cheap or easy way to paint the enine cases?

[Anonymous]

I've been tearing down my old 450le over the winter to do some maintenance. Once I got the valve cover off I got a good look at it. It looks like the head and cylinder block were originally black and a previous owner spray canned them silver? 8O I took some high grit paper to the cover and lo and behold the silver came off to reveal black and below that bare metal!

Because of the convoluted shapes of the head, cover and block I'd like to avoid sanding the works to bare metal and clear coating it. HOw would I prep this for painting?

Or am I doomed to a winter of elbow strain, sanding this gunk off?

thanks...Sam

[Anonymous]

Have you ruled out using a good chemical paint stripper? Worked for me on my 750.

[Anonymous]

Because of the convoluted shapes of the head, cover and block I'd like to avoid sanding the works to bare metal and clear coating it. HOw would I prep this for painting?

The best way is to have it blasted, with either glass beads (the traditional media) or one of the slag medias or plastic. You do not want sand, because it is too aggressive and will remove serious amounts of the aluminum with the paint. The glass beads work well and will give you a prefectly clean, slightly rough surface to coat which is about as good as it gets. This assumes that you are disassembling the engine - I am not sure how well it would work on an assembled unit. It is unbelieveably hard to keep grit out of everywhere when blasting parts. I have plugged holes, used duct tape on openings, etc. and STILL found the media inside cylinders and bolt holes. It is very important to carefully wash and/or flush all parts that have been blasted to ensure no grit is left to get into the moving parts once the engine is reassembled.

Mark

[Anonymous]

No I haven't. I 've never used them before. Anything specific I should know because its aluminum I'm working with?

Have you ruled out using a good chemical paint stripper? Worked for me on my 750.

PS: thanks for the info on bead blasting Mark, but that's a little out of my league - I live in the middle of nowhere, so I'd have to ship the parts out. Not something I want to do, besides I'm trying to keep this as so it myslef as possible.

Sam

[Anonymous]

Chemical paint stripper will do the job, but it's nasty stuff. I've used it many times. You still have to scrape away the dissolved paint from all the nooks & crannies, but a wire or nylon brush will do the trick. Do it outside & wear heavy gloves. And try not to get it anywhere you don't want it!

[Anonymous]

Chemical stripper works great on aluminum. It also works great on skin. Will take it right off, clear to the bone if left on long enough. Most people don't leave it on that long though. (Just kidding). Wear eye protection.

[Anonymous]

Merry Christmas Sam

If u have access to a compresor u can purchase and inexpensive sandblaster for around $25 and a 100lb bag of glass for less than $10.
Use glass in place of sand as sand is much more abrassive and will remove aluminum more ealily because it is soft metal. plus the glass disipates the heat nuch more quikly.This will prevent the chance of distortion altough not visable to the naked eye it can happen.
Once u blast the parts remove the tape and put the parts in a dishwasher to clean the parts and get all the sand out. Just remember to tape off anything you do not want blasted with duct tape. best of luck!
Archie

[Hoomgar]

Merry Christmas Sam

If u have access to a compresor u can purchase and inexpensive sandblaster for around $25 and a 100lb bag of glass for less than $10.
Use glass in place of sand as sand is much more abrassive and will remove aluminum more ealily because it is soft metal. plus the glass disipates the heat nuch more quikly.This will prevent the chance of distortion altough not visable to the naked eye it can happen.
Once u blast the parts remove the tape and put the parts in a dishwasher to clean the parts and get all the sand out. Just remember to tape off anything you do not want blasted with duct tape. best of luck!
Archie

That's awesome! I never thought to even look! We have a sand blaster at work and I get guys there to do stuff for me often. But it's always just small stuff. Heck I could have done my entire frame instead of sanding it by hand! #-o

I have a 5hp 25gal compressor. Should be enough to handle small jobs. Thanks for the tip

[Anonymous]

easy painting of engine

and then what...you have a clean engine, and you want to paint it or clear coat it. what kind of paint will withstand such a high heat, oil drips, gas, etc.?
josh
boerne, tx
82 gs 1100L
82 gs 1100E

[Anonymous]

Re: easy painting of engine

Well I did it. I bought the chemical stripper. It just chewed the paint right off! A little scrubbing later and I was ready to paint. I got myslef of heat resistant black and viola, a nice glossy head cover. By no means a professional job, but a heck of lot better than what it looked like before.

I got ny new dyna coils, some new wires, all I need is my piston rinda and a nice 2 into1 exhaust.

Sam

and then what...you have a clean engine, and you want to paint it or clear coat it. what kind of paint will withstand such a high heat, oil drips, gas, etc.?
josh
boerne, tx
82 gs 1100L
82 gs 1100E

[Anonymous]

after getting the casing back down to bare metal has anyone ever tried clear coating it - does anyone make a high temp clear coat paint?

[beby99]

Yea, there is a clear coat high temp (spray can) 1200 degrees.
Suppose to be gas and oil resitent. I forget the name but you
can find it at your local auto parts store.

Bret

[shaftzuki]

Duplicolor makes several colors of High Temp engine paint - I've used the clear on several exhaust parts, but be warned - if the part gets really hot, the paint will yellow with time 8)

[luc8421]

do you guys have a link for a place to buy this cheap $25 sand blaster? it sounds like a really good idea, I've been wanting to blast my rotors and a few other little parts.

[Anonymous]

engine clear coat

Hello guys
Here goes ! If anyone wishes to paint the bare aluminum cases U can do so it without using High temp clear. U can buy brake caliper paint in most colors including clear. Brakes get very hot and this paint is durable.
The second option is better but u need the equipment, a compressor and a piant gun, this is the way to go but it costs more, however it can be done over and over and u can use it on many parts. I have used it to coat everything that is painted or polished including the engine cases after they are polinshed. I have cleared the block of many air cooled motors, But will tint yellow on silver engens after one season. It will not peal off or bubble. it will work great on darker colors of high temp use. I have even clearcoated my painted / polished rims for a lasting shine. I use Duponts 700S clear it is a 2 part system and requires an activator and reducer. this will dry to the touch in 15 min if the outside temp is 60 + F. DONT FORGET TO USE A RESPIRATOR MASK !
Good luck guys, Archie