69L71

I just cleaned and bead blasted the correct tri-power intake for my 435HP car and am contemplating whether I should paint it aluminum or not. It looks awesome right now but I know it's prone to staining from gas and other crap. The other side is that aluminum paint looks like anything BUT aluminum.

Thoughts?

427Hotrod

This gets tough...the resto crowd will be disappointed with the nice fresh bead blasted look. But we know it looks good.

You can use the POR-15 clear to paint it, but the actual color you get is highly dependent on the media/pressure etc used to blast it. It can vary a good bit from one intake to the next. I've used it several times and it looks good and is tough. The finer the media used the "brighter" the look. If slightly rougher it can get almost gray looking.

One thing I've used on aluminum water pumps and intakes that often looks very nice and replicates the origianl color well, is the "steel wheel" paint that is basically a clear with metallic in it for doing rally wheels. I've had real good luck with it and it's tough and easy to touch up if something happens.


JIM

ORVette

I've got the same problem. The last one I had I used the high temp clear on and it yellowed real bad. You're right about that silver too. I think I may just paint mine black to match my motor. Stealthy like!

Paul L

I used this product and am pleased with the outcome. It does look like aluminum. I did not clearcoat over top as that tends to yellow.






[Modified by paul79, 8:48 AM 2/2/2003]

427V8

Use real automotive paint, like dupont or PPG.
Everything else ( except POR15 ) is crap.

VHT, is cheap cheap cheap.
I put PPG Viper read on my intake and it is in desctuctable!
Spills wipe right off, no yellowing, shiny!

You might want to use a silver tho...

Monty

Powder coating or ceramic coating is a good option. They have powder coats that look exactly like clear coated polished aluminum. Very durable, oil/gasoline resistent finish. A ceramic coated would even provide a potential performance benefit due it's heat insulating properties.

69stingray

Powder coat would be nice. Eastwood company sells an "at home" powdercoat kit, you just need an old stove.

A lot of "hot rod" vehicles have entire painted engine, usually body color. I always wondered what they used. From the previous post, it sounds like they must use exterior grade paint.

69shark

That's what I did for the intake for the 383 I'm building and putting in my 69, looks awesome :cheers:

73 LS-4

One of the great benefits of aluminum is it's heat disspating properties. This is why I normally don't like to put anything over it that could decrease this property by covering up it's exposed surface area. I'd just try and keep up with the bare aluminum if it was me, but It's up to you though.

:cheers:
Pat Kunz

Chris O'

Ditto that. That stuff is a real pita to get off. I scrubbed mine back with a wire brush and it still looks great.

jackson

:iagree:

BigBlockVette

I painted mine a couple years ago with high temp aluminum engine paint and topped it with clear engine paint. It is starting to lift in a few areas. It look bad now. I am going to pull it and strip it this Spring. I am going to blast it and leave it natural. I'll try that route for a bit.

Dwayne
:chevy

Monty

That's true, except in a performance application the manifold is not a heat generating component. Assuming that the coolant crossover restrictor is used on the intake gaskets. The ceramic coating on the intake manifold would prevent heat from the lifter valley oil splash, and radiant heat from the engine compartment, from raising the temp of the intake manifold and thus the intake charge. The ceramic coating serves as an insulator and prevents the intake manifold from being heated by radiant heat. Additional thermal benefits can be gained by coating the intake runners in the manifold, and cylinder head as well. It serves as an additional insulator for the intake charge from the heat generated by the engine.

For every 10F increase in intake charge temp, power is recued by almost 1%. It's may not sound like a significant difference, but it does add up and make the difference.


[Modified by Monty, 10:05 PM 2/2/2003]

69L71

The powder coating and ceramic coatings are nice but not in the budget moneywise or timewise at this point. Paint had to do.

I tried plasticoat engine enamel in the aluminum color and wound up with that cheap, bright, aluminum foil look. So I tried some old Eastwood Rally Wheel Argent (not the greenish stuff), and it was close, but maybe even a bit too dark and flat. So... After 2 coats of the rally wheel paint I fogged the intake from about 18 inches with a light coat of the plasticoat. It came out nice. See below:

Thanks for the suggestions.




[Modified by 69L71, 9:22 PM 2/2/2003]

Paul L

I was dissed for the VHT. But the key is to cure it before manifold install. That means 200F in the kitchen oven for one hour. It is bullet-proof after that.

73 LS-4

Monty, I agree with you on the ceramic coating, my headers are proof of this, they don't get real hot and they dissipate heat fairly rapidly. Paint on the other hand I can see no gain from except for looks and ease of maintenance.

:cheers:
Pat Kunz