Safe to paint heads?

supertrick_05 · Post by **supertrick_05** » Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:34 pm

I am planning on a rebuild of the Magnum 2.0 this next Spring and was wondering, since the engine will be out of the car and the block will be painted, is it possible to paint the head? I always see people leave the heads when painting the engines. I'd like to paint the entire engine Hemi orange.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Nov 26, 2012 8:05 am

I have painted three of them now. May or may not work too well if the aluminum is heavily corroded. Fortunately mine were in decent shape. (One was new) I used black Rustoleum Appliance epoxy on them. It seals very well. To paint over it, you need to wait a good 7 days to 2 weeks, or the Engine enamel will wrinkle to hell. The appliance epoxy by itself will not burn off.

I have used rusty metal primer on corroded aluminum to help it bond, and haven't had too many issues.

Mopar Turquoise Engine Enamel

keeper1016 · Post by **keeper1016** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:21 am

The only heads i've painted were iron. I used rustoleum engine primer and paint. Good to 500 degrees. Mine said 7 day cure time on the can. It was on my old truck. Yes it's a Ford 5.0.

It has aluminum intakes though, and I used it on those. I didn't use an epoxy, but they have held up so far. Though they may wrinkle in time. I don't know. Occasional Demons has way more experience than I do. Just my experience so far.

I just have to add though, that is the uh, cutest little fuel rail i've ever seen.

Chris

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:12 pm

Well I have no clue what the appliance epoxy is good for heat wise. It hasn't burned or peeled around the exhaust ports after a couple of years on my standard head, so it must be relatively decent.

The fuel rail, it was painted purple, because I had 24 lb/hr injectors for E85 in it. I painted it, to keep from it getting mixed up with my other rail.

Well that was the plan at the time. But ended up putting it on the daughter's car, as the less than smart person that owned it previously messed up the Schrader valve on hers. The purple suited her just fine, so purple it stayed.

A bit of carb cleaner will take that right off.

keeper1016 · Post by **keeper1016** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:06 pm

occasional demons wrote: The fuel rail, it was painted purple, because I had 24 lb/hr injectors for E85 in it. I painted it, to keep from it getting mixed up with my other rail.

Wow, a flex fuel neon?

occasional demons wrote: Well that was the plan at the time. But ended up putting it on the daughter's car, as the less than smart person that owned it previously messed up the Schrader valve on hers. The purple suited her just fine, so purple it stayed.

That's cool. It ended up in the right place then!

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 9:27 am

Lol, no flex fuel, it is either one or the other.

viewtopic.php?t=27342

keeper1016 · Post by **keeper1016** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:17 pm

occasional demons wrote:Lol, no flex fuel, it is either one or the other.

viewtopic.php?t=27342

Wow, I had no idea people were doing that. I thought that running E85 in a non flex fuel vehicle would damage it because it didn't have the proper sensors, but also because the FF vehicles had hard parts, gaskets and such made of materials designed to handle the alchohol's adverse effects. It sounds like ya'll debunked that! I think I'll stick to the gas for now, though. (10% ethanol gas anyway)

Chris