Engine Paint????

[Mav067]

With a helpful suggestion from Dieselman, thank you by the way, I now have my engine totally disassembled. Now the monotonous task of cleanup and replacing what needs replacing begins.

Why I am posting this is it is a shame to have this engine apart and not try and make it look good whilst the process of reassembly kicks into gear. I thought about painting the engine block, (after it is cleaned of course), what my question is; Is there any particular kind of paint I'll need to paint the engine block?

I don't want to go ahead and paint it only to have it crack and peel in a relatively short period of time. As a matter of fact, anyone that has any information on 'Dressing an engine' would prove to be most useful and I would be eternally grateful.

Thank you.

 

[Rob77]

I've seen motorcycle engines coated in Gun Kote and they've looked really good.

It comes in various colours and is pretty easy to apply. The only downside is that it needs to be baked on in an oven, so if you're looking to coat parts that won't fit in your oven, that might be a bit of a problem.

Anyway, its made in the USA but is available here. You can easily find details of it using Google or similar.

 

[Dieselman]

Any oil or spirit based paint will be Ok for the engine as it doesn't get very hot. The exhaust manifold will need VHT paint due to getting very hot.

 

[television]

I agree with Dieselman that oil based paints give the best finish and work very well

 

[RBYCC]

With a helpful suggestion from Dieselman, thank you by the way, I now have my engine totally disassembled. Now the monotonous task of cleanup and replacing what needs replacing begins.

Why I am posting this is it is a shame to have this engine apart and not try and make it look good whilst the process of reassembly kicks into gear. I thought about painting the engine block, (after it is cleaned of course), what my question is; Is there any particular kind of paint I'll need to paint the engine block?

I don't want to go ahead and paint it only to have it crack and peel in a relatively short period of time. As a matter of fact, anyone that has any information on 'Dressing an engine' would prove to be most useful and I would be eternally grateful.

You might want to paint the interior of the engine ( oil galleys) with Glyptal or alkyd enamel.
This will seal the casting and allow better oil flow.
It also will catch any metal bits and pieces from machining that may still be present even after a detergent washdown.

Outside engine casting will look great with an alykd enamel similar to Rustoleum Industrial paint. No problem with temps as it holds up on brake calipers.

Exhaust manifolds you can coat with VHT paint or use a rust converter that will turn the casting black and chemically bond to the cast iron.
Another method is spray graphite rubbed into the casting which has a bit of a lead content and will also bond to the iron.