Technical Cast intake flaking pieces internally

Yup. Me again. While tearing the head off for the stuck valve and scraping the old intake gaskets off, I noticed some good size pieces of deteriorated cast iron coming from inside the intake. Not water areas either. I’m going to try to get inside and get what I can out but what is worst case scenario if a piece flakes off and gets somewhere it shouldn’t? Thanks in advance. Dan

 

No expert however anything of that nature is very likely to damage combustion chamber, pistons, valves and seats as well as bore, head, pistons/rings. NOT GOOD as it could get expensive if allowed to continue as it may cause irreparable and expensive damage! Is it scale breaking away or other, caused by residual moisture or casting flaws?

 

Pics would help,,,I’ve never heard of such a thing.
Maybe it’s some sort of scale that has accumulated ?

Tommy

 

Mgtstumpy. It looks like old burnt casting from the middle tube only

 

What engine, may be cheaper in the long run to just get another manifold.

 

Is that carbon from the exhaust crossover?

 

I think we have a winner.

 

BJR it’s a rebuilt 241 Hemi

 

73RR. I can get a magnet to stick to it so I don’t think it’s just carbon. Am I screwed?

 

Egads is the exhaust crossover the middle tube on the intake? Cause that’s the culprit

 

Yes. Very common to find that in the crossover.

 

A photo of the intake showing where it came from would be a bigger help.

 

egads. So I don’t need to worry so much then?

 

Dan,
Just call your local engine rebuilders and ask if they have a Steelabrator machine, they look like this:
Quality Airless Shot Blaster and Thermal Cleaning Ovens (kc-qualitysystems.com)

It will make it like new inside and out. Then they can take a bore-scope and look inside and check the condition.

 

I would chip-knock out as much as you can and put it back on. ( or do what @AHotRod suggested, that's about the only way to get it all gone )

 

Mr48chev. Here you go

 

Egads so in the end these pieces won’t harm the heads or engine?

 

I've spent way too much time over the years with a hammer and small chisel getting carbon out of those crossovers. It shouldn't be magnetic though.

The only thing that happens if that passage is plugged is that the engine can be rather fussy until it warms up completely. That passage warms up the intake to atomize the fuel better with a cold engine. once the engine is up to operating temp and the intake is close to the same temp as the rest of the engine it isn't an issue. If you have headers or exhaust without a heat riser all bets are off anyhow as you have to have a heat riser on one side to get the exhaust to flow though the crossover to the other side.

 

Mr48chev. Can it hurt the heads or engine if I don’t get it all out. It does stick to a magnet

 

Scrape out what you can, bolt it back together and run it. It is sticking to the magnet because some of the components of that "carbon" are ferrous metals, of which there are trace amounts in gasoline. Here's one sentence from a National Library of Medicine study titled "Content of metals in emissions from gasoline, diesel, and alternative mixed biofuels".

"The highest metal contents in emissions from diesel and gasoline fuels were found for Fe, Zn, and Cu."

Fe is iron (and a great Ford engine) which is why that crap sticks to a magnet. There are likely also microscopic particles from ring and cylinder wall wear.

 

Ebbsspeed. I like your style! That’s what I’m leaning towards. Thank you

 

Ebbsspeed. You rock! Thank you for the info!!

 

Dan,
Like the guys said,,,clean what you can out,,,and you should be good to go .
It almost looks like some casting flash left over from when it was new .
From what I can see in the pics,,,,the intake looks clean in the ports and throttle bores.
If you are still worried,,,,buy a bore scope from HF,,,,,inexpensive,,,but you can see very well with it .
I’m sure you will have gotten it all out .

Tommy

 

Dan ,
Here are a couple of examples from my scope .
I was examining the oil galley tube in my Flathead.
These pics were taken with my phone from the screen on the scope ,,,they were much clearer in person and not blue in color .
I had snaked the scope about half way down into the tube on the second pic .

Tommy

 

Can the exhaust crossover be blocked, common on other engines for performance builds to lessen vapor lock and keep intake cooler.
@ Dan Yager is in Northern Cali.
The engine will be a little cold blooded, but the weather is mild. May not be an issue.

If retained, I agree to clean it out and run it. It's not feeding a cylinder.

 

Yes blocking the crossover is common trick to help keep intake cooler. Some old gasket sets used to come with a stainless plate, and a second plate with a hole in it to cover that crossover port. You could choose to put either one in, or leave it wide open.

Back to OP's question, just clean out any loose stuff and don't worry about it further. Unless you are running stock manifolds with the heat riser it won't matter much.

 

Elcohaulic, gorgeous car. My inexperience in this project is killing me. So far not the engine!! Ha! I appreciate everybody’s advice/ suggestions on this site!!

 

Looks to me like you lucked out!! Just imagine how much more it would have cost you had you married her and then she pulled something like that.

 

Indyjps. I’m not sure about blocking off these ports but I’ll talk to my builder

 

Mr48chev. I’m running the original intake manifold. So I need to put the heat riser back on the exhaust? I was hoping to eliminate it and not have a crossover pipe on the exhaust system