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Cleaning/painting engine parts



Yarp

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 182
I’m in the process of stripping my engine down and want to tidy it up when it goes back together. What’s the best way to clean the parts back to a decent finish and then protect them?

Am I best to get them aqua blasted or something similar then lacquer them or is there a decent paint anyone has used to cover them? Parts will mainly be mounts, rocker cover, brackets etc. The big bits like block and box will just be painted.
 

Mr Underhill

ClioSport Club Member
Could do to be fair. There’s a place down the road that does it. Would it be ok on the rocker cover though?
If you’re wanting an OEM look, take as many alloy pieces off as possible and get them aqua blasted. For colours - as mark suggested powder coating.

Rocker cover can be aqua blasted if off the engine but I just use a degreaser, wire brush, then get a fine brush and stick some VHT engine paint on.

This is mine. Gearbox degreased then painted with VHT. Sump, Upper and lower inlet, fuel rail, thermostat housing all aqua blasted.
0D9E49C7-FBD5-439D-9302-6402D6B9DE60.jpeg
848D2BAB-3B01-433E-9637-A5E883586739.jpeg
F578F294-3FE6-408D-A2B3-D773A8239B64.jpeg
 

Mr Underhill

ClioSport Club Member
Also on the engine block I degreased and cleaned it up, then gave it a few coats of Hydrate-80 before painting it. I’ve found if you don’t do that, the engine will rust through after a month or so.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
You can get enamel/epoxy based paint for doing the engine block, but it's expensive.

Eastwood Aluma Blast gives a nice aluminium looking paint finish on all the silver parts.

 
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JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
This is the stuff i was thinking of, not as much as i thought


Prep the block with this as it leaves a zinc phosphate coating

 

Mr Underhill

ClioSport Club Member
This is the stuff i was thinking of, not as much as i thought


Prep the block with this as it leaves a zinc phosphate coating

Used that Metal prep as well.

I prefer the Hydrate-80 on engines as you don't have to faff about washing it off. A couple of coats leaves a really rich Black protective coating. And paint sticks to it like glue. I throw it on everything now :LOL:
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Used that Metal prep as well.

I prefer the Hydrate-80 on engines as you don't have to faff about washing it off. A couple of coats leaves a really rich Black protective coating. And paint sticks to it like glue. I throw it on everything now :LOL:

Yeah I like the Bilt Hamber stuff as well.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
You can get enamel/epoxy based paint for doing the engine block, but it's expensive.

Eastwood Aluma Blast gives a nice aluminium looking paint finish on all the silver parts.

Thats the Eastwood Aluma on my inlet manifold after about a year. I would use it again.

1641733059906.png
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
1641735752085.png


This is block brush painted with some VHT engine block enamel - still fine several years later having gotten dirty, jet washed off, covered in PAS fluid when my pump died. The engine block looks about the same still, certainly no rust. The rocker cover was painted using some eastwood cast steel (I think) paint and thats been s**t, while the aluminum eastwood paint has been durable.

Doing it all again I would take a boot full of parts to a vapor blasters and pay the money, I'd probably 2K paint the bits next time round too.
 


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