Painting Engine bay...Primer or sealer ?

[rustytoolss]

Not sure what to use on engine bay before final paint which will be BCCC. Primer or sealer. Can I get by using rattle cans for this ?.... Someone before me painted the engine bay black. I doing a complete color change on the car. From Sandstone beige to Cordovan Burgundy.

 

[BigFlo]

If you’re going to do engine bay in body color, do the same as you would on the body. I would not use rattle can because you never know the compatibility with your top coat. You don’t want to put all that work in, to find problems with your top coat.

 

[dvw]

As far a primer or filler for that matter. How nice do you want it? are ther pits, dents, gouges? I certainly would be afraid to spray over rattle can black. As far as using rattle can? It doesn't stand up to fuel, brakleen, carb cleaner very well. If its down to factory paint/metal sealer would at least make the paint adhere.
Doug

 

[JG71B]

You prep it the same as the body. If they did a decent job and their paint is sticking then just scuff it seal it and shoot it, but if they painted it black, that should tell you everything on what to do next

 

[Canadian1968]

Can do it 2 ways, cheap and quick and hope fro the best ..... use a rattle can.

what you should do is strip whatever is on there , at least the black . Degrease the hell out of everything. If you have a lot of bare metal honestly the best thing is to put a coat of epoxy down, but a good quality DTM primer will also do. Primer and sealer are the same thing. Sealer is simply primer reduced down to be thinner and spray better for a wet on wet application.

For an engine bay I am fan of single stage. Even with a metallic color, there are so many angles and edges in an engine bay, your not going to see any tiger striping or poor metallic orientations if you don't nail down the application.

The engine bay , all thought you don't see a a lot of it, does typically take more abuse the most of the car. Especially from chemicals . A simple 1K areosole can just won't stand up to anything. On the other hand they do offered 2k areosole can of everything now ( epoxy, primer , clear coat , color ).

Do it once do it right ......

 

[AR67GTX]

You can pretty safely paint lacquer over urethane but painting urethane over lacquer will not work. Without knowing what was used to black out the engine compartment (and a good likelihood it was cheap rattle can lacquer) I would be afraid to paint over it. I would sand as much of it off as you can and talk to your local paint supplier and see if he thinks a coat of sealer before the color coat will be safe or if something like a coat of epoxy primer might be safer.

Canadian1968 posted while I was typing. Concur with everything he said.

 

[eldubb440]

good prep and epoxy primer..... most epoxies can be reduced and used as a sealer; but sanded epoxy will make for a much nicer job...... you're probably gonna want to fill some pitted areas and other eye sores anyway........... the job is only as good as it's weakest link. Like anything else, you get out what you put in.

 

[F4R/T]

Strip it, and clean it good and use the best materials you can afford and get. Just remember you don’t want to do it again. I’m currently doing my engine bay on my 68. It was born white, then got a bad black coat over the car, then two different shades of red... but no rust!!!! So I can handle it! It will be done in the correct red for 68 not white, engine is getting overhauled as is everything else , it’s being driven and it’s for my wife and family to enjoy so I want it to be the best it can be.

 

[Runcharger]

Before doing anything I clean it with wax and grease remover twice. Then sand down to at least the factory primer and bare metal. Wipe it down twice again wit wax and grease remover. Then etching primer, then epoxy. Seal it then the same paint as the exterior.
I am experimenting with rattle can covered by spray can 2K clear on this bike, I'll see how it looks in a couple of years after gas spills and sunshine but I wouldn't recommend this method until I've tested it.

 

[eldubb440]

Not sure what to use on engine bay before final paint which will be BCCC. Primer or sealer. Can I get by using rattle cans for this ?.... Someone before me painted the engine bay black. I doing a complete color change on the car. From Sandstone beige to Cordovan Burgundy.

how much has been disassembled? is it wide open, or are you working around things?

 

[sam dupont]

I'm planning to take my next one to the sandblaster. Maybe someone will correct me and save me, but I don't see the possibility of warping or damaging anything.

 

[eldubb440]

I'm planning to take my next one to the sandblaster. Maybe someone will correct me and save me, but I don't see the possibility of warping or damaging anything.

I prefer a blasted engine bay, that's why I was asking the level of disassembly

fast and easy if things are sealed up

put a coat of epoxy over the blasted metal and it becomes a clean canvas

 

[F4R/T]

I’m using walnut shells on my 68, I have removed every thing and preparing to blast it next week. I was told they are a good option. I have remove everything on mine.

 

[F4R/T]

What do you guys use for media ?

 

[eldubb440]

I don't think the walnuts will clean the rust pits...... I use 000 sand on everything, I'm sure someone will suggest otherwise; but it works for me on everything outside of my blast cabinet

K frame and suspension were removed after the fact and not reused

 

[1KoolBee]

Some dumbass kid (me) spray-bombed my bees engine bay black back in the 70’s. In 1997 it took me and my cousin 40 man-hours removing everything, cleaning, scrubbing, sanding and wiping down repeatedly with wax and grease remover. We then primed the bare metal spots, and sprayed sealer over primer and factory paint. Then tacked it 3-4 times and shot factory color with single stage catalyzed enamel right in my driveway. Turned out great, still looks great today, but man it was a lot of work. Do it right or do it twice. Good luck.

 

[eldubb440]

I recently sealed up a running engine with duct tape and blasted the rattle can paint off of it; it can be done without the sand F-ing things up

 

[roadrunnerh]

@eldubb440 Mark, when are you going to paint my '68 RR?

 

[R413]

Rattle can paint will wipe off pretty easily with paper towels and the proper brake cleaner. Some of it eats paint, some won't touch it. Napa brand #4810 works.

 

[eldubb440]

@eldubb440 Mark, when are you going to paint my '68 RR?

you tell me.....


and just to add....... oven cleaner or ZEP purple cleaner and a power wash can do wonders