Engine paint

Well I've never been good at searching here...but I'm looking for motor paint... something that takes the heat..but would love to find something besides the same old same old...maybe even something green /teal with metal flake..maybe I'm crazy but ya never know till us ask

 

All I've ever used is good old Acrylic Urethane. I've never had a problem I think prep is the key. Very very clean.

 

I used the por-15 engine paint kit,contained cleaners and paint worked well!

 

Same here, clean it good, slick up the casting a little, prime and shoot it.

 

All of the original Mopar colors are available including the 60's Turquoise/Teal (shade varies with manufacturer).
I have had good success using a cold galv spray on the bare block/heads as a primer. It 'seems' to hold up pretty good around the exhaust ports, but, like all paint, repeated heat cycles takes its toll.

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I use single stage automotive paint and never had a problem - any color you can imagine is available.

 

I paint my engines just like you would paint a car.........epoxy primer first then a couple of coats of your favorite single stage automotive paint in any color you choose. It holds up better and looks better than any rattle can job. You can even wash the motor down just like you would your car, and it comes out nice and clean.

Same with transmisions:



Don

 

VHT makes some nice shades
hears mine in burnt copper ? or something like that ?
Its held up really well !!

 

Having always used plain old rattle can engine enamels, I know that not only is there a limited color pallet but the shine and depth does not last. I did drive one sbc motor painted to match the car, and it was definitely urethane because the shine was great and it cleaned up and still shined even after using harsh spray type engine de-greaser. The one thing I did note was a few places that chipped/flaked, and in these areas thare was bare cast iron. I believe it's because they did not prime. Don is obviously right about using epoxy primer. Seems to me it'd be the only thing that could get in the pores and hold on. Of course the pores still need to be clean. Maybe running the casting through the JetHot machine would be a good first step?
Also I'd like to point out that there are several motors that will never hold paint around the exhaust ports (FE Ford and Buick nailhead? come to mind) because they have exhaust flanges that are a distance from the water jacket and get too hot for anything but bar-b- que black.

 

I've had good luck with the same base/clear that i use on the car. bill

 

Unclee has brought up a very important part of getting the paint to stick, the block must be totally spotless with respect to oil and grease. I first scrub it down with Dawn dish detergent, then I use a small wire brush and laquer thinner and clean rags. After a few times of doing that it is ready to prime.

I also like to shoot the block, heads, pan, timing cover, and intake all separately. It takes a lot more masking, but this way you are not painting over gaskets. If you even have to remove any of those parts you will get a clean parting line with no chipping of the paint where the gaskets were.

Don

 

Never had a problem with any arcrylic urethane:

 

when i look at the old cars ,like that roadster that was dug out of that arizona junkyard,it occurs to me that whether or not paint stays on a motor or not is related more to prep than type of paint---gotta be clean