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Any experience/suggestions on engine paint?

magicmike, didn't you paint the engine in your old silver wagon?

From what I'm reading, it might be best to use acrylic enamel, which should hold up to the temperature and doesn't need primer. That also allows me to get a custom color instead of just the standard choices at an auto parts store.

Or is that not a good choice?

TIA for any help!

I've used lots of Chrysler Blue in the past. I used to get it at Direct Connection. That was of course a looonnngg time ago and on Mopar cast iron blocks. I don't recall what kind of paint it is, but, there most assuredly is engine paint available at auto parts stores, in many different colors. I have always heard that black dissipates heat the best.

Good to know, as I'm thinking of painting the long block black, and am concerned about engine cooling.

I'm probably going to powder-coat some of the extremities, like the intake manifold.

What did you use magicmike? How did it hold up?

Make sure you clean the thing extremely well as oil seems to get into the pores of the aluminum. Had a nightmare of a time with painting the valve covers and gave up. Manifold turned out a little bit better, and that was both with thorough cleaning and acid etching primer.

Its a ton of work for job that u might not be satisfied with. But i really hope you try cause the final product could be amazing.
Has anyone tried that krylon fusion on aluminum? a little bit of orange peal would be OK if it stuck good.

Anodize it please, come on comeon.... LoL Someone please tell me why he can't anodize it Im diein to know? is it the size?

what about Powder coated, properly plugged and taped off??
My car is going into surgery aswell so im curious?

Anodizing would be very labor intensive and require a large enough tank (I don't know how big the tanks usually come in, but I imagine they're smaller than the block halves).

I don't see why he couldn't anodize it. They do intercoolers and radiators. I could have/should have had mine anodized black.

Anodizing doesnt really work on anything cast,its typically reserves for machined parts.I know a guy who does plating and anodizing as well as powdercoating on a large scale and he refused to even attempt anodizing any of my cast parts,just doesnt work.If you want to paint oily cast parts just get some MEK for the coarse cleaning and then hit it with aluminum brightener available at NAPA and the like.Then just etch prime and go,most high temp spray bomb stuff will never be a problem if you do this,my valve covers and manifold refuse to peel,in fact even scratching the paint off is difficult.

Painting is all in the prep....

How long do you hit it with the MEK or how many applications? I used brake cleaner and that wasn't nearly enough for the valve covers.

I'm thinking just that for anodizing you'd need to completely disassemble the block (no disassemble Stephanie!), thoroughly strip it clean, and protect anything you don't want anodized. Paint would be much less work, which is what he was asking about.

evolutionmovement wrote:(no disassemble Stephanie)

LOL

Too funny. Wonder how many other people caught that reference

Number 5 is alive.

How long do you hit it with the MEK or how many applications?

I actually have a tub of it diluted with kerosene in my shop that i soak stuff in.Because of the fuel oil residue it requires the additional step like the brightener i mentioned or other water based cleaners will work as well,once you go MEK you dont go back lol.Nasty crap though,my cleaning tub smells like a pile of rigormortesing scrotems.

I used MEK at an old job and have avoided it since, but the at this point that smell would probably just make me nostalgic for my old apartment. Good to know.

Anyone ever use this stuff called Tornado? It comes in a gallon jug, It looks like its made for industrial applications. My parents had it at their house and I used it on my valve covers and other aluminum bits and it worked friggin awesome. I let it soak in a tub diluted about 2/1 and it made like a real fine foam(almost like peroxide on a cut) on the entire part and almost magically eat everything off. the jug had 12.95 wrote on it in magic marker so I think they got it at a truck stop or something. But if you guys have access to this stuff, it works sweet for cleaning parts down to bare metal before painting. After I let my valve covers soak I pulled them out let em air dry, then shot a few coats of flat black on em, and they turned out sweet. I'll try to get some pics one day this week.

Legacy777 wrote:

evolutionmovement wrote:(no disassemble Stephanie)

LOL

Too funny. Wonder how many other people caught that reference

love the eighties