Topic: Engine painting question

[nayto550]

I've searched the forum tirelessly for info on engine painting, and all I can find is what kind of paint to use and how to cure it so it doesn't chip and scratch.

The question is; how hard is it to get all the little nooks and crannies painted?  I'm worried about getting good coverage in between the cooling fins and the open areas between the cylinders.  Is there a trick to it or do I just spray-bomb the thing and what sticks will stick? 

Also, is there something I need to do to neutralize the sodium bicarbonate blasting media I used for cleaning/stripping?

[TerryK]

Since you media blasted the engine you can skip the first part, but I think it would take care of the sodium bi-carb as well.

Drain the oil thoroughly, seal everything up with cellophane, tape and zip ties so no water gets in, then I use a BUCKET of hot soapy water, (you can add a stronger cleaner if you like) some assorted small brushes and a lot of time and careful scrubbing.  You'll have to flip the engine upside down to get at all areas. After you scrub it really well, hose it off with low pressure water and then either let it dry for a couple of days or blow it off with air. It is essential that it is completely dry. I then spray it carefully with brake cleaner to get any remaining oily residue off.

You may or may not want to prime the engine before you paint, depending on how bad the original paint is. I use Duplicolor engine enamel in "Cast Aluminum" which is an exact match to the Honda silver. Don't use the "aluminum" version as it looks very shiny and kind of cheesy. Cast Aluminum is dead on and looks great. I've found the results to be excellent looking and tough wearing. Use VERY light coats as there are so many surfaces where paint will collect and run. I used 6-7 coats on my last engine and it came out great. The heat from the engine cures it to a very hard finish.

[nayto550]

Thanks Terry!

My engine is completely dismantled at this point, so submerging pieces or hitting them with a high pressure spray for cleaning is not a concern.  I'll have to check the part # on my paint and maybe test spray some scrap pieces to see what it looks like, I think I got the regular "aluminum" color, but the motor is going in a chop so I'm not really worried about staying true to OE.  If it looks really hokey, I'll try a different color.  I'm going to do gloss black cases and head with aluminum silver cylinders at this point, but that's not necessarily set in stone.

Seems the most important part will be many super-light coats, drips off of the fin edges was what I was worried about most.  And since the engine is completely apart, I'll be curing the paint in an oven at work, so that should help keep the paint intact during installation of the engine.