Calyx for Factory Manifolds.

Sone97

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Been in the process of freshening up the engine bay on the Mustang ('06 GT). As far as mods go, it's an Airaid + tune (so it's fairly stock beyond that minus suspension mods) I installed the Ford Racing blue cam covers a few years back and am sort of tying in a blue theme under hood. One mention on those, installing them I snagged the small space in the A in Racing on the computer passenger side, chipped it off. Been a few years now, but the other day I was blowing accumulated debris off around the coils and I noticed the entire G just flapping away.

To my surprise they are losing the blue paint within the lettering from heat cycles. Disappointing considering the cost of the things (so heads up with that if considering a set) Mostly I've just been toying around with stuff, added billet idler pulleys, painted the water pump pulley, alternator bracket, radiator hose support bracket (stuff like that) VHT 'Ford Light Blue'

I ordered MSD coils (red) a while ago (zero issues) I would have preferred blue MSD coils which I couldn't locate at the time. They are the same coils as the red, yet retail for substantially more - $435 bucks last I checked. Little beyond budget, so I yanked each one, masked them off and plasti-dipped them blue. Some intricate spots on the coils are impossible to spray bomb, so I touched those areas up with plasti-dip from a brush. Overall pleased (looks like they came that way) and the rubberized coating has held fine so far.

I'm also going to wire down the damper and brush paint it with either Rustoleum satin black, or a two-tone of that with Rustoleum Ford tractor blue gloss, which is a pretty exact match to the VHT spray bomb blue (I don't want to spray bomb the damper) Anyway (the factory cast iron manifolds)...I had considered building wheel cribs to install headers, but then decided against it considering my uptight city emissions laws (and it's quite the involved task anyway) as many here I'm sure are already aware. It seems not worth it really for 'shorties' vs the factory manifolds. Long tubes require mid-pipe and that's just more cost (and effort) on top of everything I've already invested into the car. That would be pushing the budget way out for me.

So in a day or two here I'm going to wire the surface rust down best I can and apply a product called Calyx to the manifolds. It's a graphite based compound (comes in a little container) and you simply hand rub (or brush/rag apply) it into the cast iron and it bakes in to set. It leaves the manifolds looking like they just rolled off the assembly line. There's a similar product called 'Hot Stuff' from Eastwood if I remember correct. C2/C3 vette owners (mostly for whatever reason, and where I first learned about it) seem to swear by the stuff.

It's cheap (about 20 bucks) and the modest little container is enough to last for years and multiple applications. I guess (if you could call it the catch) applied and set, it will rub off to a small extent on your hands if you for whatever reason touch at the manifolds (it remains in that state always upon application no matter how baked in) But it wont simply wipe off altogether under such a scenario. It sets into the pores of the cast iron and is lasting. I'm curious if anybody has ever had any experience or is familiar with this product? What I'm really curious of is what effect water would have on the stuff (primarily if it produces runs or drips)

Maybe I should test that one out before applying it all over the manifolds. Long ramble here, but if anybody is curious, I will upload a shot of the bay tomorrow if any interest in that so you can all thumbs me up (or have a good laugh at my expense) Whatever works.
 
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Sone97

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Because everybody's on the edge of their seats, some shots of the big-bad three-valve so far. Last one is of the passenger manifold after being scrubbed down awaiting this magic rub in restorer. You can also see how the blue coating just popped off the lettering on those spendy blue cam covers. I'm just going to leave those be (hopefully it doesn't turn into a chip-fest) which honestly I'm expecting eventually.

One other gripe is the airaid tube. I'm pretty careful under hood, yet it's developed this rough marring scratch somehow where it makes contact with the underside of the hood which is the underside factory insulation cover. No idea what's with that honestly (I guess the two don't jive)

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Sone97

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Update on this...
Below is after about 20 minutes of rubbing it into the manifold (or less time I spent on hold today to Edelbrock) That's with a teeny, tiny amount out of the container. Calling it a day because I'm getting low on daylight. I have yet to heat cycle it (run the car), but overall, this stuff is well worth the cost & time. Simply rubbed it in with a rag & cheap disposable brush. No need really for gloves (comes off your hands no problem) I actually rubbed it with a clean finger and noticed really no rub off from it.

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Sone97

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Some thinking out loud as far as the damper pulley goes. It's about on par with the manifolds (just an eye sore whenever you unlatch the hood and peer down the front of the engine) I had intended to just go Rustoleum rusty metal primer with a few coats of Rustoleum satin (semi-gloss) black on the entire thing.

Then again, back and forth on why not throw some blue at it as well? Method of doing so to throw the car up on ramps and start brushing away on a creeper from below, above, or whatever angle I can take a stroke at it. I've been under the car in such a position a million times it seems to dump oil, but not sure how feasible such an approach would be (seems 'doable' though)

I installed some 'sports-rider' struts on the front in the summer which dropped it down an inch and I can't simply drive it up the ramps anymore as a result of that (so I'll be jacking it to the ramps) I've just been too lazy to haul the Harbor Freight special 'Daytona' jack out from the shed honestly. Another thing is there is no timing mark on the damper whatsoever. I'm aware of the timing tape route (I could print my own even for that matter), but I don't want to apply a timing sticker to the thing. So once painted I'll just further paint on some basic degree marks with a template or something.

Attached is what I'm visualizing. Problem is the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, so I'm looking to cram all this done by the end of the month.

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Sone97

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Final word on the manifold. Touched down to the high 40s here last night, so early morning condensation & moisture. Opened the hood and zero effect on where I left off on it. So I rubbed more of the product on to cover the entire manifold.

Started the car and let it warm to full operating temp. Tad bit of smoke initially from the pipe and the odor wasn't too pleasant (I had to step back from it actually) Not like fresh paper header gaskets which I don't mind the odor of. But both subsided once it got up to about 150 degrees. Not a long term test, but I'm sold on the stuff and would highly recommend for so little effort and investment. Left to do would be the crusty looking mounting studs (some Rustoleum silver I'm thinking brush applied)

Unrelated, but I was wondering if anybody remembers an online vendor from a few years back called 'speed of sound'? They sold gauge panels for 2005-2009 cars for where the shaker system would otherwise sit in the dash (follow up pic) I ordered one for 80 bucks or so back in 2018 (good quality) They don't offer them anymore and was looking to find one of similar quality. The ones I've found (ebay) are all cheap, thin cut, tinny cut outs.

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