Painting engine?

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coffeedart67

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Going to pick up my 273 today and just wondering how to paint the engine, as far as prep and assembly.
What should I wipe it down with to remove any oil, etc? Do I assemble the entire engine, then paint, or tape off cylinders & oil pan area and any onther holes then paint the block, then do the same for the heads and valve covers and oil pan and other parts?
Thanks
 
Clean it good a few times with some degreaser at first and then finish with some dawn dish soap. Let dry and check it again for any grease. You could use prep sol after that but it is not totally necessary. Oh yeah if the paint is shiny thats on there you will need to hit with a scotch brite pad. The brown. Then wash again.

Painting can be done with it assembled. That is how the factory did it. I did mine in pieces because I had it apart and some stuff was still being worked on.
 
I picked up my 273 this week in pieces. I am going to assemble the engine complete less intake manifold on my engine stand. I will loose bolt my old valve covers on the heads just to protect the rocker assys. Then I will wipe it down with laquer thinner and give it a light shot of epoxy primer. Then I will shoot it with my hvlp with a couple coats of bright red single stage urethane enamel. Let it cure and go from there. I hope to assemble the engine during July and have it painted by the end of july. I am still powdercoating my suspension parts at the moment--------------------
Cheers, Rat
 
Are you picking it up from the machine shop? It should be clean but was probably sprayed with WD-40 to prevent surface rust. I bought a gallon of lacquer thinner and sprayed the painted surfaces down before paint. You can scrub with a brush or wipe with a rag if needed. I used compressed air to blow dry just before paint. After prep I sprayed with a self etching primer to prevent flash rust because I didn't paint engine color right away. You can paint the parts individually or as a whole like they did at the factory. I would paint small parts and brackets separately to get them coated better and prevent paint runs in other places. Tape off gasket surfaces and ports and screw in your old spark plugs to plug the holes. Your 273 should be red and the paint I found that is the closest to original color is DupliColor Chrysler Industrial Red #DE1632. I found it at NAPA. Have fun and show us some photos. Good tips guys! Toolman

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What about the kickdown linkage and other misc. parts as far as color, is there a black available other than mailorder for the pulleys and brackets. Not going for a 100 point show, but want it to look as nice as it can on a limited budget. Got 6 pistons left to install, would have finished up last night but wasn't feeling well. The engine builder didn't look at the cam til I picked it up then noticed it would be a little big (.536 lift)so he is going to return it. The block has flash rusted, so will probably wire brush it before paint.
 
If you have a John Deere dealer nearby, stop in and get a can of their semi gloss black. It is high quality paint that covers well and sprays smooth. The gloss is perfect to duplicate the dull gloss Mopar used on their brackets, pulleys, and radiators. Mike

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I've read the great paint debate on which red is right, and on mine there are some parts that look red and some look more orange, and I just got wondering if exposure to forty years of oil, gas and other chemicals or that there are 3 different types of metal involved (cast iron, sheetmetal, and aluminum) could be a factor in the color difference.
Can I prime the parts? If so what kind of primer? Plan on using spray cans. If my last guess is correct than this should give an even background for the paint and result in an even color. Or either I am thinking way too much.
Thanks
Mr. Coffee
 
Another question, does it have to be engine paint? Picked up a few cans of IH red enamal and low gloss black at TSC today. Not so much worried if the red is the exact correct red, because if someone is getting that picky looking at my car, they will find a whole list of flaws, the black will be an experiment, though.
 
coffeedart67 said:
I've read the great paint debate on which red is right, and on mine there are some parts that look red and some look more orange, and I just got wondering if exposure to forty years of oil, gas and other chemicals or that there are 3 different types of metal involved (cast iron, sheetmetal, and aluminum) could be a factor in the color difference.
Can I prime the parts? If so what kind of primer? Plan on using spray cans. If my last guess is correct than this should give an even background for the paint and result in an even color. Or either I am thinking way too much.
Thanks
Mr. Coffee
Click to expand...
I'm sure the difference in metal and heat will change the paint color over the years. I had Prep-sol or Acra-sol (spelling) recommended to me for cleaning oil from the block if the engine has already been degreased. Dry it and prime with self etching primer and paint after a few hours. The primer shouldn't dry more than 12 hours without roughing with scotchbrite. toolman
 
I always just use brake parts cleaner ($2 a can) and wire brushes on a drill, then just wash the block with soap and water.
 
I clean it the best I can and try to take it down to bare metal with a wire wheel on a drill if I don't get it hot tanked , put it all together and sealed up with the parts that will be painted engine color (block, heads, pan, valve covers, ect), chase the moisture out of it with a torch then use engine primer (2 coats) paint (2 or 3 coats) then 2 coats of engine clear.

I just did this one for the 69 D100...

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The slant that is in the 48 Chevy...
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The same slant when it was in a 72 scamp...
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i have to post so i can come back to this post i,m in the same boat. paint shop said lacker will leave a flim . i got a POR metal cleaner and there engine paint. as mine got the flash rust too. it looks like that acid that someone tolded me to use. i have to tape off to day hopeing to paint tomorrow , i will post so pic,s though the whole job.

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A trick my dad taught me way back in the day was to get an old set of spark plugs, and break all the porcelin off them. That way when you're painting the heads, you dont get a shadow of unpainted metal behind the plugs. (And no paint in your motor either!)
Otherwise it's too easy to wind up getting a run in the paint trying to get paint on the head behind the plugs.
 
That's a great tip valve bounce. Sweet slant Scamper. I cleaned mine today and primed and shot a couple coats. It looks pretty good. toolmanmike

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Nice! Hopefully cam gets here early to mid week and can finish the engine, then car goes on trailer to body shop to get estimate and hopefully a "put it over in the corner and should be able to get to it in a week or two", ok I'm dreaming a little there. Dropped carb and radiator off on Friday.
Mike what is the tab on the upper passenger side of the water pump?
 
Allthough I don't have it, I think it's for power steering.
 
Fuel line tab. Kind of a flat metal bracket the line snaps into. They kinda work but not to good. Mine has a crack in it and I need to find one or duplicate it. The fuel line needs to have the correct bends or it stay in the bracket. I don't know if it is a 4 barrel part only. Mike
 
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