hp RV injectors, SW fuel pressure gauge, BD exhaust brake, Isspro turbo temp monitor, front Draw-Tite receiver, rear Draw-Tite class V receiver, BFG 285/75R16 AT KO's, (all the common stuff clipped)

 

[Big-D]

Karl2500,

Welome! If I were to remove the intake elbow, I would give thought to polishing the inside as well. I haven't seen the inside of one yet, but if the inside is the same condition as the outside, air will flow a lot easier if polished.

Should you take yours off, post a message on how smooth the inside surface is in comparison to the outside. Dave

 

[RKohn]

Howdy Karl,

I had to look to see if you meant polish or "Polish". I've seen what some of these guys come up with. I half expected a picture of some black 6" PVC pipe under the hood. I probably shouldn't have said that, cause somebody's gonna try it now.

WARNING!!! - Do not try this at home. #ad
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Y2K Red Stealth Sport 2500 4X4 QC SLT+, 5-spd, 3. 54 anti-spin, 265-75-16 LTX’s (There ain’t no such thing as options, cause ya gotta have it all, including: DC’s dead cow/vinyl interior and don’t stop anti-lock brakes. ) Stock, but not for long. Oops, too late. What silencer ring? (More fun than my 98 SST)

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Don't worry about the inside as-cast surface. The air will find its way through the intake horn just fine #ad

I buffed the outside of mine with a slag grinder/wire wheel. It has a sort of pebbly but not grainy surface and is semi-polished.

 

[Guest00]

My wife is Polish, she saw the header and asked if I had one. I said no. She said go ahead and order a Polish intake tube. #ad

 

[LSMITH]

Nutter, she sounds like a keeper at any rate!

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99 2500 QC 4X4 AUTO SB 24V LARAMIE SLT 3. 5 LSD 285-75-16'S SPA Boost/EGT Everything but leather NRA Member

 

[Max340]

Originally posted by Joseph Donnelly:
Don't worry about the inside as-cast surface. The air will find its way through the intake horn just fine #ad

I hope this is not the common misconception that because its a pressurized intake rather than vacuum, smooth flow means nothing.

If I had the means, I'd build better than stock manifolds for both sides of the head before I'd spend on boost mods... make the best of what ya have then ya get the best of whatever ya modify.


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Y2K 2500 QC Sport 4x4 LWB
72 Dart 340
89 LeBaron GTC 2. 2 TI

 

[Deezal Man]

All this talk of polishing... . What can be done to maintain the look? Polished aluminum can be a real PITA! Could U use some sorta clearcoat? What about the valve cover? I've really been toying with the idea... . but I don't want to create a maintanance monster. .

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98. 5' 24v 2500 Auto/3. 54 4x4 SB QC 285-75-16's on Alcoa's. Everything but leather. PIAA 1200's, AMSOIL dual filter relocation system, Smittybuilt Stainless Steel Nerfs, Rhino Liner(Junk), K&N air filter(For Sale)15 year AMSOIL dealer. Time permitting, Soon to include Ultra-lite Pyro,0-50lbs boost, Trans temp in the pillar. Rancho 9000's with in cab adjustment.

 

[PHaller]

Don't polish... Powder coat!
-Paul R. Haller-

 

[NVR FNSH]

Sorry Max340, gotta agree with Joe on this one. It will be much more cost effective to increase the boost than polish the inside of the intake &/or build new manifolds.

Why doesn't someone polish the inside of the intake or port the turbine housing and evaluate the improvements on a flowbench? That's the only place the improvements will show up, not on the chassis dyno.

Brian