Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Is there an epoxy that would work well with gasoline/ethanol and stay put with good surface prep on a composite intake? I've only used Splash Zone on cyl heads but was wondering if there was something else, perhaps, more readily available locally in stores.

I need to be able to use this inside ports to fill some voids in the runners. It's an intake off a '13 Mustang 3.7 so I think the expansion rate is less on the newer composites. (True?) Do you think something that is good to...350* is good to go in that case? Thanks for any insight on this.

DanK wrote:Is there an epoxy that would work well with gasoline/ethanol and stay put with good surface prep on a composite intake? I've only used Splash Zone on cyl heads but was wondering if there was something else, perhaps, more readily available locally in stores.

I need to be able to use this inside ports to fill some voids in the runners. It's an intake off a '13 Mustang 3.7 so I think the expansion rate is less on the newer composites. (True?) Do you think something that is good to...350* is good to go in that case? Thanks for any insight on this.

Composites hardly transfer heat.. I would not expect the intake to reach even close to 350, considering you have airflow there at all times except after shutdown..

That's true. I missed that didn't I!

I really need some help with this. I could make the decision myself but I was hoping someone has had experience with this, good or bad. T

This intake would be on a boosted E85 setup, I don't think the epoxy would see the fuel being further upstream but If he ever decided to fog something in the intake for whatever reason, I'd prefer that be covered in that respect. This will be my first FI customer with this port work on THIS particular intake and I need this job to get things going business-wise...with reliability in the epoxy. Thanks

assuming it's a PA6 material....should lend to plastic welding pretty well. If you can get in there with a plastic welder, that would be a permanent patch then smooth it out w/ roll ?

A_VAS wrote:assuming it's a PA6 material....should lend to plastic welding pretty well. If you can get in there with a plastic welder, that would be a permanent patch then smooth it out w/ roll ?

I don't have the tools for that. I don't think I could reach well enough. I think I'd be fine with something that is clay-like and a longer workable time like splash zone. I don't think I'd need that much work time but I wouldn't want a really fast setup.

if the intake is a used piece, I get nervous about getting something to 'stick' permanently...since the nylon material has absorbed oil/moisture/etc and you cannot really get it out.
if a brand new un-run intake, then a good rough up and epoxy should stay put

I'm making assumptions here that Ford is using a PA6 glass filled material (like GM)...there should be a recycling symbol on the intake somewhere that will tell you the material. GM for instance says PA6 GF30 which is a nylon 6 with 30% glass fiber

A_VAS wrote:if the intake is a used piece, I get nervous about getting something to 'stick' permanently...since the nylon material has absorbed oil/moisture/etc and you cannot really get it out.
if a brand new un-run intake, then a good rough up and epoxy should stay put

That's a good point to make. It was difficult to remove it all. I went through some brake clean, a few hand washings with hot water, brake clean again on my own personal intake to get it out as much as possible.

So, if all else fails...stick to splash zone? $$

Bump

Boosted E85.. for me that's Belzona 1111, which is easy 3x the price of anything else. I'd just wash it with thinner, rough it up with a bur and use whatever epoxy you are familiar with.. then cover it up with a varnish.