Painting the block

DanM · #1 (**permalink**) 08-10-2004, 08:38 PM

Hey Guys,

Somewhat of a n00b question, I know, but I was looking through some of the pictures in the Gallery here ... and how the hell do you all get your motors looking so nice??

I notice that a lot of you have nice brass freeze plugs... did you paint the block first, then have the plugs installed so that they wouldn't get painted over? Or did you just cover them?

What about those of you that have nice clean heads... did you just slap old heads on the block, paint it, and then install your new heads?

What are your tricks?? I just don't want to slap this thing all together, oil pan, timing cover, heads and all, and paint it all at once, because it'll just look like a giant ugly blue blob.

2KWIK4U · #2 (**permalink**) 08-10-2004, 10:32 PM

DanM
Although I am also a newbie as far as posting goes, I am in the process of building my Cobra and just finished the detail work on my engine. I did all the paint work with the engine assembled except for the removal of the water pump and alternator. I have aluminum heads and didn't want to paint those, but it's really easy just to mask off the areas you don't want to paint, like the aluminum heads, valve covers, intake etc. From what I have learned in the past the key to getting the paint to stay and look good for a long time is to first prime the block with a good epoxy primer. I use PPG DP-90. I then paint it with PPG basecoat/clearcoat and have not had any problems so far with heat or fluids affecting the paint. Hope this helps. Check the pics in my gallery. I think it turned out quite well. I did stray from the norm though and painted the engine the same color I will be using on the car. Good luck with your project.

Brad W.

DanM · #3 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 06:31 AM

Brad,

I checked out the Gallery .. your motor looks outstanding! You did all that with it fully assembled, and just by masking??

What's the story with your intake?? In the before picture it's satin finish, in the after it looks polished. That can't be paint...? Did you polish it yourself?

Dan

EarlsflyinCobra · #4 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 06:31 AM

What about Powder Coating the Engine?? Is it feasible?? Can it be done w/engine assembled?? I was thinking of going this route???????

NeedAntiVenom · #5 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 08:13 AM

Earl,

Yes - you can powdercoat an engine. You need to sandblast it to remove all oil and grease and get a good bonding surface. Doing it on a complete engine may not be a good idea. You might have a little trouble with the heads around the exhaust from heat - it is close to the fuse temp. point of the coating - but new powders are always coming out. Get someone who has done it before.

EarlsflyinCobra · #6 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 09:15 AM

Okay, thanks....the engine is in the process of being built...I guess I should have been a little more specific....I was thinking of doing the block and oil pan, before installing the heads...someone asked me if the heat process would hurt the engine internals..I did not know...I was going to leave the heads au-natural aluminium and maybe powder coat intake also?????

NeedAntiVenom · #7 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 10:27 AM

Earl,

This is from an MR2 - powder coated manifold.

http://www.windsorworld.net/ww/Image...-Manifold1.jpg

2KWIK4U · #8 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 11:52 AM

Hey Dan
Thanks for your comments on my engine. I won't be able to get my car until next week and have had a lot of time to detail the thing. The satin manifold picture is just the natural cast aluminum finish that you get from the factory. It took 31 hrs to get it polished the way it is now. Man, its really a lot of work!. I will seal it with Zoopseal and it will stay like that for a long time. You can buy them aready polished but I don't think the quality is a good as a personal job, but it just depends on how good you want it to look. I can't say that I have ever seen an engine in a Cobra that looks bad, just one of those things that may not be possible.

Brad

priobe · #9 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 12:15 PM

Hey 2KWIK4U,

Have you used Zoopseal and are you happy with it.
Do you have to buy the whole kit or is just 1 bottle?

DanM · #10 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 12:28 PM

Brad,

So you hand polished that, eh? I hear you, polishing is a TON of work. I've tried to polish aluminum a couple times (EFI upper intake, a TB, stuff like that). NEVER AGAIN.

I actually just popped by the shop today and had a look at my block (they just tanked it). It's still pretty rusty in some areas... what would you recommend doing with that? Sandblasting it or something??

