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#1
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Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
This is sort of a project I'm finishing. I needed to replace my cover gaskets anyway... all pics get a lot bigger BTW. the finished project looks bad in photos I think, but its real nice in person. My dSLR picks up even the slightest imperfection in the aluminum, and like I said, I just smoothed out the rough areas as best I could.
I started by purchasing a second set of valve covers, it was just easier this way. I just cleaned them up with some NON-acid degreaser, the regular spray can stuff pits aluminum like crazy. a little toothbrush bright work and then some sanding with 400/800 grit. My covers were damages on arrival, so I left a few wide scuffs and tried to fill them with paint later. From the pics you can get a general idea of the Before and After. I also smoothed out the aluminum during the sanding process, to give you an idea of what a polished and clear coated Valve cover might look like. Next I scuffed and masked the piece. Primer Paint Finishing work, Still no Clear Coat. the sun was not shinning today though. I still need to clean it, apply the clear, and buff it to a shine, but I said I'd post this about two weeks ago... Been busy these days. The project looks bad in photos I think. Its real nice in person though. My dSLR picks up even the slightest imperfection in the aluminum, and like I said, I just smoothed out the rough areas as best I could (to keep from thinning out the metal to bad) lots more pics on PhotoBucket.
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"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car." 92' Subaru SVX LS-L Claret http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3214312 for the pics and stuff
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#2
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
paint is going to flake no matter how heat resistant it is... Powder coating will be the best route with trying to color engine parts. It will look good for a while but not for all that long unfortunately. I know from experience, and I now have all my engine components powder coated,
Tom |
#3
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Well I appreciate that Tom, even if it hurts a bit to hear.
I figure it looks good now, maybe it'll last the summer then. I used Ceramic based paint, supposed to withstand grills and such. I also cured the coats with a heat gun as directed by a few professionals. In either case, the covers aren't that hard to remove, and I'll need to check my plugs by next year anyway, so we'll see how long it lasts.
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"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car." 92' Subaru SVX LS-L Claret http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3214312 for the pics and stuff
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#4
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Good job at painting it !
__________________
1994 SVX L - FWD Barcelona Red 190K miles ~ SOLD 1994 SVX LS - 5spd AWD Emerald Green 202k miles PWR Radiator, HID 5000k, New paint job with issues, 17" STI BBS wheels, converted to 5spd AWD from FWD. Purchased from SVXyGirl 2/20/09 -- Undergoing complete rebuild 1993 Justy 4wd 5door- Teal of sorts , beater. 2008 OBXT Newport Pearl 65k miles |
#5
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
not saying it doesn't look good. I hope it lasts longer than the paint I used (hi-temp header paint)
Tom |
#6
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
I Was thinking powder coating would be the best route to take.
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1992 NZDM SVX Maroonish Red/Black ( 1st car ive owned with an cd player ) Has been retired 1989 Vortex 6 Maroon 1983 RX Silver Grey 1973 1400 GSR Yelo 2 Door Coupe awaiting Restoration |
#7
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Isn't powder a LOT more expensive, and doesn't it require a professional to do? I always thought it cost as much as painting your car... What does that run I wonder?
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"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car." 92' Subaru SVX LS-L Claret http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3214312 for the pics and stuff
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#8
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Quote:
Tom |
#9
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Thats not the primer you want to use for aluminum. You need the yellow zinc primer
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#10
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Yes etch primer then sealer,paint.
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Seth 94' Barcelona Red w/ Tricoat black 2-tone AWD Ls -Sold Mods:AWD conversion/4.44 swap by Budfreak, Custom red interior lights, Custom Satin black dash, Power mode switch, Cold air intake, Permecool tranny filter,Sony xplode 10" sub, Sony xplode 1000w amp, Blitz in-line driver, DDM Tuning 6000k HID's, New paint job/body work by me, 97' Grill, QC shift kit, 17'' MB Motoring rims, 15&20 min mod, front & rear urethane swaybar bushings, Custom fiberglass sub box, Custom red led a/c control unit, perrin lightweight crank pulley, Black wrinkle finish powdercoated intake manifold w/ clear hoses , 02' outback heated/power black leather seats Soon to come:Fiberglass hood, upholster ALL suede to black leather Past subies: 92' Pearl White/black top LS-L-SOLD 96' Legacy Outback-TOTALED 99' Legacy Outback Limited 30th anniversary edition-TOTALED 98' Forester L -Totaled Other toys: 99' Forester S -WRX brake upgrade, soon an 04 wrx motor swap 06' B9 Tribeca-Stock 1982' Yamaha xj650 Maxim Mods: work in progress |
#11
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
I had mine ceramic-metallic "cermakrome" coated with a high polish by ThermalTech Coatings. Good to over 1300°
Cost: $40.00 for the pair. See them at Reading. Same company that coated SVXRide's intake manifold. .
