Topic: Engine paint recommendations....

[TEET76]

Well, I'm hoping to be painting my 750 engine soon, and I have read alot of threads already, but have a few more questions. I'm not really trying to keep the stock honda colors, and I'm planning on painting the finned cylinder areas with VHT paint, probably black. I've already polished the clutch housing, stator cover, shift mechanism cover, and sprocket covers as well as the valve cover. My question concerns the type of paint to use on the actual engine cases.....does it really have to be of the high heat variety??? A friend of mine recently gave me a case of STEEL-IT, 316 stainless steel pigmented paint, and I absolutely love this stuff. It kind of has a satin dark silver color to it, and coats extremely well. I know I dont have to worry about the cases rusting, but this paint looks great, and is supposedely extremely durable. The manufacturer suggested uses are for food processing equipment, and pharmacutical equipment, with constant high pressure washdown procedures. So.....should I use this stuff, or just buy some VHT in silver to paint the engine???.....Thanks

[Ichiban 4]

Teet..

Even though the cases don't get as hot as the cylinders, heads..they still get hot..200 to 300 F on a hot, long ride. That's enough to fry the carriers in most non-heat resistant paints.

But if you like the looks of the paint you mentioned..why don't you spray a little on a sanded aluminum can..let dry..put it in cool oven set @ 300 -350 F..leave there for about an hour or more..and see what happens?   Then if it survives that..crank up temp in 100F increments to abot 500F and see what happens.

If it's going to last on your engine it should be able to withstand 500F without discoloring a lot, or burning off.

Basically what I've found over the years is that when painting engines..especially air-cooled..it's better to go with heat resistant paints..like engine enamels, header paint, BBQ/grill paint and even stove paint.  Stove paint is least desireble because it tends to chalk/rub off after a while.

Have also found that you have to clean surfaces well..mainly to de-grease..to have paint stick, last for any length of time.

Let us know how your "experiment" with oven test (if you decide to try) comes out.

Ichiban

[TEET76]

Thanks Ichiban,
    I may give that a try...I have our old kithen oven in the shop with plans to use it for powder coating, so I could definately try it with this paint.
     I've tried every available "high heat" paint that is available at my local autoparts, and home stores in some way shape or form, and have been displeased with their performance. I've read good reviews on this forum about VHT paints, so I'm hoping to try that on the jugs, and cross your fingers this stuff will work on the cases.....it really looks beautiful. Thanks for the idea!

[GNXFan]

I recommend VHT paint. I always use VHT Universal Aluminum to re-paint Honda engines in the sliver color but they have other colors also if you want to go that route. Other people here have had some luck with Dupli-Color engine paint as well but thier silver is too bright for my taste. Good luck.

[hymodyne]

I used VHT white on the head and juggs of my 500 with good results.
as many have said, its all in the prep. I've used a spray bottle aluminium cleaner designed for boating applications as part the prep for painting and then run the engine to cure the paint...

hym

[UnCrash]

and then run the engine to cure the paint...

'

Does this mean that you paint with the engine out, let it dry, then put it back in (quickly) and hook everything back up to let it cure?

What's your process?

[hymodyne]

yup, that's the process... without an oven to bake the paint, I have learned to prep the bike for this process ( wrapping frame areas to protect them from scratches during the installation process) and slip the engine in, bolt her up, strip off the protective frame wrap, and run to cure the paint.

hym

[UnCrash]

yup, that's the process... without an oven to bake the paint, I have learned to prep the bike for this process ( wrapping frame areas to protect them from scratches during the installation process) and slip the engine in, bolt her up, strip off the protective frame wrap, and run to cure the paint.

hym

AAAAAHHHHHH  I feared so. Looks like I have to wait a few months before painting the motor.


Sorry for the hijack, and thanks for the reply.

[aptech77]

+1 for VHT/PJ1

[mazingerzeca]

I painted the cranckcases, barrels and head with VHT SP-127 engine enamel. I did some tests on my kitchen oven,  and if you overpass the 200º F at curing, it gets a bit yellow. I had the parts baked in an industrial oven, and it resists some solvents, and some others not, I didn't test gasoline. The problem is that the painting looks like aluminum, but is as soft as aluminum, you can easily make a scratch with a screwdriver as you would on aluminum. I wonder how modern bikes' engines are painted, but they seem harder than the paint I used. Maybe they are powdercoated. Now I'm rebuilding a Honda cb 125 and I don't know what am I going to do with engine paint. I still have to hear the last word about powdercoating engines.

[GNXFan]

Here are some pics of a CL350 engine I painted with the VHT Universal Aluminum engine paint. This is the paint I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. It's the closest match to the factory silver I've found to date.

[nippon]

@mazingerzeca,....a scratch test with a screwdirver? Nice idea.
Did you test your paint job on the tank the same way?
What do you expect? It's only paint.

nippon

[mazingerzeca]

@mazingerzeca,....a scratch test with a screwdirver? Nice idea.
Did you test your paint job on the tank the same way?
What do you expect? It's only paint.

nippon

Read carefully. I did't say that. Anyway, is very common to use screwdrivers around engines, not around gas tanks, you should note that. I just say that the paint is very soft. Even baked, is a very soft paint, not as hard as factory paint.

