Engine repaint

[AnthonyG]

Beings I did internal work & have my engine out of my ‘35 I thought I’d repaint before reinstall. It was brute yellow & w all the chrome & polished alum. Looked good but found it’s very hard to keep clean looking. Was thinking the original Ford engine green? Not sure it’d look good w chrome & Alum. Bling? Any thoughts or color suggestions? Also was thinking black as it goes w everything. Thinking darker color w the way the dirt & oil get black would blend in

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by AnthonyG

Beings I did internal work & have my engine out of my ‘35 I thought I’d repaint before reinstall. It was brute yellow & w all the chrome & polished alum. Looked good but found it’s very hard to keep clean looking. Was thinking the original Ford engine green? Not sure it’d look good w chrome & Alum. Bling? Any thoughts or color suggestions? Also was thinking black as it goes w everything. Thinking darker color w the way the dirt & oil get black would blend in

The original "Ford" green looks black unless your in direct sun light. I personally think the "original" 35 engine with the "original" aluminum heads and "fresh" aluminum intake manifold look very sharp. JMO

[Tim Ayers]

I like black. My buddy, who worked at high end street rod shop, gave me a few tips to painting an engine.

1) Clean it like you are doing surgery. Once done, clean it again.
2) If using a brush, use foam brushes
3) You don't need high temp paint. Use it if you have it, but you don't need to. Think of all the street rods in the '80's/90's that were running around with pastel colored engines. That was the same paint they used on the bodies.

[AnthonyG]

0FA5B447-110A-4462-8F9B-94224E87FA48.jpgOriginal color when new assembled. Current paint condition, enlarged u can see how dirty even after cleaning!

[19Fordy]

This was painted 20 years ago and still looks decent. Bill Hirsch engine enamel. Pick a color that looks good with your car color without saying "Look at me".

[JSeery]

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I'm a big fan of Bill Hirsch enamel, brushed on.

[flatheadmurre]

I like the ford blue with black filter, pan and pumps/pulleys.
Otherwise it was red for hotrods and black for the rest...

[AnthonyG]

Thx for the inputs & ideas. Gotta make up my mind now

[A bones]

Jest so ya know. The big dragster guys all claimed black paint lowered the temp.

[mfirth]

I'm with JSeery; Hirsch, Orange & brush. I've had 2 engines with Hirsch paint. One brushed on over old crap paint & it lasted for years. The other sprayed.......brushing is easier. I didn't want to have to keep alm. heads clean, so painted them with Hirsch Packard grey....easy to clean & looks new 2 years old. my >50 cents worth or.......

[jim1932]

I am going to do mine Chevy Grey. A tongue in cheek of having "Chevy" under the hood. This was just a test spray on a side cover.

[flatheadmurre]

Originally Posted by jim1932

I am going to do mine Chevy Grey. A tongue in cheek of having "Chevy" under the hood. This was just a test spray on a side cover.

Ford GPW engines is also grey and commonly available from jeep suppliers.

[chap52]

The VHT (High Temp) rattle can spray paint that you can get at Auto Zone works great and is extremely durable. There are several colors to choose from. I have used it for years and found that a spray bottle with 90% rubbing alcohol (Wal Mart) and an old t-shirt cleans it up nice.
Hint, when you come to parts, studs, bolts, nuts, etc. that you don't want to paint instead of using masking tape to protect them, use pieces of aluminum foil. Easy on, easy off. Chap

[RalphM]

I painted mine with red Caliper paint. Transmission too. Seems to be holding up very well.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by chap52

The VHT (High Temp) rattle can spray paint that you can get at Auto Zone works great and is extremely durable. There are several colors to choose from. I have used it for years and found that a spray bottle with 90% rubbing alcohol (Wal Mart) and an old t-shirt cleans it up nice.
Hint, when you come to parts, studs, bolts, nuts, etc. that you don't want to paint instead of using masking tape to protect them, use pieces of aluminum foil. Easy on, easy off. Chap

Love the aluminum foil tip. Thanks!

[Aarongriffey]

Aluminum foil! Ya great tip. After removing it and the paint is dry you should be able to use it a few more times.

[AnthonyG]

Thx! All good ideas. Just a side note, yellow paint what ever Mfgr it was was very durable, no chips or flaking off just couldn’t get clean looking after driving a few yrs. afraid w lighter colors will have same issue. Will use old Ford dark green w black oil pan & oil filter.
Thx again for inputs

[jack99]

I always spray starting fluid on an engine before I paint. It does a great job de-greasing anything.

[50fordcoupeman]

I use pieces of garden hose cut into about 4" lengths to slip over the spark plugs. I like the aluminum foil idea too.

[john in illinois]

aluminum foil idea is one off the best tips I have seen in quite a while.

John

[AnthonyG]

All great ideas. My repaint won’t be as hard as I had engine apart w heads, oil pan, distributor, carb’s, headers, & starter off. Premasked heads & intake on the bench & set on engine w a couple bolts each effectively using them as masking for the block. Seemed easier anyway! Left only the exhaust & distributor holes to mask on block.

[38bill]

Hope you plan on stripping the old yellow paint off. Any chip in the new darker paint and the yellow underneath would stick out like a sore thumb.

[AnthonyG]

38bill, I admire ur energy fortitude😁! I don’t have that much left @ 70😂! I’ve removed loose paint w wire wheel / drill motor & cleaned w brake cleaner & will wipe w paint thinner. Also will do at least three coats of durable engine paint. After that I’ll live w it & call it Patina😂. If I didn’t have to remove the engine for the work I had to do it wouldn’t have even gotten any new paint

[Talkwrench]

POR make engine paint "Ford green" which you can brush on, you'd never know on the cast block but the pan you may have a few streaks of that worries you, probably depending on the brush etc .

[tubman]

That engine looks great, but the green seems a little, ehh, light.

[Tinker]

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Old ford green, is really quite dark and drab. military looking. But there was later green colors for ford engines that are lighter. Pioneer made a good early match one but I don't think they make it anymore.


Hirsch to me is a bit light, but very very good. Roy had a good match for early ford.


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=195644



Non-ford. I've seen one a flake copper tangerine. Yes I wouldn't like to clean that motor.


Color can be subjective if doing your own thing. I'm not a big red or yellow guy mostly. It really depends on what you want.

[Talkwrench]

Originally Posted by tubman

That engine looks great, but the green seems a little, ehh, light.

Cant remember but its probably the flash, its a little darker than that.

[mfirth]

I think Talkwrench,, that your color looks more like 50 Mercury green ?? Looks like a friends 50 Merc to me. 02 cents, or nonsense.....
It will look GR8 put together, it's a FLATHEAD !!!!

[tubman]

^^ THat's what I thought, too.^^

[Mart]

I have a black painted engine. Gloss black. it isn't great for spotting oil leaks and water leaks.

Looks ok though. Here in the UK Hammerite do a smoothrite gloss green which looks ok on the old flattys.

[A bones]

Originally Posted by jack99

I always spray starting fluid on an engine before I paint. It does a great job de-greasing anything.

Hey jack99
I use start fluid for a quick clean up. However, respectfully, you need to know that some start fluids contain a cylinder lubricant. So when getting ready for paint I rely on a prep solvent designed to degrease. Always a winner.

[Tinker]

Acetone is cheap. dries quick.

.

[AnthonyG]

018EE808-63DC-4B94-ABEC-24010A132AF1.jpgThinking looks pretty good even though my masking skills r in question gotta get a bottle of touch up for my imperfect masking