engine painting

[rjhoffh]

I would like a high quality finish on my old cad engine. Does anyone have any knowledge of prep and paint tips? I would like to paint the engine and all tins black.

[STDog]

I would like a high quality finish on my old cad engine. Does anyone have any knowledge of prep and paint tips? I would like to paint the engine and all tins black.

Like any other painting, prep is the key. In this case the big think is getting the oil/greese off before paint goes on. A lot of place will put a coat of oil after tanking to prevent rust. That has to come off.

Then you need a good high temp paint. VHT has a good engine paint, but it's heat cured. If your carefull while installing the engine, running it will cure the paint though. I cured small parts in an oven, and big stuff just running the engine.

I'm curious though, why something mundane like black?

This is a cadillac after all. And the whole thing in cadillac blue looks pretty cool. I'm painting everything not in the exhaust bule.

[rjhoffh]

I'm very careful on prep work but, I just can't get a can of spray paint stick properly. It goes on nice and even with thin layers letting it flash in between coats but, after the paint dries it seems to flake right off. Black, I think makes your other details pop.

[73 Century]

I painted my engine with POR15 and it is still looking pretty good after several years. Of course it burned off the exhaust ports but the rest is nice.

[STDog]

I'm very careful on prep work but, I just can't get a can of spray paint stick properly. It goes on nice and even with thin layers letting it flash in between coats but, after the paint dries it seems to flake right off. Black, I think makes your other details pop.

Strange. What paint?

So far VHT engine enamel is holding up nice. I didn't cure the oil pan off the car or the block and It's holding well. Survived lots of bump going in.
I only used 2 or 3 medium coats.

If it's flaking off the cast iron, it sounds like oil on the metal. I wipped evrything well with thinner before painting to get all the oils off, like finger oils from handeling.

I used Duplicolor on the oil pan and dust cover a few years ago and it held up well too. There I sanded to bare metal, wipped with thinner and painted. It did not come off easily when I got ready to do it with the VHT.

VHT also makes a primer, but I haven't tried it.

[rjhoffh]

Primer, primer, primer, thats what made the difference in paint jobs. I used primer on some new stuff and the paint seems to be alot strong.

[mtbx23]

I read from a reliable source (How to Build a Small Block Chevy for the Street by Jim Richardson) that engines should not be primed before being painted because it will just cause the enamel to flake off..He mentions teh only party of the engine that should be primed is the intake manifold (with a high temp manifold paint)..Any thoughts?

[Terrible One]

Use brake parts cleaner to prep the engine it gets rid of and dries out grease and oil that may be on there.