Re: Engine painting

[Matt Haas <mhaas@xxxxxxx>]

Marty,

How you paint it depends on the look you're going for. If you want factory, 
put it all together less accessories but with tranny bellhousing (or the 
entire tranny if it's an automatic) and spray away. Runs, poor coverage, 
and over spray on the tranny will give you that factory look. A small 
amount of surface rust should be okay (I can't image the factory was all 
that picky) but make sure you degrease the engine really well before 
painting. I used brake parts cleaner. You want to stay away from petroleum 
based cleaners since they leave an oily film.

Also, you don't need to prime the engine (btw, a lot of primers can't take 
the heat and will peel off). The factory just sprayed them with the same 
enamels they used on the car bodies.

When I painted the engine in my American, I took the neatness counts 
approach. I assembled the engine (block, valve cover, front cover, oil pan, 
water pump, thermostat housing), masked off the intake/exhaust ports, oil 
filter mounting pad, and distributor hole and painted the engine that way. 
I also did the manifolds separately. The only problem I've had with paint 
holding up was on the exhaust manifold. It went from blue to silver in a 
few hundred miles and started rusting within two or so years. I then 
painted the exhaust manifold with DupliColor High Heat Ceramic black paint 
and that's held up very, very well.

Matt

At 03:26 PM 10/7/2004 -0700, you wrote:
> I'm getting ready to put my 258 back together after
> bringing it back from the shop.  It's all cleaned up
> and ready to go but I'm not sure about painting.  In
> spite of my best efforts of drying it quickly there
> some areas of very light surface rust.  Problem is
> that it's down in the rough casting so I can't seem to
> get it out.  Will it be ok to spray the epoxy primer
> coat over this?
> Is it better to put the enire engine together and then
> paint it or do the seperate parts (ie oil pan, block,
> head, etc).  If I wait until it's all put together I'm
> sure there will be oil drippings on the outside,
> what's the best way to clean this up (engine cleaner,
> brake cleaner, carb cleaner, Simple Green?).  Thanks.
> Marty
>
>
>
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mhaas@xxxxxxx
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.mattsoldcars.com
1966 Rambler Rebel
1968 Rambler American sedan
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