Hey all I bought Tim Worlines 3" intake elbow awhile back to turn my entire intake system to 3" with the power stroke inter cooler mod. Since then, my Worlines elbow has lost its bling and I'd like to bring it back along with possibly buffing up the valve covers and valve cover trim plate on top. Must be going thru mid life and wanting a change!! So I guess what I'm looking for as advice is pad type/ grade to buff things up. Also, if I need to strip off paint will any of the jasco brand paint strippers at the local Home Depot suffice, or is there a better product. Lastly on the stainless/ aluminum shine process, can you list a step by step tutorial? I know some of you all have done it, but I haven't seen/read on any preparatory steps. 2nd- long time ago I bought a grid heater delete spacer from Cummins West and that now sits in the cabinet. Has been. Been contemplating the grid heater delete for airflow reasons. To those of you that have done this, looking back, did it really make much of a difference? I live out here in grass valley, ca and coldest I've had it is maybe 30 degrees. I know start up should be no problem, but what about when I start down the road, will it affect low rpm? Is there a chance of the truck shutting off?

 

Regarding the grid-heater delete, I can't speak as to any air-flow benefits, as I have not yet replaced a grid with an open block.

I sort of see the grid as a protection that will prevent such things as errant grease-rags, birds, check-books, and such from getting into the intake.

As for eliminating the function of the heaters, that is the first thing that I do to any engine that has them.

Although I don't live near the North Pole, it gets plenty cold here where I do live and I have never missed the heaters.

All I see them good for is draining an already taxed battery.

Your engine will never miss them.

The grid-heaters were put there, NOT for cold weather assistance, but to lower cold start emissions regardless of temperature.

Realistically thinking, located where they are a long way from the cylinders, on a frigid morning after the engine has sat all night or longer, any pitiful bit of heat that is going to be produced is going to be long gone by the time it enters the cylinders.

That being said, what they will do, and you can do this just as well by turning on the parking lights for a minute or so, is to get the juices working in a dead cold battery, thus making for a faster crank and a quicker start, PROVIDING that the battery is healthy enough to begin with.

We had a 1971 990 David Brown tractor that, once it got below 40-degrees, you couldn't start it with a stick of dynamite; the engine would barely drag itself over. It had no block-heater.

Then an old man told me to turn ON the lights for a few minutes before trying the starter.

I thought "you are out of your right mind" ; but, I had little to lose as it wasn't going to start regardless; so, the next ice-cold morning, with frost all over the steering-wheel and injector-lines, I turned ON the lights and let it be for a few minutes.

When I hit the starter, it whirled that engine over like the middle of July and low-and-behold she fired right up.

 

I am going to try that "use the lights" trick this winter.

 

I gutted my grid block and used bolts with lock nuts to fill the holes, never missed it, don't know if it helps anything but it is not hurting anything for sure.

 

Now as far as buffing your bling, you will need a cloth buffing wheel on your bench grinder...it is a must, along with some bars of rouge from sears or a fleet truck supply house, you just need to use paint thinner on the cover, poor it on and use a 1 inch paint brush with most of the bristles cut off, it will come right off, do not sand it or your tubes.

I got Tim's tubes that were un polished and done it my self ( big mistake) but I got it done.


I think you are looking for something like this.

 

Heck ya I'm looking for something just like that! I've always prided myself for havin a clean engine compartment. I once had a co worker look under my hood and ask me whose the tweaked I bought the truck from. I asked him why he would ask that and his reply was "no one keeps engines lookin like this unless you were tweaking on something, zoning out" . Gotta say with that bling you got there your rig takes the cake!

 

 

Bearkiller, I have to disagree with one statement about grid heaters not for helping with cold start. I live in southern Minnesota and it gets cold here. A couple of times I tried to quickly start my truck without grid heaters when the temp was around zero or below outside.
The truck was very hard to start and when it finally did start it knocked and ran very rough for a few seconds until the auto control of the heaters kicked in. If started like this regularly it would probably cause engine damage.
Ray

 

I have to agree with this. My '89 Cummins will start down to about 20* with the touch of the key. Much below that it struggles. When I put the engine in my Ford I installed a momentary toggle switch that I hold on for about 10 seconds and it will fire right up. I'm so used to just bumping the starter that when it gets cold I think I have problems until I remember to hit the grid heaters for a few seconds.

 

broke a ring last year from the cold starts so i use the grid heaters
but on the positive new engine and a p pump now
in my 90

 

It doesn't get very cold here. so it wouldn't hurt anything.