[scondon]

I've painted one engine using VHT, and another using Duplicolor. Once cured, the VHT is superior in chem/gas resistance. A overnight carb leak blistered the Duplicolor, but did not affect the VHT.

Nothing so far seems to adhere to the aluminum better than factory paint. Wherever possible I sand the original paint smooth, but not down to the aluminum. The new paint sticks well to the old paint and is less likely to rub/scratch off (like near the shifter lever,if you paint the side covers).

[nippon]

@mazingerzeca,....then, I misunderstood it, sorry. In order to avoid any confusions,
when you write that the paint is too soft, then probably your underground is not prepaired the right way,
so that the VHT does not adhere to the aluminum.
Otherwise, 'soft' could mean, that the paint is not hardened out, ...it would be not dry?
Then it would not be gas resistant. I did not notice any problems like you wrote
on my engine with the VHT paint.
Probably, you have sprayed a thick layer, that only the surface of the paint was able to hard out?
I made the best experience with VHT, especially when you spray 'only' a thin layer. 

[tmart]

I am on the goldwing forum also and the guru of goldwings,"randak" found the best honda engine paint to use on the old goldwings is Duplicolor 1615 high temp ceramic aluminum paint,he says it matches the original almost perfectly,just my 2 cents
Terry

[cbass*gxc]

Not trying to hijack but what all do you guys do to your engine before painting them?  I am about to get my engine put back together and would like to paint it but want to do a good job.  I have cleaned the #$%* out of it with engine degreaser and a metal brush.  Is there anything else I should do to it before I paint?  Also what does VHT stand for and where can I get it?

Thanks
Jay

[mazingerzeca]

@mazingerzeca,....then, I misunderstood it, sorry. In order to avoid any confusions,
when you write that the paint is too soft, then probably your underground is not prepaired the right way,
so that the VHT does not adhere to the aluminum.
Otherwise, 'soft' could mean, that the paint is not hardened out, ...it would be not dry?
Then it would not be gas resistant. I did not notice any problems like you wrote
on my engine with the VHT paint.
Probably, you have sprayed a thick layer, that only the surface of the paint was able to hard out?
I made the best experience with VHT, especially when you spray 'only' a thin layer. 

I have only used two brands of engine paint: Duplicolor and VHT. VHT is infinitely better than Duplicolor. I baked the pieces in an oven, and the paint cured, but when I say that is soft, I mean that is AS SOFT AS ALUMINUM. I mean, when baked, it looks like aluminum sprayed over aluminum. Yes, if the surface is well prepared, it adheres very well, is heat resistant and so on, but I wonder which kind of paint is used on modern motorcycles, because it is harder. By the moment, VHT is a good choice, but maybe powdercoat would be better?

[mazingerzeca]

Not trying to hijack but what all do you guys do to your engine before painting them?  I am about to get my engine put back together and would like to paint it but want to do a good job.  I have cleaned the #$%* out of it with engine degreaser and a metal brush.  Is there anything else I should do to it before I paint?  Also what does VHT stand for and where can I get it?

Thanks
Jay

I sandblasted the parts, but you have to take care on puttin screws on every hole and close all the holes very well, because sand enters everywhere. After sanding, I washed everything and blowed all the holes.

[TEET76]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input, and I decided to paint the jugs VHT high heat satin black, and the cases, VHT high heat universal aluminum. Fortunately Caswell Plating is just down the road from me, and they have every VHT paint in stock.....otherwise I would have to order it. I'll post some pics when it warms up here a little, and I can actually get out in the shop and paint! Thanks!!

[aptech77]

^ Then you should use the PJ1 Fast Black. Take a look at mine. I think PJ and VHT are the same company.

[UnCrash]

Take a look at mine.

Hey aptech, you need to change the link to your gallery.  All links should point to the .net address at http://www.sohc4.net/gallery/main.php

[aptech77]

THX, that's one thing I forgot about.......spot on my friend...

[UnCrash]

Nice work on that bike aptech.

How did you clean out between the fins? 

I was thinking about doing the same with my 750F, refresh the black, and go bright on the fin edge.  I was thinking that after prepping the engine I could spray it out then sand back the fin edge.

Did you have to do anything to the fin edge to keep it polished?

Thanks

[Sweep]

I used VHT when I first assembled my motor but I made a couple of mistakes and am repainting since I have my motor apart again anyway.  The first mistake is that I didn't turn the jugs upside down to paint them and when mounted on the bike you could see the imperfections from the bottom.  Second, I had to install my motor myself and made a bit of a mess with fingerprints etc so this time I'm going to wrap the pieces in saran wrap that I can tear off after I'm done.  I'm hoping the wrap doesn't stick to the paint but I don't think it will and I can do a test piece to make sure.

A note on saran wrap.  I used it like rope and wrapped my frame before taking the motor out and it works great and can be more easily removed than tape.