painting a block.

was just thinking about painting my block. the paint and is chipping off the oil pan. any suggestions....

i was thinking i would just wire brush what i can. clean it a little with some cleaner and getting some autozone high heat engine paint....

comments??

would really like to know a more efficient way of stripping paint. i HATE wire brushing its a pain in the ***.

 

you could take it somewhere and have it sandblasted. i picked up a little sandblasting thing from harbor freight that works pretty good for 15 dollars (34 oz abrasive blast gun). picked up some sandblasting sand from tractor supply for like 7$ for a 50lb bag. just make sure you close all the holes up real good.it is a lot better than wire brushing, faster and cleaner. i really hate wire brushing too.

 

Here's how I painted a greasy engine:

1. Degrease DRY engine with Gunk engine degreaser. Use a stiff brush to agitate the grease.
2. Hose it off, let it dry
3. Use a wire brush to knock off the dried brown grease chunks. Now that the oil is washed out of the grease it'll be like hard dirt and easy to brush off.
4. Repeat 1 thru 3 until it's pretty clean
5. Sand edges of loose paint until you get back into paint with good adhesion.
6. Wash with hot water and straight Simple Green
7. Rinse with hot water, let it dry
8. Paint

It's not fast or easy but it doesn't risk sand contamination.

 

Another way is to use a good stripper after the block is cleaned. Its as easy as applying w/ a brush and washing off after it sets awhile. It'll usually do pretty good on old engine paint. Do not use sand on an operating engine. You will get it somewhere you don't want to.:v6:

 

sounds good. ill prolly try something like this.

 

oven cleaner
repeat oven cleaner
rinse
paint

this worked great for me

 

now i was reading somewhere that i should paint the block with some high heat paint on the block that resistant up to 1200 degrees.and up to 500 degrees on the valve covers that what not.....

the block paint from autozone is only rated to 500 degrees. would that still work for the whole block and all??

thanks, Matt

 

The high heat stuff is for headers and exhaust manifolds. Your engine block better not ever see temps of 500*. You'll start melting stuff. Engine temp runs just above your water temp. Factors like material thickness and coolant flow will cause hot spots but nowhere near 500*.

Also if you use the simple green be sure it's all rinsed off before you paint. It and paint don't like each other.

I've never tried it on paint but oven cleaners are very, very good at removing grease and dirt and from what little experience I've had w/ it I bet it does a number on paint too.:v6:

 

Oven cleaner (easy off) works great. That's how I stripped my 82 chevy 1/2 ton. If you don't like that idea, use aircraft stripper.

 

Just got my POR15 paint catalog today, they have some good stuff in there with a engine painting kit. It comes with a Degreaser, cleaner, metal etch and paint, looks real nice, but a few bucks!

 

right on. well i got myslef some aircraft paint stripper and some brake cleaner. im going to pressure wash it. let it dry than use the paint stripper... scrape off what i can. than wire brush what i can...than prolly pressure wash it again and let it dry than brake cleaner it...than use some 500degree block paint from auto zone....

sound good??

 

por paint is nice but I think a little pricey....good paint depends on GOOD prep I would use a lesser quality paint over excellent prep,but wouldn't use excellent paint over poor prep....just my 15 years worth........

 

Most automotive machine shops have a hot tank, they submerse the parts over night and it strips to the bare metal, last time I had machine work done I took the valve covers intake exhaust manifolds and pan and I think they charged $10.

 

Oven cleaner worked the best for me, aircraft stripper is good for stripping paint that you dont need to worrie about wires, vacume lines and such.
Try the oven cleaner, use easy off it works best the cheaper kind is not as strong.I would spray on the oven cleaner then drive the Jeep to carwash, by the time you get there the oven cleaner has had time to bake off most old paint and grease then water will remove most of the rest. When you paint the engine just take your time and it will look great.

 

ill try that.