Orange Powder Coat on Intake & Manifold ?

bobtile said:

How rude!




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bobtile said:

How rude!




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Budnicks said:

I have a few questions


Disclaimer;
Please don't take this what I say below the wrong way,
it's not meant as a bad thing !!,
I love "all your work" I've seen so far
you're a great contributor & great giving person too

Thank you! Don't apologize for anything -- it's what I'm here for, and there's no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer. People are forum members because each of us has a contribution to make, and together we create a VERY powerful force of knowledge. I'm delighted to do my part.



BUT;
I think some stuff I've heard over the many years, building & racing
is an old wifes-tale & but it still has made me very weary/hesitant anyway...
Could you verify or denie !!
If you could or know please ?

I've rarely ever had engine parts powder-coated
"mainly used on my many different racecars"
I've had a shitload of stuff like, rear axle housings, brake calipers,
suspension components & even a full F/C chassis powder-coated,
hands down tougher than paint ever was,

My concerns & what I'd like clarified
#1 extra weight is a big deal too,
how much different is it than paint ? if any

When it's done right, powder coating is only a few mils thick (3-7 if a primer is used). Each powder has its own specific gravity rating but I could not find any actual research as to whether it weighs more, less or the same as corresponding coats of wet paint. The industry experts at The Powder Coating Institute don't seem to have any research on point either but mine was a quick search; they have LOTS of articles so someone may have better luck than I did.


#2 concerns about heating certain parts up to 400*+
warping or distortion, could be a factor on some stuff too

Very thin metals can distort somewhat under curing heat (but they and body panels will also warp during the blasting process too if you aren't careful and/or concentrate the media in one spot too long because the process itself creates heat).

This Metal Melting Point Chart might be illustrative here. Note that very few are impacted at such low temperatures, and none of those metals are made into car parts (i.e., Babbitt, Mercury, Phosphorus, Selenium, etc.)

The most repeated rumor is about aluminum / alloy rims cracking after coating but I've never seen it happen or received a customer report that it did later, though admittedly I don't do a lot of aluminum or alloy rims (especially used ones but for different reasons).

The NHRA no longer allows powder coated chassis not because it causes defects in the metal, but because it masked defects in the metal which caused quite a few people to get hurt.

I also read about QA1 on FABO a few years back who blamed its customer's suspension parts' installation problems on powder coating but can't find the thread right now. Anybody remember it??

I like the durability of powder-coating
IMO it looks better & doesn't distort or yellow like paint...

#3 allegedly retains the eat in the part longer"
less porosity or something like that, so the part doesn't dissipate heat as well
{like as raw alum., intakes, cylinder-heads, water-pumps etc. or what ever is being powder-coated}

I think if that was really true then no auto manufacturer would have ever painted anything from the factory. Just like the paint weight question, available on-point research from a reliable source (other than your neighbor's father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate who told you) doesn't seem to exist.

If actual research results did exist, I suppose there wouldn't be any rumors about any of that stuff.

The one thing I will recommend to everyone considering it is to do your own research. Do not rely on photos if you can help it, especially if they're taken from a few feet away. If you can personally talk with a coater's references and prior customers, manhandle the parts yourself and inspect them closely, you'll have a better chance of finding the right one for you.

Some shops are on flat rate while others are hourly; some offer discounts. Some coaters are highly experienced and others have been open six months or less (and chances are good they'll be practicing their craft on YOUR STUFF). Don't be afraid to ask questions, and don't be too shy to run back out the door if you see something you don't like. Different from other industries, powder coating has virtually no regulation and anyone can do it for themselves or for profit whether they know what they're doing or otherwise. Don't fall victim to a rookie ... because it's likely the only thing you'll receive for your money is a substandard job and an apology.


In my case really I didn't do powder-coating on "engine stuff"
{again it's all mainly dedicated racecars}
because there was rumors about the "powder-coated parts"

Is any of that stuff actually true ?
or is it just wifes-tales ?
I do trust your professional opinion...

it seems paint would be very similar too...

Seems most the parts, block & heads etc. painted on my altered
or my Pro-Gas & Top Sportsman stuff Outlaw Pro-Stock "would yellow some"
show signs of heat, it's/they're no street car, they were dedicated racecars
it's a real racecar, that goes thru sever heat cycles, especially hot-lapping
no matter who's paint I used, especially when using a base/clear-coat
style paints

but;
I was hesitant to use powder-coating for the few concerns/reasons stated above,
by friends & fellow professional racers alike...
I hope you could set the story straight...
Are my fears & concerns founded or reasonable ?
or is it just BS ?

It's BS. Powder coating has been around for more than a half century. It's only the last couple of decades that it's filtered down to us motorheads, mainly used by appliance manufacturers and the military before that. It's gotten extreme and worthy attention the last few years for its Green Technology, limited VOC content and energy efficiency versus the hazards and costs of wet paint systems. More and more companies are going to powder over paint for many reasons. (Check out the Powder Coating Magazine and Powder Coated Tough on the home page of the Institute's link I posted earlier and you'll see what I mean.)

I do know the piston coatings & header coatings are both
proven HP makers & engine savers...
do you do any of that type stuff ? Cudachick/Leanna

No I don't. You can actually do dry film lubricants, thermal barrier and thermal dispersement coatings yourself. All you need is the stuff, an air brush and a toaster oven to cure the pistons, rods, etc.

Thanks in advance...

Thank YOU for asking! Don't ever hesitate to hit me up if any of you have questions or concerns. If what I do isn't the best choice for your application, I'll be the first one to tell you.

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bm02tj said:

She is not rude she just disagrees with you and she knows 1000 times more about powder than any of us

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CudaChick1968 said:

Sorry Bob, I hope you and the angry villagers can excuse my rudeness. I disagreed only because it will hold up fine on intakes, valley pans, valve covers, pulleys, and other engine parts exposed to normal engine heat. You DO NOT want to use a cosmetic powder like those I posted earlier on exhaust components though because it won't hold up to those temperatures; high temp ceramics are for headers and exhaust manifolds.

Budnicks, I'll be with ya in a minute.

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68 HEMI GTS said:

My intake is powder coated, holds up fine. Only issue is it’ll come off around the bolts that hold the intake on if you put in on and off a few times. Valve covers are powder coated also. I did both with the Eastwood kit myself.

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My cross ram is also powder coated, had it done professionally over 10 years ago now.
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CudaChick1968 said:

I think I messed this up by answering your questions within your quote @Budnicks. Please Click To Expand! Sorry guys.

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Budnicks said:

Thank you, your great
for the well written answers, it's much appreciated too...

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not so famous bob said:

Question for cuda chick ; will powder coat work over moroso A-B epoxy ?? HUH, do u know huh ?? lol

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