Motor Paint
 

Pulled my engine and rebuilt. Engine bay getting new 2-part white epoxy.

I want to paint the engine with a high quality blue or red metallic.
Any good recommendations to minimize corrosion and flaking?

In the past I've had excellent results with enamels, even without a clear coat. The new engine is getting a 3 step paint system which is very cool. I'm using house of color products, but have had excellent results with PPG stuff. The thing to look for is the quanity. Alot of times you'll end up buying too much paint because of the minimum quanity. PPG and House of color will sell a small quanity. If you do go metallic be sure to use a enamel clear.

Eurathanes will work very well for a motor.

Jon

Yes, my first engine was shot with a acrylic eurethane. Very durable stuff, even without a clear.

what is the proper procedure for painting an engine?

I have used PPG urethanes (concept) with very good success on several motors. The part (block, alt., PS pump, etc...) must be thoroughly degreased. I wipe the surface with laquer thinner and 3m wax and grease removers many times to start with until a thinner soaked white rag stays clean. You can prime it with a etching or zinc chromate conversion primer, but the block will never see any significant abrasion, so all it will really acomplish is filling surface porosity (looks smoother). If the part is rough cast iron, Priming will be the next step to fill. If the block has a factory paint (most do), I used a scotch brite pad, sometimes soaked in laquer thinner to dull and roughen the finish so the paint will stick. Then just carefully drape with a tack rag and paint.

I use Imron. The stuff is so tuff it doesn't come off when you hot tank the block. It's not great stuff to breath though.

Thanks,

After stripping all of the old paint, a lot of the primer is still very solid so I picked up 2-part primer and Rich Blue Metallic Imron. This is going to look very good.

Thanks for the help.

Kent......any of the choices are real good as mentioned, the Imron might be the most durable, but also the more expensive and toxic. Either way, make sure you wear a good face mask (at least a nice 3m).........you DO NOT want to inhale that stuff....Bob

PPG
 

SWWEET motor Mike! Does anyone else have pictures of there motors. It sounds like alot of you have some cool paint jobs going on .

Mike- BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Did you powder coat the carb? and how did you do the dist. cap?...........Doug

All was done with the same paint. After we got the engine together we took it to Atlanta and put it on the dyno. The only thing I have done is change plugs ;)

I took some analog pictures yesterday. Give me a chance to develop and digitize them, figure out how to scale them down, and some time for OSO to to approve them and I'll have them up for your enjoyment.

Thanks cord cant wait to seem them.
Mark

Mike, would like to get more info on the paint...such as name of color or a PN if you still have it.
Im doing some motors from scratch and would like to do them in purple... and thats just the color i would like on my motors.:cool:

House of Color Pavo Purple will get you very close. The color is available with two different flake sizes also. The large one will have a noticable sparkle to it, while the small splits the difference with a metal flake and a pearl.

Sorry for the delay, I'm getting the pics back today, hopefully I'll have them up tomorrow.

ttt

Mikehtm
how did you get the paint to stick to the intake? Did you just paint it or do you have to do something else to prep aluminum for paint?

Just sprayed it Engine did go through a bake cycle.
 

;)

And the answer is!!!!!!!!
 

Ok, now I've got it...

Another angle

The valve cover

looks great cord. keep them coming as the motor gets put together. I love the two tone on the intake.

Thankyou my child.:D The two tone effect is the candy working. When you have warm lights the paint looks magenta. In cool lights it appears purple. Sometimes it looks black. When I took the picture I had a warm over head light and a cool flash. The effect is actually pretty neat!

BTW-I proably have 40 or 50 hours of work in that intake manifold.

what do you guys recommend to remove the old funky paint and rust from my engine? One of those wire brush atachments for my drill? I foudn small sandblasting kit for $50 woudl that be overkill or just more efficient?

bought a sandblasting kit for $35 and it is going to be a hello fo alot easier than sanding and wire brusing the block off!!!

Thanks Mike :)