Painting a cast iron block with POR15's Kit.

[RustyDusty]

Here is the kit I'm speaking of:
http://www.por15.com/ENGINE-PAINTING-KIT/productinfo/EPKA/

KIT CONTAINS:

POR-15® SOLVENT
MARINE CLEANTM
PREP & READYTM
POR-15® (Black or Silver pending on Engine Enamel color choice)
ENGINE ENAMEL (color of your choice)
Paint Brushes
Safety face mask
Latex surgical gloves


My question is: I've never used POR15, what is it's consistency? Can you use it as a bondo/filler to get a smoother look than the cast iron? I've got some rust pitting that I'd like to hide.

Cheers, and happy Thanksgiving to you all, well those in the USA!
Drake

 

[66plyValiant]

looks to me like a good kit just normal paint flakes eventually

 

[moparornocar72]

The one thing about por15 that i have come to known is once sprayed and cured, it is verrrrry hard to get off, what I did with mine was take a wire wheel on the end of a drill and hit all the spots to get rid of the surface rust, etc etc. Sprayed one coat of primer and then painted it and cleared it. In my opinion it came out looking good. but if you do decide to do the kit let us know how it turned out and post pics!

 

[RustyDusty]

The one thing about por15 that i have come to known is once sprayed and cured, it is verrrrry hard to get off, what I did with mine was take a wire wheel on the end of a drill and hit all the spots to get rid of the surface rust, etc etc. Sprayed one coat of primer and then painted it and cleared it. In my opinion it came out looking good. but if you do decide to do the kit let us know how it turned out and post pics!

That sounds good! What is the consistency of POR15? Will it hide pitting from the existing rust that I'll wire wheel off? Or is it more like water?

 

[Demon 408]

That sounds good! What is the consistency of POR15? Will it hide pitting from the existing rust that I'll wire wheel off? Or is it more like water?

It goes on thick and does flow out to hide small imperfections. I've also brushed it on and it will flow enough that brush marks disapear. However, once it starts to dry don't touch it with a brush or you will get marks. I've had good luck top coating with spray can paint. Wait until POR-15 gets tacky and spray on your top coat. I've used it on chasis and frames, but never on an engine.

 

[dgc333]

I used the hemi orange kit on a slant 6. It held up better than anything else I have tried. After about three years it had lost some gloss but none of it every chipped or peeled.

 

[billytuffnuts]

I used the hemi orange kit on my magnum 360 and overall I'm happy with it. Make sure that the kit you buy comes with the SILVER POR-15. The silver stuff has some metal flakes/filler mixed into it so that it will hide the pitting better. Make sure you do the proper prep procedures or it won't last. Do some research on POR 15.

It needs a 'rough' surface to bond with the metal. This is what the metal-ready stuff does, but ideally a sandblasted finish is best. If the block is rusty, go over it lightly with a scraper and knock the loose rust off. Try to avoid using a wire wheel if you can since it wont bond as well with a smooth surface, but with the metal ready it will allow it.

Make sure all the old paint/dirt/grease/etc... is completely gone. Use the marine clean and degrease it a couple times before the metal ready goes on.

It can be very time consuming (at least it was for me) so make sure you have the entire day to dedicate to this project. I used the brushes to apply the por 15 and top coat. Since the humidity was on the high side when I did it, as soon as I was finished applying one coat, it was time to do the next. You want to apply the next coat when the paint is tacky but dry enough so that it doesnt stick to your finger when you touch it. I did two coats of por 15 and two or three coats of the actual paint.

My only complaint is the consistency of the coverage with each brush stroke. I sometimes had to go over the same spot a couple times until it was fully covered. The brush strokes do seem to go away as the paint dries, once the motor is installed you'd barely notice it if at all.

This may be just me, but the brightness of the paint seemed to fade a little bit after the engine was run and the paint cured, but it still looks good, no chipping or peeling otherwise.

I'd buy some extra paint brushes and gloves if I were you.