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Picked up the head, machined flat, and baked clean. The guy mentioned that I should have the intake/exhaust manifold baked to clean the carbon off them. They also recommended powder coating the manifolds. Was $70 a piece for p/c. Should I get them cleaned & p/c or only cleaned, or save the money?

Cleaning is always a good thing. Powder coating the manifolds only makes them prettier and serves no functional purpose. I'd save the extra bucks for something else. There will always be something to spend 'em on.

The folks who powder coated my frame said the cast iron exhaust manfolds will get too hot to hold powdercoat and it would eventually burn off?

The only coating I know of that will withstand the heat on the exhaust manifold is a ceramic coating. You can make them any color you want and have them as shiny as glass. It won't burn off, but it will chip off, with the result looking kinda like you dropped that wrench on Grandma's turkey platter. I'd suggest just cleaning them and not bother with any kind of coating.

Thanks guys - I felt I was being led. I'll get the intake baked and then have another try at "breaking" the manifold flap loose...

If you want your manifolds to look neat but not too overly garish then once cleaned just paint them with pot belly black, takes the heat, dosen't chip and is a rust preventative (well, the one I use is anyhow), saying that, they soon develop their own colour and still look neat if untouched.
Take Care

Best Regards - MM

Thanks, MM. We used to call it "stove black" around here, and it was available at any hardware store. I didn't mention it because I haven't seen it anywhere for at least 30 years. If he can find it, it will give him a sort of satin blue-black sheen. Guess that would make it "semi-gloss?"

knattrass wrote:Picked up the head, machined flat, and baked clean. The guy mentioned that I should have the intake/exhaust manifold baked to clean the carbon off them. They also recommended powder coating the manifolds. Was $70 a piece for p/c. Should I get them cleaned & p/c or only cleaned, or save the money?

There is a type of powder coat that will stand the pressure of the extreme heat & not burn off. It will keep appearance tops as well as provide rust protection. Around here most powder coaters don't offer it, however the one we use does. I can get more specific info on it next week if anyone is interested in more details about it. This guy is tops in the business, workmanship is super & he stands behind it. You could then check to see if coaters in your area offer the good stuff.