how do i paint the valve cover?

[BDSax]

powder coating is the way to go. paint is cracking off my m50 valve cover already.

Black Wrinkle on M30B35

[kamotors]

I'm painting mine tomorrow and just using vht crinkle finish.

[ForcedFirebird]

If you want a clean bomb-can on aluminum, you will have to degrease it, etch it with phosphorus, then use aluminum-specific primer. Then it will look good for a while, just make sure you don't ding it, because the paint will come off like a bag of potato chips laying on the interstate.

[3bvert]

powder coat set up is on my wish list

[McGyver]

well if i had powder coating i would, but im just going to try it with VHT paint. it only has to last till i get my new engine!!!!

so i've got the VHT and duplicolor self etching primer. the can didnt have any max temp but i figure it will work right?

[ForcedFirebird]

Front to back: Aluminum color, matte black, semi-gloss black ceramic 2500* coating on some headers I fbricated..

[ForcedFirebird]

I was going to pick up an oven just for powdercoating, my grandma just bought a new one, but her old one was gas. An electric would be much easier.

Also, Summit Racing carries Tiger Drylac powder, they just re-brand it as their own. I just bought Mirror Silver from them for my wheels.

I used to have a heat-treating oven at my old shop, but when we moved, it got "lost" :( it was much larger than a house oven.

Once I got settled in the new shop, I found a double wall oven and did some "fabrication"...

http://s448.photobucket.com/albums/qq202/Forced_Firebird/Powdercoating/?action=view&current=powdercoating006.jpg

I made the top door removable ,and just turn the top oven to "broil" and the bottom one to "bake". It's inside dimensions are 30"x19"x19" :D

EDIT: Check out ColumbiaCoatings.com. I also use this same oven for ceramic coating

[Jand3rson]

I was going to pick up an oven just for powdercoating, my grandma just bought a new one, but her old one was gas. An electric would be much easier.

Also, Summit Racing carries Tiger Drylac powder, they just re-brand it as their own. I just bought Mirror Silver from them for my wheels.

[ForcedFirebird]

I personally don't like painting aluminum parts unless you are using a 2 stage, or at least a mixed paint.

I prefer powder-coating, it's a little bit of start up cash, but you can do all kinds of cool things...



That's gloss black sprayed heavy, then the design polished back off, then the whole thing glass-beaded at 40psi.



Candy translucent blue...



Black chrome...



matte black...






Bought a gun at Harbor Freight for $80, oven off Craigslist for $35 and buy the colors at Columbia Coatings.

[Jand3rson]

Definitely. Who knows how much of that is attributed to the butt dyno, but it feels very snappy.

[e30trooper]

It's an eta with a 325i intake manifold, throttle body, and valve cover. Turner Motorsports chip, with port-matched intake inlets on the head.

Nice! Pulls better up top?

[Jand3rson]

Josh, whats with the engine? Was this a I head swap? just a eta? I noticed you placed the ICV where it should be for a b25. Just wondering..clean eng bay!

It's an eta with a 325i intake manifold, throttle body, and valve cover. Turner Motorsports chip, with port-matched intake inlets on the head.

[e30trooper]

Josh, whats with the engine? Was this a I head swap? just a eta? I noticed you placed the ICV where it should be for a b25. Just wondering..clean eng bay!

[BDK]

I used a self etching primer about 3 very light coats, fills in any scratches that you might have and then hit it with a couple coats of krinkle coat...
if you let it dry in the sun, it will krinkle more fwiw....
I also clear coated mine when done,
don't know if I would do that again or not, looks good but hard to tell if there is a leak of any kind cuz it looks wet...

[Atreus]

janderson, slight question since we're talking about brushes here.

with the aluminum parts, and brushes, i notice there are two types of brush metal material,
stainless steel, and some weird other steel....Neither of those would be good for aluminum valve covers??? what about a brass wire brush? i never see the nylon ones, and sometimes the grease is really caked on...