Getting Engine Ready For Paint Sucks...

Just a little tip that might help. Whenever I'm painting something with holes that I don't want to get painted , I plug the hole with a cork . I have a box of corks in sizes from 1/8" to 2" in dia. I got mine from a company that supplies the pottery business. No longer do I have to run a tap into a threaded hole after painting . Good luck .

 

I noticed you said "base, pearl and clear" Put an epoxy primer underneath first, such as the DP90 from PPG or whatever is close to the color you are going with. Not only will it be pretty much impervious to oil, gas, etc., the primer will kind of "fill in" the roughness of the casting, making it easier to cover with your basecoat. If you want to go a little cheaper, PPG also has OMNI line epoxy primer, works just as good.

 

The old "Tom Sawyer" painting the fence approach, now that's funny.
Kudos to your son.

 

Brake Kleen, Brake Kleen, Brake Kleen....best stuff for the last steps in prep. Even blasts gunk out of recesses, nooks and crannies.

 

Terd just put it back in the bed of the truck and go to Auto Bell. Just kidding! The weather nice, sounds like your becoming quite the de-greaser enjoy it.

 

EASY OFF OVEN CLEANER,,over the years I've used everything made to clean engines,,this is the fastest,easiest way to degrease a grimy engine,,bar none!

HRP

 

i use easy off oven cleaner , spray it on and let it sit for about a half hour or so.then hose it off and let it dry.then after it is dry go back over it with brake clean to touch up the spots it missed.

 

Terd you should have called me . Thats what I do for a living . You know who cleaned the engine compartment on jeremys 59 mercury . I have commercial engine cleaner (degreaser ) that makes purple power look like water.

 

I'll be using Dupont products. The paint shop guy recommended against using a primer. His reason was not to get the paint too thick on an engine so as to lessen the danger of cracking. Base, pearl and clear would be three layers, primer would make four layers.

Somehow I totally got wrapped up in doing it and forgot you were the pro. Now, I've got the waterpump, water outlet, oil fill/fuel pump, intake and carb, valley pan, and dizzy off the engine. I've got all the paint wire wheeled off. Can you do anything in this situation? Or have any tips? Thanks Tommy!!!




And thanks again everybody!

 

Napalm. It also removes warts.

 

You really don't have to use primer on the cast iron parts, but I'd recommend using it on all the sheet metal pieces. ANd you'll get better adhesion and coverage if you use it on ALL the parts. If you're truly afraid of thickness issues, use a light coat or 2 of etch primer. I almost always use epoxy and don't have problems.
Any good paint will work, except lacquer. Don't be afraid of using base clear, or even candy or pearl, as long as you cover it with catalyzed clear.

 

This is essentially the plan. I won't really have any painted sheetmetal as I'll be replacing the valley cover as well as the valve covers with polished aluminum pieces. Everything else is cast iron. I know next to nothing about "real" painting and have been going on the advice of the paint shop pro as to not using the primer on the engine with the already thick three coats of base, pearl and clear that will be going on there.

So, back to the original topic, I bought a case of brake cleaner (2 for 1 haha!) and it seems to be doing the trick pulling all the gunk out. After half a case, I wiped it down with the acetone again and it was pulling WAAAY less black out. Almost totally clean!!! I should be good to go for painting very shortly. The weather here is going to be near or at 70* for the next few days. So hopefully I can get it painted this weekend.

 

You know your local machine shop will clean it for a c-note. Don't get me wrong I'm no gold chainer and I scrub my own. Just sayin....