Engine Paint? Maybe/maybe Not

[mrfirepro 127 1 Cars]

As my engine is stripped down and before the rebuild I will be getting it aqua-blasted or equivalent. (Head and Block)

 

Have done a search for engine paint but really didn't come up with much.

 

What are you guys doing? has it lasted?

 

Or should I just leave it after it has been blasted? What about future corrosion?

 

Any advice/recommendations would be much appreciated.

[johnhenry 20]

Tetrosyl do a range or engine paints. Ive got aluminium colour, looked great when I was building the car up, after 2000 miles of the car on the roads, it looks really tired and mucky, pretty gutted to be honest, needs a good clean up.

 

I have seen VHT clear lacquer somewhere if you wanted to keep the original look, but i didn't catch what temp that goes up to sadly.

 

If i were looking at it again, i would probably paint it black or leave as standard.

[Kane 34]

I've just painted mine with engine enamel rattle cans and already the paint has started flaking off the block, the engine isn't even in the car yet. The head, rocker cover and other bits have held out quick well though and look quite good. Some of the VHT stuff I had was rated over 500 degrees but its getting it to stick that was the problem.

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

WD40 every winter.

 

Engine paint looks a mess after a few years if you plan on using the car through winter.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Hi Kane, ECP just finished a sale on their Hycote VHT paints....I've just painted most of an engine with them, and also used the clear laquer on a bit of bare aluminium as a trial.

 

I spent a bit of time on prep using lots of drill bit wire brush type things..... it is the first time i've done it, but i noticed that the copper type wire brushes seemed to polish bare aluminium better than steel wire brushes, and the steel wire brushes were better on the cast iron stuff.

 

I hit a few different parts, some with paint, some with lacquer just to see,..... haven't noticed any flaking at all...... but engine is still to be run.

 

Laquer on nicely prep'd ALU looks good.

 

The Hycote stuff is self priming, but if what your painting on to isn't prep'd right, i imagine you'll get flaking/peeling/can't stick to oil etc etc.

 

If you are thinking of buying the hycote stuff let me know and i'll post a few pics of what the actual colours look like when painted. Just my opinion, but the silver/grey looks 5hit..... i'm waiting on a couple of cans of aluminium coming and hope it looks better.

 

Hope that helps

[mrfirepro 127 1 Cars]

Thanks guy's,

 

The internet searches I've done are inconclusive, but there does seem a lot of disappointment with almost every painting method.

 

VHT paints seem to do the best

 

Jack,

 

Pics would be great

 

Would still like to find out if any method lasts in the long term, if anyone has had success

[Kane 34]

The problem I think I had was that my block got chemical cleaned when my engine bits were off getting machining work done after which the guys at the shop must have sprayed with wd40.I did make an attempt to clean it with degreasing wipes but obviously never got it all. Apart from the block everything else looks good!

 

Here's a quick snap of the block, not the best angle right enough.

 

 

and one of the gearbox

 

 

These were both done with simoniz engine enamel (matt black and aluminium) then a VHT lacquer. Gearbox turned out a treat but after all that work I'm going to have to use my other box as this one is a be1 and I needed a be3. DOH!

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

Cast aluminium shouldn't be painted, Fact

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

I'll take that BE1 box if you want?..... 1.9?......and as it happens i have a scabby BE3 (origin unknown), but i can give you some special wipes that i use at work to de-grease.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Cast aluminium shouldn't be painted, Fact

has to be said..... from my limited experience/trials, a properly prepared piece of aluminium lacquered looks OK 8)

[Kane 34]

I am looking to get rid of it yeah, not sure whether its a 1.9 or 1.6 as it came attached to my mi16 engine when I bought it. If your interested I'll need to stick up a for sale thread. I have another box off of my old 1.9 engine so I just need to give that a good clean up.

 

My old man's got some pretty decent degreasing wipes which I've been using can't remember the name though. Them and some gunk got the gearbox cleaned right up for painting. What is it you use.

 

I'll admit it looking back I think I probably would have rather stuck with the plain alloy on my block, maybe a couple of coats of lacquer. Here's a shot after it came back from the cleaners

 

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Never understand why people paint aluminum blocks and heads!

[Sandy 191]

Getting good adhesion on alloys is extremely difficult, in my old job I was working with specialist marine coatings and it was the bane of our lives, because it was very rare for even experienced painters to get the prep right. Basically you need "bright" alloy, ie blasted to SAE 2.5 and the coating needs to be on within 10-15 minutes before the surface oxidises. Obviously that isn't generally going to happen, so the paint is sitting on top of the oxide, which isn't a good key at all and any wisp of liquids/moisture behind it and it'll peel off readily and look terrible. Powder coating only really works by the thickness and structure of the coating having a separate integrity, but on complex castings it will be variable in thickness and easily breached. I don't paint alloy on my engines, it looks nice on delivery, but down the line it looks naff; few people appreciate the efforts I go to to get nice looking bare alloy and everytime I see people saying how great a head with a coat of "wheel silver" looks, a piece of me dies!

 

Vapour blasting is great for restoring bare alloys, but it must be dried and oiled ASAP to avoid white fur. But more than anything you have to be very, very efficient about cleaning any media and debris out of the internal areas; every last little bit, because it can destroy the engine time after time.

[Kane 34]

So Sandy would you agree with Alex's comment above? The best way to keep everything tidy after a good clean is just a coat of wd40? And what method would be recommended for cleaning the engine in place after some use?

[mrfirepro 127 1 Cars]

so generally most agree that painting at best is a bit hit and miss. I am guessing that if paint is having trouble sticking it will be the same for lacquer?? yes/no???

 

Kane - nice pics, was that vapour blasted?

[Kane 34]

I would say it is the same for lacquer yes.

 

I'm pretty sure it was vapour blasting that they did on it yes. I had the work done at gardias engine services, they made a great job of it!

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

The WD40 (or spray oil) will stop the aluminium from oxidising. It's not really a problem in the summer months, but the first winter you'll see what I mean if you forget to spray it.

The engine will stay as clean as it would if it was painted, Only you won't have to worry about it flaking off.

[Kane 34]

From the results I've got on my block I think I'll avoid the rattle can affair in future and just stick with the wd40 route. Although powder coating on less complex shapes like cam covers etc wouldn't go a miss!

[GilesW 41]

Diluted hammerite sprayed onto a well prep'd surface.