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. Subaru Ambassador 1996 Polo Green LSi #216..138,100 miles...SOLD JFICX8659TH100216.....Date of Manufacture: November 16, 1995..... Fuji Heavy Industries..Ōta North Plant....Ōta City,. Gunma Prefecture, Japan In-Service Date: January 2, 1997 "The Pristine Green Polo Machine” First Polo Green on the Network First Clear front turn signals, JDM Alcyone hood emblem, rear panel, and BOXER engine cover on the Network (US) (2000) First 5000K HID factory fog lights (2007) First SVX JDM BBS wheels on a USDM SVX (2013) HID lighting (5000K) for headlight and H3 fog lights, PIAA SuperExtreme 120W high beams, rebuilt EG33 longblock, Cometic head gaskets, Phase II flexplate, AMR aluminum radiator with custom silicone hoses, 160A high-output alternator in aluminum-ceramic coated case, new design alternator wiring upgrade v.4, rare factory headlight protectors, refinished JDM BBS mesh aluminum wheels and custom, polished billet aluminum new hex center caps, LED grille mod, R1 Concepts high-carbon cryo slotted rotors, Akebono ceramic pads, Goodridge S/S braided brake lines, Smallcar Stage 1 shift kit, ThermalTech aluminum/ceramic-coated valve covers, Energy Suspension urethane front & rear swaybar bushings, Bontrager22 rear swaybar with QS Components Chromoly Teflon/Kevlar endlinks, "$15.00/5 minute" suspension mod. Hella Supertone horns, Custom stainless steel exhaust system with 2" headpipes, Magnaflow cats, AeroTurbine AR25 resonator /AWD "Bullet" muffler. R.I.P. 2010 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5 CVT...338,000 miles. Totaled by a 1,300 lb. COW March 4, 2016 2014 Hyundai Avante Limited ...178,000 miles. Actually quieter and smoother than the Outback 2007 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT...102,000 miles. Plenty of parts, service and windshields. 4th Registered Network member —2/21/2001 My NEW locker..I...My Email..I..Wikipedia/SVX . . Last edited by svxcess; 03-14-2009 at 03:20 PM. |
#12
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Well, what's life. I could just strip the paint off the one I already did and get them done right... but I'll probably just swap them anyway and save the originals for when I get more money.
While replacing and removing the front components of the engine, to get to the water pump, I found that lots of my seals are leaking. Case in point, she shows her age! Until I get a garage, I'll probably just invest money in keeping her alive. I've found lots of rust spots in corners of the engine bay, so I'll probably need to pull the motor and redo all that before I get rot, and my car starts separating like an amoeba. It was a great learning experiences though, I never realized how difficult getting into all the little corners and bolt wells would actually be. Really easy to sand though, just not easy to keep from gouging the metal.
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"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car." 92' Subaru SVX LS-L Claret http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3214312 for the pics and stuff
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#13
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Love the red valve cover. It looks as it should have looked from the factory.
Red Wrinkle-coat and polished ridges looks just right... and I have always thought that the intake manifold always needed the reverse. Maybe it would be too "ferrari", but a nice bright silver cast aluminum manifold (maybe painted matte bright silver with appropriate casting-look paint), with red striped ridges, and the center cover, and throttle-body cover logo area both changed from black to wrinkle-red would look fantastic. With a nicely polished high-capacity alternator, and black coolant reservoir and belt cover, and silicone hoses, The engine bay would look just right. It would look especially good with the red/polished stripe valve covers, and silver/red-stripe intake manifold, in the mid-engined sports car I have conjured in my head, with said engine under glass, driving the rear wheels. and with two turbos and two intercoolers, 288 GTO style. Last edited by BoxerFanatic; 04-08-2009 at 11:47 PM. |
#14
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Quote:
svxcess knows... .
__________________
. Subaru Ambassador 1996 Polo Green LSi #216..138,100 miles...SOLD JFICX8659TH100216.....Date of Manufacture: November 16, 1995..... Fuji Heavy Industries..Ōta North Plant....Ōta City,. Gunma Prefecture, Japan In-Service Date: January 2, 1997 "The Pristine Green Polo Machine” First Polo Green on the Network First Clear front turn signals, JDM Alcyone hood emblem, rear panel, and BOXER engine cover on the Network (US) (2000) First 5000K HID factory fog lights (2007) First SVX JDM BBS wheels on a USDM SVX (2013) HID lighting (5000K) for headlight and H3 fog lights, PIAA SuperExtreme 120W high beams, rebuilt EG33 longblock, Cometic head gaskets, Phase II flexplate, AMR aluminum radiator with custom silicone hoses, 160A high-output alternator in aluminum-ceramic coated case, new design alternator wiring upgrade v.4, rare factory headlight protectors, refinished JDM BBS mesh aluminum wheels and custom, polished billet aluminum new hex center caps, LED grille mod, R1 Concepts high-carbon cryo slotted rotors, Akebono ceramic pads, Goodridge S/S braided brake lines, Smallcar Stage 1 shift kit, ThermalTech aluminum/ceramic-coated valve covers, Energy Suspension urethane front & rear swaybar bushings, Bontrager22 rear swaybar with QS Components Chromoly Teflon/Kevlar endlinks, "$15.00/5 minute" suspension mod. Hella Supertone horns, Custom stainless steel exhaust system with 2" headpipes, Magnaflow cats, AeroTurbine AR25 resonator /AWD "Bullet" muffler. R.I.P. 2010 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5 CVT...338,000 miles. Totaled by a 1,300 lb. COW March 4, 2016 2014 Hyundai Avante Limited ...178,000 miles. Actually quieter and smoother than the Outback 2007 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT...102,000 miles. Plenty of parts, service and windshields. 4th Registered Network member —2/21/2001 My NEW locker..I...My Email..I..Wikipedia/SVX . . |
#15
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Re: Valve Cover Painting/ Refinishing
Reading that thread a day or two ago is what gave me the info about the casting-finish paint... You are absolutely right. the thread wasn't immediately at hand, but I should have given credit when I mentioned it.
But what I would try to do, is after the manifolds are cleaned and painted with that silver casting finish paint, (and the silver part of the TB cover, too, after some plastic-bonding primer... for nice bright color match) Is then the four ridges on each manifold half should be painted with red... And the center IRIS valve cover, and the charcoal part of the TB cover should be painted with red, and the four stripes on the center part be reversed to silver, similar to the valve cover paint above. It would obviously be very ferrari-esque... (now if only someone could figure out how to weld together pieces of two or three EG33 engine blocks, to make a flat 12, like the TestaRossa or 512BB engines...) Last edited by BoxerFanatic; 04-09-2009 at 01:43 PM. |
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