I wanted to replace the spark plug conduit on my engine but was scared to remove the head acorn nuts for something minor like that after reading some of the risks of head stud problems especially with older long stud engines. Just a thought.
David
68 E-type FHC
yep Id suggest glove up , either lacquer thinner or acetone, even brake cleaner might work esp if it has stayed tacky when warm , wear a mask . i’d warm up engine , not hot.( fire bad ) and work on it in stages with some small brushes and rags etc… that how I got the crappy paint off my valley that was peeling . though paint was easier to get off.
Brake fluid might work even better.
you must use a real mask with special carbon cartridge in my experience or you are asking for permanent personal damage. i do have some. jj
R95 mask not just N95
Furthering the process here:
I would not remove the head nuts or cam covers.
Remove the spark plug clips and pull back the wires and harness. Leave the spark plugs in place to keep debris from falling into the cylinders. Use liberal amounts of lacquer thinner on a small paintbrush. Allow to work its way into the faulty paint, then wipe with rags. The lacquer thinner will also do a good job of cleaning oil and grease to prepare the head for the new paint. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
Use painter’s tape to mask off the nuts, cam covers. Spark plugs, etc.
This is such a small paint job that I wouldn’t even prep my touch up gun and air compressor. Get one of those spray kits that uses a can of compressed air with a paint bottle. Any auto paint or parts store has these. Not expensive.
Source that Dupont Imron paint I mentioned. Mix with hardener according to instructions supplied with the paint and fire away. Maybe two coats. Your results should be stunning.
All the chemicals I mention here require a filtered painters mask. Also relatively inexpensive. You do not need a ventilation system like with the newer paints.
no, areal mask with good carts that last. msa,3m,north etc. you need a particular cartridge for that paint.
You could use paint stripper to strip the old paint. Some of the new ones do not even give off much in the way of bad fumes.
Tom
The drawback to using Imron for a small job is that (in my experience) it isn’t available in small quantities anymore, especially the reducers and activator.
You’d probably have to buy at least a pint of paint unless you are on really good terms with the paint supplier. Finally, my experience is that Imron is now sold only in a limited number of colors so it may not be possible to mix a custom matching shade to one’s wishes. This is because it now is primarily a fleet/industrial paint rather than for consumer end products.
The cost of buying the minimum quantities of paint, reducer and thinner could be pretty spendy, and you’d have a huge amount of surplus left over (unless of course you’re already spraying Imron.) To a considerable extent, this is true of any automotive paint system, not just Imron.
BTW Dupont got out of the auto paint business years ago, and the former DuPont paint lines are now owned by Axalto.
Dave
Hello Gary,
Given that the paint used is a two pack variety, Lacquer Thinners won’t have much affect on the cured paint; the only exception being that, as its still soft, it may not have actually cured and in this case, the thinners may help. However, with careful application of paint stripper, you will get the paint off back to bare metal. When the Paint Stripper has done its job, you will remove most of it with a plastic scrapper, then wipes. The remaining residue can be removed with Lacquer Thinners.
There are types of paint stripper that are quite viscous and won’t run everywhere; this is the type to use. We do this quite a lot for clients that want there engine made look new again without actually dismantling it.
With regards to masking, leaving the spark plugs in during the spraying process won’t result in a great job in my experience. As we do this work on a fairly regular basis, I’ve made a wad cutter to cut round patches of Gaffa Tape just slightly smaller than the diameter of the face the spark plug seats on. On a one off engine basis, mark circles and cut with scissors, or stick the Gaffa Tape to an appropriate sized coin, or disk, and trim with a razor blade. When the paint job is finished, the patch is removed using an “O” Ring Pick.
The following picture is of a cylinder head we just painted. The aluminum lifting hooks were not painted, but Glass Bead Blasted and are a very good match with the paint used on the Head. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but the painted cylinder head looks practically identical to cylinder heads we Glass Bead Blast when doing a complete engine rebuild.
Regards,
Bill
Bill,
That’s very nice looking work !
Hello Killer,
The following pictures are of side views of the same engine as for the Cylinder Head picture in the previous Post. The Gearbox was completely overhauled, with the Housing painted when the Gearbox was dismantled. The Bell Housing, Gearbox Top Cover and Oil Pump Housing were Glass Bead Blasted. The Engine Block and Cylinder Head were painted with the engine assembled.
Regards,
Bill
From the picture of your engine the gold looks great
Its just getting gummy when hot
If its not deteriorating why not leave it alone.
I can understand it bugs you because its not right
But stripping it off and repainting is going to be a real task. If you pulled the head off it becomes easier. But still a whole lot of work
Fixing the gummy paint issue is the right thing to do in the end.
Auto paint store close to my house will mix any paint that you want and put it in a rattle can just like spray paint you buy at hardware store. Did this just a couple of months ago for some touch up paint in an uncommon color for one of my '70’s Chevys. Very good match and nice spray pattern and keeps well in the rattle can ready to use anytime over the next couple of years or more. Cost about $20 here in Houston. Just a thought.
David
68 E-type FHC
I think that’s a great idea! I still have a quart of BRG lacquer I use for touch ups, and I often use the quickie compressed air spray option rather than firing up my compressor and touch up gun, which is why I suggested it.
Gary,
It is my understanding from Eastwood that their 2K catalyzed paints are good for temperatures as high as 500 F. As others have speculated, I suspect the paint was not mixed properly and was applied without enough catalyst. Here’s a suggestion - rather than removing the paint, get a can of 2K clear coat from Eastwood and paint over the gold paint. Perhaps the catalyst in the clear coat will help the gold paint harden. You could paint a small section to test - if it works it would be a lot easier than the nightmarish task of removing the gold. I have used Eastwood 2K paints and have been very pleased with the results.
Joe
I have an OTS registered in May 1965 in the UK with original head and it is silver - car was probably made in about Feb 1965
