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MG TD TF 1500 - Exhaust Manifold Aluminium Hot Spray

Hi All,

Within Auatralia, does anyone know of a business that still does the original
type aluminium hot spray (white) that was applied to T type exhaust manifolds ? The service used to be available in Western Australia from a few companies however it looks like they ceased doing this work some years ago.

My guess is that there is possibly someone in Melbourne or Sydney that
may still do this type of finish.

I know many have the ceramic type coating applied these days however I am after the original type form.


Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").

Rob Grantham

Rob
There's ceramic coating and there's ceramic coating
not all the same, you can get a thin coating that doesn't have that thick molded look
A friend here has a Group IV Escort replica rally car and the extractors are stainless and had gone blue/brown which looked ok but not-We took them off and went up to the ceramic guy at Longford who suggested a light aluminium coating and they looked fantastic, but suggested polishing them as the car does motorshows etc---They look perfect ,just like they'd been made from aluminium
They've been done for around 12 months now and still look brand new-unmarked
I can go get a pic or two if you want

willy
William Revit

Rob,

I did a quick Google search and found a few shops in Austraila that may do it.

Search for ...

Metal Spraying
or
metal spray

Thermal spraying
or
thermal spray

Thermal spray aluminum
or
TSA

Flame spray

Arc spray

I had my exhaust manifold aluminized by a company in California that Chris Couper recommended. Good job.

Brian Bendix
American Stripping Co, Inc.
602 Warehouse Way
Sacramento, CA 95826
(916) 387-9933
http://www.americanstrippingsacramento.com/metalSpray.html

Here are some videos of the process:

> Flame spray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_QrrVWet4M

> Arc Spray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js2_qQI1w0w

> Large scale Flame spray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvlEi3LvxD4

> Really large scale spray
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Pxo1CDjrU

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Lonnie can you post a pic of your finished manifold? I'd like to compare the colour. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter. Here is a sample of American Stripping’s work

W A Chasser

Here is my manifold aluminized by American Stripping. Looks pretty much like Bill's. The tan oil spatters burned off after running for a while.

Lonnie
TF7211

LM Cook

Lonnie and Bill, nice result with the exhaust manifold coating and colour.

William, it would be good to have a comparison photo of your friend's manifold with the ceramic coating if not too much trouble to obtain a photo.

I will endeavour to look up some of the Thermal Spray Aluminium businesses listed for Melbourne firstly as it is closer to Perth. (There is actually a company I have also found in Perth that does do types of coatings that may be relevant ).

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

"I had my exhaust manifold aluminized by a company in California that Chris Couper recommended. Good job."

IIRC that guy that does this was not a young bird. Hopefully he has passed his skills down by now. It was about 20 years ago when I found these guys.
Christopher Couper

Rob
These are the available colours
The aluminium is the 4th from the left
I'll get a couple of pics tomorrow

William Revit

Mine was done by a firm recommended by Phil Redhead (ex Sportsparts owner)in around 1970. The colour was a slightly blue/grey as can be seen in the pic. This seems to be the predominant colour of those T Type manifolds I've seen at the annual Sydney M.G. Car Club concours days and also at those displayed at the All British Days at Newington. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

Thanks William, Interesting white colour on the far right on the Ceramics
Coating photo.

Nice work on your TD Peter. The exhaust manifolds I have currently
are virtually identical to your TD.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

Coated my manifold with Galvacon 6 years ago and it still looks like it was just done. We used this in coating steel bolts in large building structures. After coating the bolts we hit them with a torch to cure the coating, on a manifold you just start the engine and let it get hot for a few minutes to cure.

This is Galvacon, first pic, second pic manifold.

PJ Jennings

Second pic didn't upload for some reason, we'll try again.


PJ Jennings

Got a little confused with the new site layout and forgot to add, Galvacon has to dry before heat is applied, also it can be bought in a spray can. Have no idea if you fellas down under can get it there. PJ
PJ Jennings

When I got mt TD one of my first thoughts was "Who'd paint an exhaust manifold white?" I've since learned that this is pretty standard and that it is supposed to reduce the amount of exhaust heat getting to the carbs. My white coating is from sometime prior to 1974 and it shows its age. The car is from San Diego so Isuspect the coating was applied by someone in So. Calif.

Jud

J K Chapin

Here is POR15 High Heat coating on my TC manifold. Several thousand miles later it still looks brand new.

Steve Simmons

Here's one coated by Jet-Hot. Its aluminium/Cermaic coated - outside and inside.

From the reports I've read, significantly lowers the under-bonnet temperatures.

Gord Clark
Rocknurn, Qué.

Gord Clark

Interesting with the galvacon PJ, -I've painted the ex. manifold on my s/c engine with a cold galvo pressure pak spray tin, mainly just to keep it from rusting till it gets going but the colour is very similar to peter H. 's manifold with a slight blueish tinge
It'll probably all burn off but I've used it on exhausts further downstream before and it's been fine- it's 90something % zinc------we'll see

one day

William Revit

The Sacramento shop is still doing aluminum spraying. I just had mine done a few months ago by them.



Bruce Cunha

Rob, got the Escort manifold pics today,
they were done aluminium inside and out and polished so normally not this shiney--?

William Revit

#2

William Revit

And on this one 'hopefully' you can see how thin it is as you can still see the wiggles in the weld onto the plate

William Revit

Last one, just because I took 4 pics

William Revit

That looks really very close to the original finish Bruce. Based on the pic, that's easily the most authentic version I've seen on your side of the ocean. Congratulations. It looks terrific. You even did the clamps! When mine was done in 1970 I had no idea that the clamps were supposed to be sprayed too. Great job. Hopefully others over there who are into originality will follow your lead. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

William,

Thankyou for chasing up the manifold photos. Quite a bright 'chrome' looking surface. Great for the hot rod boys,

Not so good for T type MGs if one is wanting the original look.

Bruce, you are fortunate having a competent shop in Sacramento. Brilliant !

Cheers
Rob Grantham

Rob Grantham

I have an original finish manifold in the shop in excellent original condition, but I can't find the photo of it that I know I have somewhere. If I find it, I'll post a it for reference.
Steve Simmons

Back in the 70's this aluminized spray was done on light piston engine aircraft components such as exhaust systems too.

You might call around to aircraft maintenance shops to see if they can recommend where you can get it done.

Some words to ask are:

Aluminizing
Aluminized spray
Metal spraying
Hot AL galvanizing (which is a misnomer but ...)

Christopher Couper

Rob
A couple of things--
I did mention that these pipes had been polished and not normally that shiney, more like cast alloy colour normally
Secondly, there is a back to Longford car show on next weekend and the coating guy usually shows up, so will quizz him about colours etc and if he's done any MG manifolds/ colour etc
till then----willy
William Revit

This company either did my manifold or arranged to have it aluminium sprayed in the early 90’s

Steven Koster

This thread was discussed between 28/02/2020 and 25/03/2020

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