Engine painting/cleanup tips

[Oildog]

Hey all, I'm looking for tips on painting my engine block and cleaning up the front dress hardparts on my Explorer engine. The engine has the typical surface rust of an unpainted block. The engine is going to stay intact and isn't being disassembled internally. Just want to freshen it up with some Ford Blue Paint and clean up the grimy aluminum parts of the Serp setup, valve covers and intake manifolds. Looking for tips on block prep before paint and best way to clean up the aluminum stuff...was thinking maybe soda blasting the aluminum stuff and hi temp clearing them and just hitting the block with wire brushes to remove as much rust as possible, then priming and painting with hi temp paint...what do you all think?

 

[bigpitbull]

I have a 5.0 that i cleaned up a couple years ago.. I used a degreaser and then painted with VHT paint.. looked great and has held up well.

 

[Rox Crusher]

I hot tanked and then sand blast the aluminum brackets and intakes

then I painted them CAST COAT ALUMINUM engine enamel and then clear coat

They turned out so nice I should have signed them like a limited edition painting

;D

on the block, mine didn't have a lot of rust but I just cleaned it up real good with brillo pads followed by nylon brush and compressed air. then the ol blue

 

[Oildog]

Thanks for the tips...where do you get the Cast Coat Aluminum paint?

 

[Rox Crusher]

Thanks for the tips...where do you get the Cast Coat Aluminum paint?

Oreilly or Napa

It is a high heat engine enamel

 

[swampu]

Anything you don't want paint on use tin foil to cover. Hoses and brackets. It's a lot easier than blue tape. I painted my boat motors and that stuff is great.

 

[TN1776]

I used the POR15 engine painting kit with great results. It is a very high solids paint and it goes on to cast surfaces great with a brush believe it or not. Smooth surfaces not so much.

A friend of mine painted a junkyard block with that kit then years later when he decided to rebuild the engine, the machine shop called him asking what he painted the engine with as it was still on the block after several days in the hot tank!