Who has used Por-15 engine paint?

[limeex2]

Going to paint a couple engine covers with Por-15 engine paint. Point cover is prepped with scotch brite and surface is uniform. The other is a oil pan(Triumph) that was purchased on E-bay. Originally black but looks terrible. I can media blast this at work and surface will be perfect. This is a very fine media and is used on molds for making sheet of optical plastic. My question is, Por wants me to buy their surface prep. I have a gallon of Kleen Strip surface prep bought from a local body shop supply store(not the fly by night auto type). Can I use this? Is primer needed? Thanks!

[pete]

I haven't used it myself as when I checked with them they advised it's not designed for air cooled motors and weren't sure if it would hold up to the higher temps an air cooled motor is subjected too.

I ended up using their matte black high temp paint which I can't remember the name of now (Black Velvet?)... aside from my prep work being a bit iffy it went on well and self leveled nicely etc. I did that with the motor apart and heat cured them too. The only issue with it I have now are the bits where I didn't prep the surface well have flaked off here and there, 100% my own problem, not the paint.

[Rob S.]

I know it's not the engine, but I used a rattle can of "VHT Engine Enamel" gloss black on my clutch cover 3 years ago. It still looks perfect. A tiny bit of fine sanding was my only prep.

[Nessism]

I used the silver and it turned brown. Very disappointed.

[limeex2]

The Container say's its good to 350 degree's so I think it would be good on an air cooled. Upon reading up on it, once the can has been opened the shelf life after opening is 6 mo or less. Stuff is spendy so I would like to have enough painting to use up the can. Sounds like you had good luck with the VHT. Its a oil pan so its kinda out "out of site, out of mind".

I'm making this complicated for a striped drain plug hole! Lol. Was just trying to save down time. Don't trust a heli-coil in a drain pan and would have to send it to a local specialty shop to install a time-sert. With 2 trips to the shop and they charged me $40 to time-sert a brake caliper. I'll be into this for about the same $$ except I save 2+ hrs on the trips.

[pete]

Now that VHT has been mentioned... I've used that on the Kat and it went on real nice (primer, satin black, clear) but it's not been used in anger yet although I've seen other motors that have been done with it and they look good after use for a while. Definitely soft until cured though!

[Nessism]

VHT cures hard and brittle. It cracked and pieces came loose under bolt heads on my KZ engine even though it was baked. It's not very fuel resistant either. I'd love to know what kind of paint the OEM's use? That stuff is vastly superior to what's being discussed here.

[Rob S.]

...VHT...Definitely soft until cured though!

Definitely!

I had to paint it several times. Each time it was dry to the touch, and looked perfect,, I found that if I lightly rubbed it with my palm, it was ruined. Several times, I didn't have the patience to wait.

So I painted it the night before I went away for two weeks, and that was the last time I painted it. Still looks perfect.