how to paint a engine?

[first timer]

how do you paint a engine? i have it removed, is it easy to do? like can i do it in a day?

do i just need to get some aircraft stripper spray it on there then hit it with some black engine paint?

how many coats and how long wll the paint last? any perfered brands of paint?

my engine has some oxidation on it, am i going to need to sand it off or can i just use the stripper then hit it with some stainless steel wool then applie the paint or do i prime it?

-ryan

[80gs1000e]

Re: how to paint a engine

So you say you hate bodywork ehhhh? To paint the engine you'll have to have it 100% clean. It'll look sweet but you'll need to do a ton of work I would imagine to do it right. Will you do mine after you finish?

[Anonymous]

I did a complete teardown over the past 5 months or so. My best friend was a blasting cabinet with glass bead...while all the parts were disassembled, I glass-beaded everything, block, head, engine cases, and painted it all with Alumiblast paint. Really makes it all look new, shiny, and it won't rub off! Really good stuff! Word of warning though, be sure to tap all the bolt holes to remove the grit, and flush everything thoroughly to remove EVERY trace of blasting grit. You can check the block and head I did. This is an '81 GS1000GL.

http://www.unisourcetechnologies.com/family/block_and_head.htm

[KEITH KRAUSE]

I'm not a painting wiz', but I'm sure even a quick paint job will take longer than a day.
At a minimum, you should remove the clearcoat, scuff up the surfaces with the proper grit recommended by the paint maker you decide to use and clean the parts.
Then apply a couple of primer coats, let dry per their instuctions, wipe down the primer, then apply at least a couple coats of paint.
Then the paint has to cure before exposure to gas, etc. You may even want to clearcoat the paint. A decent job takes time.

[Hap Call]

Word of warning though, be sure to tap all the bolt holes to remove the grit, and flush everything thoroughly to remove EVERY trace of blasting grit.

This is not only a word of warning but of wisdom also. It will take about 3 hours to blast an engine, 3 hours to paint it , but 24 hours to tap all the bolt holes and get the grit out. Even then I would change the oil right after the first warm-up of the engine.

Hap

[first timer]

i am not planing on blastig the engine or even disassembling it, i just wanted to appliy some paint stripper to take the clear off then maybe scuff it up, clean it good with kerosene then some denautred alchol. then use some engine paint for aluminum. i don't think primer would be a good idea to use wouldn't it burn off? i'm not trying to hide imperfections the motor my have, i just wanted to change the color.

-ryan

[Anonymous]

You're right then...no primer. There is no clearcoat on the engine cases, block, head, head cover, and breather cover. Only the polished aluminum side covers have a lacquer-type clearcoat. If your thoughts are to address those items, there are several threads on the forum. Most would say to strip the clearcoat, polish the aluminum, and leave it at that, making do with touch-up once or twice a year. As for the rest of the engine...clean and degrease, and wipe down with alcohol, prepsol, or some type of paint prep. Use an engine paint...I used Alumiblast by Seymor Paint...it matches the original engine color pretty well, and it doesn't rub off. No primer required either! Be careful with the overspray, and try to cover up the auto cam chain adjuster and spark splug holes. Should be good to go for an "in the frame" job. Good luck.

[skreemer]

Tht alumiblast stuff come in black? My GS engine is black and the leading edges and some of the fins are worn through to the aluminum... I just want it Back in Black.


Duh I should look up stuff BEFORE I post...

here's the line of Seymour Paints, engine spray on paint.

http://www.seymourpaint.com/index.cfm/products/?id=83

[Dink]

Tht alumiblast stuff come in black? My GS engine is black and the leading edges and some of the fins are worn through to the aluminum... I just want it Back in Black.


Duh I should look up stuff BEFORE I post...

here's the line of Seymour Paints, engine spray on paint.

http://www.seymourpaint.com/index.cfm/products/?id=83

Would these fins be the wider ones on the ends of the cylinder head?
If so they are supposed to be silver, I may suggest a look through the gallery, as 83 on models were deliberately done this way.
Dink

[skreemer]

interesting... thanks for the heads up. though I might still buy a can for touch up.

[first timer]

can anyone provide any further info about cooling a engine with paint, i am a little concerned that the seymour paint has organic particals which may hinder cooling.
here is something i found about this stuff

http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/182886-1.html

-ryan

[skreemer]

following thier logic though painting a non-faired bike engine black shouldn't be an issue at all as there are no surfaces reflecting heat back to it other than the road surface, which is also black. WE shouldn't be too worried about the reflectivity more of the engines emissivity to use his word. As for organic versus inorganic he didn't go into it enough to make any type of supposition... I think he just correlates color choice (black in this instance) and organic pigment together woring to cause corrosion.

[Anonymous]

cleaning before painting

I allways clean my engine casings before painting in the dishwasher . First you have to send her indoors down the town to do some shopping ( a financial inducement usually works ) then put the parts in the dishwasher and get them out before she comes home . Easy peasy realy . However when we get a new dishwasher I will put the old one into the shed and make a tank of Jizer solution that it can recycle .

[skreemer]

Just got this from Seymour Paints... the guys that make the alumiblast and engine paint products.

Yes, you could use our engine enamels to paint your motor. The heat resistence is 300 degrees and it is gas and oil resistant. Attached is a product information sheet.

Craig Swafford
Regulatory Affairs
Seymour of Sycamore
815-895-9101x120

If anyone wants the info sheet drop me an E-mail at skreemer"at"gmail.com

[SqDancerLynn1]

Chromeing the cam cover is a NO_NO Retaines heat. Black is supposed to aid cooling