To paint or not to paint

[oldcobber]

With the final assembly of my engine just around the corner, I have been thinking about the finishing touches and am looking to seek your thoughts.

How many of you guy`s have painted engines? What are the pro`s and con`s of painting your engine? Whats the best paint to use?

Look forward to your coments.

Bob

[russell_ram]

Bob

The only good reason for painting an engine is because it'll go rusty if you don't - however your's won't, so why do you want to paint it?

Russ

[craggle]

If its a steel block, paint it quick before it rusts!

If you have a rover or aluminium engine then you could paint it but it will probably need an etch primer first to stop the paint falling off after a short while.
If the aluminium block is clean and looks good it can be left as it is.

Craig
.

[kurrmet]

Originally Posted by oldcobber44

With the final assembly of my engine just around the corner, I have been thinking about the finishing touches and am looking to seek your thoughts.

How many of you guy`s have painted engines? What are the pro`s and con`s of painting your engine? Whats the best paint to use?

Look forward to your coments.

Bob

Bob

You have the block chemically cleaned to remove all the old road dirt from the doner vehicle, and you probally won't go off road with it. I would enjoy the Alum colour of you block.

As if you paint it and it starts to come off it will start to look like a dogs dinner and will not do you credit for the work you have put in.

[TonyD]

You could always polish the aluminium and slap some clear, heat resistant lacquer on it...........

Cheers,

Tony

[kurrmet]

Originally Posted by TonyD

You could always polish the aluminium and slap some clear, heat resistant lacquer on it...........

Cheers,

Tony

Is this what you are going to due with the Lexus power unit

Have we finally surrendered to the if in doubt polish it Tony:rotfl: :rotfl:

[Iain]

Originally Posted by TonyD

You could always polish the aluminium and slap some clear, heat resistant lacquer on it...........

I have known such lacquers to go a horrible yellow colour. If you do lacquer it then make sure that it's the good stuff!

[dingocooke]

My experience with laquered aluminium engine casings (although bike ones so more exposed to chips/water etc) is that it only needs one or two stone chips, moisture gets behind, and the ally underneath starts to corrode which then sends the laquer milky and bubbly.
Personally, I think bare ally is so much much better, you can degrease it with anything you like, and if it gets really horrid, you can use ally clean etching fluid to get it back to a nice dull sheen.
Prob with laquer is once its gone milky or discoloured, its a nitromors job to get it off, which is not easy to do without fecking up somethings elses paint finish when the engine is in the car.
Just my experience.

[Clarkson]

I would paint it if it's cast iron. If it's ali then I would leave it alone.

You could powercoat it if it's cast or ali.

[TonyD]

Originally Posted by kurrmet

Is this what you are going to due with the Lexus power unit

Have we finally surrendered to the if in doubt polish it Tony:rotfl: :rotfl:

Nope,

My personal solution is a quick coating with diesel to disolve any muck stuck to the block and powerwash the engine on the drive as it is suspended offf the engine crane. Life is too short to polish an engine........

Cheers,

Tony