engine painting? (dunno which forum to put this in)

[barroom hero]

with spring break next week, im planning on doing alot of work, and hopefully getting at least the engine into my car. my block and head was repainted when it was rebuilt, but i still need to replaint all the little things, oil pan, valve cover, air cleaner and etc. can someone give me some basic prep directions? and whats the best way to clean out the gunk from my oil pan?

i'd like to paint my engine compartment, but i dont have a whole lot of room to work with in my garage, so would this be possible to do with out taking all the fenders and front end apart, or would it just be better to wait until i can take it all a part? thanks guys.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm sure I probably do things the "wrong way" compared to what these guys do.Anyways heres what I did.I got a big plastic tub and put the parts I was going to clean in it.I then poured 2 bottles of CLR (Calcium Lime and Rust Remover) and about a half a bottle of Mauriatic Acid in the tub.I then filled it the erst of the way with very very hot water and let soak for 30 minutes.All the grease,oil,sludge and paint was very loose and was rinced off with warm water.I wiped it all down after rincing it and painted it with a can of Duplicolor Ford Blue hi temp ceramic engine paint.I'm sure there are easier ways or better ways of doing this.Oh and if you mess with the CLR,Mauriatic Acid or any other corrosive chems I highly suggest you wear THICK rubber gloves,SPLASH goggles,not the ones with the little holes in them cause it'll splash in through the holes and wear a dust mask to help with the fumes.Keep the garage door and a window open for air circulation and if you get any corrosive chems on yourself rinse off with water and soap and change any clothes that contain the agent.Safety Safety Safety number one priority.Hah too much time in teh Navy as an aircraft mechanic getting that beat into my head I guess.I hope I helped out at least a little.Oh an try some engine degreaser in a spray can first.That works pretty good too.

 

[Anonymous]

You shouldnt have any trouble painting your engine compartment with the engine in there, or without removing the fenders, ive done mine twice. Just remove everything that you can from the engine itself to make your life much easeier, and if you want to, removing the radiator is also a good idea. I used a wire brush on a drill and removed all the paint from the compartment, then used emory cloth where i couldnt get with the brush. I then primed everything and painted it with a high temp engine paint. You really do not need to disassemble your car to accomplish a nice paint job under the hood, just take your time. Rmember, a paint job is only as good as the prep work thats underneath.

 

[I66coupe]

Wearing a dust mask for vapors is bad advice. Use a mask designed to protect you against vapors. It will cost you a lot more but what value do you place on your lungs?

 

[Anonymous]

For your engine, I assume it's on a stand if it's not back in the car yet ? It will be a lot easier for both jobs if so......For the engine, you'll need to thoroughly prep/degrease every part before you paint. I used a spray on degreaser I got from a tool store. I guess you could also use Gunk or another type. As for the tough grease on steel, I've heard that oven cleaner works well but I've never tried it...After you've let the degreaser do it's work, scrub as much as you can to get all the grease, scale, and loose paint off. Neutralize or wash with water. Then dry well - some people use a hair dryer. Then use the best high-temp engine paint you can get. If you need to mask, use masking tape, aluminum foil, or vaseline (it wipes right off). Good luck with that job - it yields immediate results.

As for the engine compartment, I'd roll the car out of the garage if I could. Do you need to strip off the old paint? PIA.....If not, you might try degreasing, lightly sanding, washing, and drying. Then, since some paints will react badly with each other (ask me how I know ) I'd prime and then repaint. Make sure the primer and topcoat are compatible. I hear great things about Krylon semi-gloss black, but forget the specific number. I've also had OK results with "Painter's Choice" from Home Depot. Cheap, and a little glossy - but OK in a pinch. Good luck - Dickson

 

[Anonymous]

Alot of my customers have me paint the engine compartments without pulling the fenders. Simple way to make it look like you pulled your fenders off is to remove all of the top fender bolts (6 per a side). Carefully lift the fender up and slide a few thick washers under the fender. Do so only enough so you can sand and paint under the lip of the fenders. To remove the washers, lightly pull up the fenders with a flat blade screw driver, and use a pen magnet to pull the washers out. This way you won't scrach the paint when trying to remove them. Then, when you bolt your fenders back down, it will look like you had them of removed. Use some new fender bolts. They are available in stock black, Cadmium silver and gold dichromate.


David 8)

 

[simon]

and whats the best way to clean out the gunk from my oil pan?

ever tried diesel fuel?
Presuming you´ve got a well-vented place and no treehuggers around that might get bothered by the smell of diesel, give it a try, pour and let the pan and valve cover sit for a couple days.

Some light scrubbing with a brush was everything I had to do on mine to make it factory-clean after a couple of days.

I found thats the best home cleaning method for carbs and dizzy housings also.

 

[Anonymous]

Do not use Krylon high temp engine paint. It is not designed to to be re-applied or go on thick. It will look good just after you paint, but give it a couple of hours and it will look like wrinkle paint. I would recommend Pep Boy's paint, Plasticote brand. They have non high temp black that goes on smooth, and can be re-applied to the finish you want. Save you self alot of frustration.

David 8)

 

[addo]

I've never tried Simon's recipe of diesel, but used strong caustic solution plenty. I use a lidded plastic tub, and store it outside. After 24h soaking, steel parts hose clean - but it's no good for cast zinc or alloys! You'll ruin them.

As for "in vs out" - the time to mask up fully in order to do a neat job, is more than the time to pull the motor and box if you're organised and all else is equal. That's been my experience.

Regards, Adam.

 

[Anonymous]

With my engine dead, Ive been doing the same thing. I started with the trunk and now and working in the engine bay. The best thing ive learned from experience is go slow. I used masking tape and about 3 classified ads to tape off the entire front of the car. The more percise and carfule you tape the better its going to look. When you get into painting take your time. Something ive found is that with the veritcle engine walls, is that the paint likes to run. So do alot of light coats, this will make your paint look nicer and will be more even. THe clean my stuff up, I first used GUNK engine degresser, then pulled out my handy pressure washer. This cleaned my whole engine bay in like 30 min. Be sure though, that if you use a pressure washer to water proof your entire ignition system and your carb etc. I did this by using plastic bags and duct tape.

Good luck