Should I paint aluminum intake?
 

I have a 454 crate motor with the aluminum dual plane intake manifold. Should I paint the manifold in clear to protect it? If so, can I use a rattle can for the job? Like rustoleum or something? I guess I could paint it black also with the merc phantom black rattle can? I just don't want it looking worse in a couple of years due to poor paint quality. Anyone have experience doing this with the rattle can? Oh yea... I run 98% of the time in fresh water. It just seems like the finish on the intake is getting worse just sitting in my garage for 6 months.

The choice is yours of course. I always paint the intake, clearing it is your preference. The paint will protect it and also keep it easy to clean. I would use a alum. etching primer and a quality automotive paint that you will mix with the base, reducer and activator, you can either borrow a spray gun or buy a cheap one and do it yourself. The spray can, just doesn't hold up. You could spray the whole engine at that point.

For fresh water why not just give it a quick dusting of WD-40 . That will keep it looking new and thwart any oxidation . Give it a spray there on your garage floor and tell me how it looks now .

if you can get the intake off or if its already off, i would with out a doubt powder coat it. i built a 540 ci and powdercoated everything i could. it looked awsome and it protected it against any harse elements. for them to soda blast the old ugly peeling paint of the intake and to powder coat it clear (which came out like a really light silver) it cost me $80.00 and that was about 4 years ago. so if it were me i would powder coat. just another opion.

paint it for sure...

valve covers look good!

I clear coated intakes before to keep them from corrosion [caused by moisture/condensation] lasting for years other than it gets yellowed from heat over the years.

Powder coat is the way to go.

I have had intakes coated with high temp ceramics, exhaust header stuff . They still look like new 25 years later.

Ken

I have used self etching primer and cast alluminum color spray bombs. The self etching primer is a zinc base and bonds to aluminum, the cast aluminm looks like freshly blasted cast aluminum. Never had it lift or discolor.

I've got a tunnel ram on my 68 Camaro, and I had it powdercoated chrome, and I believe they put clear powercoat over the top of that (can't remember). It came out really good, and has been done for about 8 years or so. It looks more like polished aluminum than chrome. And Windex keeps it clean! :whistle: