Paint the engine

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Paint the engine.

Personal safety

Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.

Safety check

• Work in a well ventilated area and use a painter’s face mask.
• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• Ensure all holes are plugged or masked to prevent paint from getting into the engine.

Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Prepare engine parts for painting
   It is not necessary to coat any aluminum parts of the engine as they resist corrosion well, but any pressed steel covers or cast iron pieces should have a coat of high temperature rated engine paint.
   One way to prepare the engine parts for painting is build an empty shell of the long block and then paint everything. It may look strange all one color when nothing else is bolted to the engine, but it will look better after all the accessories have been reinstalled.
   Here is the painting process shown in reverse. Put in all the bolts you want to have painted but make sure you fully tighten at least four bolts for the heads and the intake. You don't need any gaskets or internal parts though, no crank, rods or a cam. The covers will mask off all the big openings but for all the other holes, use some masking tape and cut around the edges with a razor blade.
2. Remove grease residue before painting
   When all the masking is done, wipe all the surfaces to be painted with lacquer thinner to prep the surface and remove any grease residue. Put some old spark plugs in the heads and make sure you are in a ventilated area.
3. Paint the engine
   Then put on a painter's mask and spray the engine with your favorite color of engine paint.
   You can also spray a coat or two on any accessories that you want to protect and smarten up with some color.