TL: DR - What is the easy way to prep the block and valve cover for paint?
I'll soon need to pull the engine out of the datsun replica so I can put the firewall in. The firewall is red and white
so I would like to paint the engine in a simple red and white scheme. I'm
thinking a red block with a white valve cover (....that has red datsun lettering), and the air cleaner covers (dual cleaner, dual carb) painted white with red lettering on them.
What is the easy way to prep the block and valve cover for paint?
What are the biggest mistakes people make?
Are there any specific degreasers or chemicals you'd recommend?
Is it necessary to wire brush the engine to get rid of all the oxidation?
[yes, it was stupid to paint the firewall in advance. yes, it will need to be touched up afterwards.]
What is the easy way to prep the block and valve cover for paint?
If the engine is going to be out of the chassis that makes it a lot easier. I'd scrape as much gunk and dirt off as possible first with putty knives, screwdrivers, wire brushes, or whatever else will work, then use a solvent degreaser like Gunk, followed by a general purpose cleaner like Simple Green, and finally wiping it down with a paint prep product or acetone.
What are the biggest mistakes people make?
Not getting it clean enough. If you're getting any residue on your cleaning cloth or paper towel when you wipe down the surface, it's not clean enough.
Are there any specific degreasers or chemicals you'd recommend?
As mentioned above.
Is it necessary to wire brush the engine to get rid of all the oxidation?
If there's rust, yes. A circular or cup wire brush in a drill works well.
Am I correct to think that the intake and all the accessories and drive pullies need to be removed?
[like I said, I've literally never done this sort of thing]
I would strongly recommend painting the engine not red and white. It will look way to busy in there. Personally I'd find a classic Datsun engine color and paint the motor that color. You don't want to clash with that firewall.
tuna55
PowerDork
8/1/13 1:22 p.m.
Don't ever put white on an engine - I did that. ONCE.
Some well known oxymorons:
Military intelligence
Jumbo shrimp
Original copy
Quick and easy detailing
Duplicolor black ceramic engine paint
Oooh! Thanks guys, I didn't even think of clashing, or of the pain in keeping white clean. The body is going to be tan and chocolate so it resembles the original car:
but with open sides on the engine bay. What about a tan engine?
(OTOH, Fasted58 is right....black would not show dirt and grime so easily.)
Cummings engine paint is a tan/beige as I recall...might be a source for authentic engine paint.
Cummings Beige
FSP_ZX2 wrote:
Cummings engine paint is a tan/beige as I recall...might be a source for authentic engine paint.
Cummings Beige
Oh, good find. Has anybody had durability problems with this stuff?
I have used engine paint on wheels, it works well because it is not heat sensitive and impervious to chemicals used to clean brake dust etc. Its all in the prep...same as any paint.
stuart in mn wrote:
Is it necessary to wire brush the engine to get rid of all the oxidation?
If there's rust, yes. A circular or cup wire brush in a drill works well.
Here's a picture of the engine in the engine bay.
I guess I'll have to start with the wire brush. (I figure that's safer than a wire wheel around the numbers cast on the block.) I can use the wire wheel on other parts.
scrape it, wire brush it, degrease it, rinse it, spray it..
I just brought home a 3M rust removal pad to play with.
I vote for black block, tan (body color) valve covers with black lettering. 
EastCoastMojo wrote:
I vote for black block, tan (body color) valve covers with black lettering.
I like that. If I go that route (likely), I will also do the air cleaner covers in tan (...with some black lettering on them, too.)
Well, under the grime it looks like the block is the same light blue as the donor's body.
That won't do. Once everything is sufficiently clean, I'll remove rattle can it black
