hey. just painted my valve cover and one of the sites I looked at for tips recommended baking it at 200 degrees to set the paint. seems alil extreme.. any thoughts? The paint I used is rated to 500 degrees.
i don't know about baking... i used reg. automotive paint w/clear... i have used rattle can auto paint with no problems. ...Frank...
I never have, and it's always holds up for me. I use engine paint. I would think it would make your house smell..
ok. everything seems to point to no baking. Wasn't sure if maybe it cured it or something before being on the hot engine. worth asking about.. And yes. I imagine it would smell horrible!
I've done it many times on cast aluminum valve covers, using the cheap 99 Cent walmart paint. I only bake it on the clear stage, and it works great! Here's the "how to" where i learned: http://www.d-series.org/forums/diy-forum/82600-diy-paint-your-own-valve-cover.html I wouldn't do it on stamped steel/aluminum though.
That's a pretty good article. i bookmarked it in case i decide to try this again. didn't really come out like i had hoped. Used some rustoleum type stuff on the air filter and it came out nice and smooth and shiny. Then gloss engine paint came out shiny, but not as shiny so I tried to give it another coat... came out even duller. I guess I could clear coat it, but don't know if it's worth the hassle. looks better than before i guess.. Maybe it'll look better in the morning.
sorry dude. been mad at everything maverick related for the past couple of days. I'll get something posted when I get my head back on straight and actually care again. should have center caps on by then too.
If you live where it is very humid, baking metal items can be a benefit. This includes prior to and between each coat of paint, as well as after the final coat. The idea is to chase out humidity, and it does help set the paint. What we were dealing with was an application of candy lacquer paint over polished metal (no primer). By definition, that application is a worst case scenario, the soft paint should peel easily, but this did help significantly. People in drier climates did not notice much of a difference and had decent adhesion overall. 200 to 225 degrees was the upper limit for the lacquer, being a soft paint. Any more heat would burn it. Do not use an oven that will later be used for food. These were small items, and old toaster ovens were used, available at any thrift store. For valve covers, I don't think you would notice much difference. Perhaps baking prior to painting could help get rid of residual oils and humidity. I would think that the first time you run the engine, it would set the paint and cure it extra-hard, so baking it after paint would be redundant. I would just be careful to not spill oil on them until heated. Incidentally, when painting aluminum, you can typically get away without using a primer. Aluminum is a very porous metal, and many paints adhere fine to it in a clean bare state. Wash with regular dish soap and give it plenty of time to dry.
