Blast & paint engine w/o disassembly?

[chuck hahn]

degrease it very well with Simple green and long bristle brushes that will reach deep between the fins and in all cracks and tight spots.

Next, have it either vapor or soda blasted..DO NOT use glass beads or other media..... as they do not disolve with a simple washing like soda does. Vapor, of course, doesnt leave anything behind.

Paint with VHT high temp Universal Aluminumn (part # SP-127 ). Let it dry for at least 24 hrs before doing the step heating and curing process. Start it till you can feel the head getting almost too hot to hold your hand on it and shut it off and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Then restart and incrementally increase the heat / cool intervals.

This is critically important to step up the heating time incrementally...this prevents the paint from boiling and getting bubbles in it.

[Agemax]

degrease it very well with Simple green and long bristle brushes that will reach deep between the fins and in all cracks and tight spots.

Next, have it either vapor or soda blasted..DO NOT use glass beads or other media..... as they do not disolve with a simple washing like soda does. Vapor, of course, doesnt leave anything behind.

Paint with VHT high temp Universal Aluminumn (part # SP-127 ). Let it dry for at least 24 hrs before doing the step heating and curing process. Start it till you can feel the head getting almost too hot to hold your hand on it and shut it off and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Then restart and incrementally increase the heat / cool intervals.

This is critically important to step up the heating time incrementally...this prevents the paint from boiling and getting bubbles in it.

yes it does, vapour blasting uses very fine blasting media,along with high pressure water. still needs to be rinsed thoroughly, as with bead blasting

[chuck hahn]

All i have read on it says it doesnt...but then again I personally have never done it so I may be wrong too.

[Agemax]

All i have read on it says it doesnt...but then again I personally have never done it so I may be wrong too.

it does, i have had it done on my engine,cases, block and head. you still need to thoroughly rinse all the parts through, not just because of the blast media but the minute crap it removes from the surfaces.

[AJ]

Guys on the Miata.net forum recommend a thorough spraying with brake cleaner as the final cleaning before spray painting engine parts. I've done two valve covers this way and the paint has held up really well for both of them.

[Spikus]

Wow everybody, thanks for all the info! Although my engine is very low miles (4K), there is a lot of what I'd call corrosion on the aluminum. The engine still even has every one of those little rubber spacers between the fins! The local stripper said the corrosion actually pits the aluminum, and that walnut shells or soda won't remove it. He said it would require either bead or sand to remove that. True? I was thinking soda would be fine, especially since I'm going to paint it, not polish and clearcoat it. I plan flat black on the engine, and then all the covers will be powdercoated satin black to match the frame.

[posplayr]

Wow everybody, thanks for all the info! Although my engine is very low miles (4K), there is a lot of what I'd call corrosion on the aluminum. The engine still even has every one of those little rubber spacers between the fins! The local stripper said the corrosion actually pits the aluminum, and that walnut shells or soda won't remove it. He said it would require either bead or sand to remove that. True? I was thinking soda would be fine, especially since I'm going to paint it, not polish and clearcoat it. I plan flat black on the engine, and then all the covers will be powdercoated satin black to match the frame.

paint will typically cover any corrosion unless yours was at the bottom of the atlantic.

Also silver is a tough paint to use and until it has been cured it will remain fairly soft regardless of color...

[Good Times]

I used soda. Worked well enough. The paint hasn't come off yet.

[Spikus]

Don't worry, no silver for me. I hate shiny!

[Agemax]

Don't worry, no silver for me. I hate shiny!

if you have them vapour blasted, it will leave a dull/matt finish to the aluminium. if done by a decent blaster it will have rust inhibitors included in the blast media.
that way,the bare aluminium will not oxidize and leave a nice finish for years.

also, it leaves a good key finish to accept paint, if that is the route you decide to take.

[Spyder]

I just used a water soluble degreaser, wire brush, long bristle scrub brush, and toothbrush. Painting an air cooled engine is a bitch. Several passes at different angles to get in the fins, and I STILL saw some holidays (bare spots) after I installed it. But in the end...

Good luck...

[Spikus]

Beautiful, man!

[GS(X)400]

I just used a water soluble degreaser, wire brush, long bristle scrub brush, and toothbrush. Painting an air cooled engine is a bitch. Several passes at different angles to get in the fins, and I STILL saw some holidays (bare spots) after I installed it. But in the end...

Good luck...

Painting the black on mine tonight. What did you use to cut the fins?