Painting your engine

I've painted my engine a high temp semi gloss black. I didn't polish the fins. Although you can do that.

To paint the engine you'll need:

1. A good high temp paint, I used 1500* paint, in the color you want.
2. A pack of the 3m scuff pads.
3. Blue painters tape
4. A few days of newspaper
5. Engine degreaser
6. Bag of tack clothes
7. PepsX stand and jack. Not needed but helps get the bike up and level...made it easier for me.

Ok..this is what the engine looks like in the stock color. I did remove the upper fake fins and painted them off the bike. Remove the exhaust and as much of the stuff that can be removed to make it easier.


Next, clean the engine with a degreaser. Then use a scuff pad to scuff all the engine surfaces you wish to paint. Re-clean the engine and let wipe it down with a tack cloth.

Now, some use prime...some don't. I used a matching 1500* engine paint primer with the paint.

TIP: while cleaning the engine with the degreaser...make sure none gets on the lower chrome pieces. Don't ask how I know.

Nows the time to mask off the entire bike. Mask off as much as you can and double or triple layer the newspaper and double tape the edges.

This is the bike masked off and the engine primered.


And here's a couple shots of the engine painted and back together.





Now, if you want to polish the fins. That's usually done prior to painting.

You'll need...
1. Metal file
2. Sanding block
3. Sandpaper..200-2000 grits
4. Polishing compounds
5. Mothers mini powerball
6. Drill for powerball
7. Pinstripping tape

I'd take the upper half of the fins off...makes it easier to get the small edges and you can do them inside.


Use the metal file on all fin edges to removed the intial surface. Next, take a piece of 200 grit on the sanding block and wet sand the edges. Repeat this all the way to 2000 grit..ie..200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and a final polish with 2000.

Change the water you use between each grit.

Now to really polish them. Use the powerball and aluminum polish. Start at a slow speed and work it faster to avoid slinging the polish everywhere...trust me.

Once it's all polished up, clean the engine, mask off the edges of the fins with the .08 pin stripping tape. Making sure to cover all the fin edges prior to painting the engine.

Here's one with the fins polished

[quote="Toasted_311"]I've painted my engine a high temp semi gloss black. I didn't polish the fins. Although you can do that.

Dandy write up. Did you use Krylon paint?

Biddy

Biddy wrote:

Toasted_311 wrote:I've painted my engine a high temp semi gloss black. I didn't polish the fins. Although you can do that.

Dandy write up. Did you use Krylon paint?

Biddy

Nope...used some high temp engine paint from Autozone...been a year...i'd have to look at the cans. lol I know it wasn't Krylon though.

Think it was the Dupicolor. I'll look. It's holding up good though. A few rock chips.

Toasted_311 wrote:
Nope...used some high temp engine paint from Autozone...been a year...i'd have to look at the cans. lol I know it wasn't Krylon though.

Think it was the Dupicolor. I'll look. It's holding up good though. A few rock chips.

Gotcha and thanks. Looks like you got a good thick coat(s) on it too. I'm thing about doing that very same thing this spring once she comes out of her miserably long hibernation.

Biddy

Looks good, Joe - good write up! I am thinking about doing this as well over the winter. I've got the bike up on the stand now, gettting ready to polish the rims out.

My problem is I need to finish some of the projects that I've started before I start another one. But I really like the look of the painted out engine.

Dave~

painted my engine about 30k ago with 350* engine paint now it started to flake off,going to redo it
with 1200/1500* paint...they do look goood blk...did you get high gloss?....trell

I did mine with duplicolor high heat semi-gloss and love the look. I also polished my fins though and dissasembled half the Bike. I even polished the fins in the back of the engine, front and between the jugs. IT was a ton of work, but the end result looks very sweet if you ask me. Now, it hasn't been washed in about a year and look all grungy but it is going to get a complete overhaul soon and maybe I'll wash it when I pull the tins to paint them again

Oh yeah, the side covers on the right side can be pulled in less time than it takes to mask them and they are just fake covers as there are real covers underneath them so nothing will leak when you remove them.

Good write-up,
George