What's the best way to clean the plastic ram air cleaner scoop parts. Mine has some black paint on them and I'd like to restore the original plastic look. Thanks for any tips. Paul
The best way to restore the air cleaner snorkels (and A/C evaporator case and heater core box since they are made from the same material) is steel wool. You can use SOS pads if there is dirt/grease, but lots of elbow grease and steel wool will remove the paint and not harm the fiberglass. If it's faded or becomes a little to dull after using steel wool, then you can spray "low luster" clear on the parts and they will look better than new. Whatever you do, do not bead blast or use aggressive sand paper or you will be sorry. Here is a pic of the evaporator case as an example.
Thanks! That's great advice and that's what I'll do. I have some ultra fine steelwool that I use to clean windows with that could be perfect. Paul
Paul, It doesn't necessarily have to be fine steel wool, but if it removes the paint then go for it. If it only buffs the paint and won't remove it, then try some coarser pads. Good luck.
James that looks great ! From the picture looks like a new one . Do the air cleaner snorkles come out the same way ?
A long time ago I learned better than to bring a project in the house . The wife was in hospital having a baby and I brought my motorcycle engine in the house on the dining room table and rebuilt it . . I thought I cleaned up all evidence when I finished but as soon as she came in the house she knew something had been done , just was not sure until I spilled the info . Bet I don't do that again !
I have (imo) the best way to clean/restore the plastic air snorkels on our beloved air cleaner..... Plastic Renew! This is a kit you buy at a motorcycle delaership ans it is used to restore faded/scratched dirt bike plastic fenders. It comes with everything you need. Steel wool, dfifferent grits of sandpaper & this liquid that you wipe on & it makes it shiny. Give it a try. Take a look at the plastic on this 1983 Honda dirtbike & I'll try to include a pic of my air cleaner
Yes, but it depends on what is under the paint. Once you remove the paint you may be surprised how nice the fiberglass is. The clear coat will help hide minor scratches, but until the paint is gone you won't know. Here is one that I did last year, and didn't even need to shoot clear on it. All I did was use steel wool on the snorkels and the cups. Keep in mind the inside of the cups are not cleared or gel coated from the factory so they will be kind of grey.
Thanks for the info again . In looking at your fan shroud , what did you do to it , the same process ? Mike
The fan shroud was restored by Dave Tumas (Daves69). He does amazing work on grilles and fan shrouds. The fan shrouds are plastic, not fiberglass, so they scratch very easily when sanding and the scratches will show up after painting unless you use the proper materials to prime and fill before painting. Since the 70 GS big block fan shrouds are extremely rare and hard to replace, I would recommend knowing your own capabilities and have it done unless you know how. Contact Dave for more information. Try # 1 or 2 on the underside first to make sure it doesn't scratch thru the surface. You can also try some lacquer thinner on the underside to make certain it doesn't remove the clear/gel, and that may be a lot easier to remove the paint. Keep in mind it also depends on what type of paint was used. If it was enamel then it will take a lot more work. You may need to use lacquer thinner and steel wool at the same time. Just be careful and try it on the bottom side FIRST in case it reacts poorly to the finish you haven't ruined the snorkel.
I was pretty sure that Jarrod did some restos on these that turned out excellent. Maybe he'll chime in . I thought he used amedia blast and some clear
Several hours this evening just on one cup. As you can see even the inside is loaded with paint. Using thinner with corse steel wool worked best. Hope I'm not messing it up... Paul, hows it going for you? easier I hope. DL
DL, You can also try paint stripper, or I've heard guys spraying oven cleaner on parts and wrapping them up in trash bags overnight to remove paint from plastic, but I've never tried it on fiberglass. I'm sure there is an easier way to safely remove the paint, but I don't want you to ruin any of your parts so I have only recommended things I have personally done with success. Like I always say (when I'm frustrated like you currently are), "If it were easy, everyone would do it..." :Brow:
I'm going to start this weekend. Since our cars were once owned by the same owner, we most likely have the same paint! I bead blasted the air cleaner lid and base and a body shop is painting those now and I ordered the embossed decals so hopefully when it's finished it will look nice. Your work looks like it is paying off on the cup. Hopefully we wont have carpul tunel syndrome after we're finished. Paul
The air cleaner cleaned up pretty nicely. I soaked the parts in a degreaser like Simple Green for 24 hours. Then most of the paint came off easily with 0 steel wool. For a few tougher spots I used 1 steel wool. Thanks for the tips, I'm pretty happy with the result and bought new decals and foams. It's going to be very trick because I have a B4B on the car. I bought a fabricated base where stock opening area was cut out and a drop base was welded in it's place and the opening was repositioned so the foam seals line up with the scoops. One more question. What is the best way to trim the foam seals if you need to. Thanks! Paul