Also, the oil pan and timing cover (they also tanked those) look like hell too. The oil pan is particularly bad. The inside is clean of course, but the outside looks awful. Would you recommend sandblasting? Or some other means? Or just chuck them and get new ones?

Dan

FUNFER2 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:14 PM

Dan, I painted mine & agree with others here. I painted the block with the heads on it. Just get a plug kit. It will have them for the spark plug holes, header flange ect.... I bolted on everything I could at painting time so most the bolts heads were done at the same time. It's too hard to re-paint or touch up the bolt heads later. I put in the brass freeze plugs after. I also used epoxy primmer but, I tinted it to my base color so scratches ect. wouldn't show as bad. The base/clear method is the best I've found for protection from oil, fuels ect. It has held up very well. If you want a easy & cheaper wat to go, try the brush on type. I hear good things about them also. I wanted mine to match the body color.

Thanks,
Kev

DanM · #12 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:17 PM

Thanks. How well did you guys prep the blocks first? As I said, mine's pretty rusty, and I don't want to just paint over rust and have it fall off. Did you sandblast it? Clean it up by hand? Or just base coat over the rust?

FUNFER2 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:25 PM

Here's a pic. You can check out my build in my gallery. I would NOT.....go to the extent I did, sanding the iron block smooth ! HARD & DIRTY !!! You can't see most of it anyway. LOL!

ENTDOC · #14 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:35 PM

Try the POR-15 engine paint kit.Everything you need from prep to finish and tough as nails. chuck

FUNFER2 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:47 PM

All painted & ready.

DanM · #16 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:55 PM

Kevin,

Engine looks good. Also noticed that you managed to get a couple Bud Light boxes in the photo, nice touch.

The POR-15 kit looks quite good. Would save me tons of time cleaning it by hand. Do you think it'd be a big deal to paint it BEFORE I have it bored out, cam bearings installed, etc? Will the machine work seriously wreck the finish?

FUNFER2 · #17 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 04:56 PM

Chuck's product idea is what I was thinking of. Have heard good things about it. Cheap & easy. Clean it very well using degreaser, soap, painters scuffing pad & prep-sol, before primming or it will never stick.

FUNFER2 · #18 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 05:02 PM

Ya,........ the bud light is nessesary after all the hard work ! hehe!
Get ALL of the machining done first. If you have just the bare block & heads, getting it hot "tanked first" would save a lot of elbow grease. Most all engine building shops will have one. Even if you just use the Por-15 or cheap spray paint, clean VERY well. You'll be happy if you do. I'm a body man so, prep work is all worth it !

DanM · #19 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 05:08 PM

Well here's my situation... the block has been tanked already, it's sitting in my machinists shop. I was over there today, and didn't examine it extremely closely, but I looked enough to see that it was pretty rusted.

Basically what I need to decide now is whether I want it sandblasted or not. If I do, then it should be sandblasted before the machine work. If I'm going to skip the blasting and just paint it, then he can go ahead with the machine work.

I'm just worried that if I don't have it sandblasted, some of the rust might be so thick that even the POR-15 kit won't paint over it, or leaves a ****ty finish when I paint over it. Hell I'm worried that even if I DO blast it, it might not take off all the rust.

So in other words, Option A is to do nothing, go ahead with the machine work. Option B is to have them blast it, then go ahead with the machine work. Option C is to bring it home, and attack it with sanding/grinding tools like you did, then take it back for the machine work. Just not sure which approach is best....

FUNFER2 · #20 (**permalink**) 08-11-2004, 05:23 PM

The problem with metal is, even if leave small pits of rust, it will show up later. I think sand blasting at this point would be over kill unless it's a friends & you can do it free. I sanded the block smooth before the machining then, used 3M's rotery sanding disks to clean it up. I actualy had to wait for 3 weeks to paint it, too busy so, I sprayed it down with W-40. Cleaned it with prep-sol the painted. The epoxy primmer is really good stuff & will not let small amounts of pitted, rust to come thru. I've used it for several years now & havent had a rust come back. Just get 99.9 percent of all rust perfectly, cleaned off with your tired, bleeding & sore little fingers ..................JUST KIDDING !