clear coat the engine?

[Brightyellow69rtse]

im painting the engine with duplicolor engine paint. i got a few coats on it today but tomorrow im gonna finish it up. should i clear coat it? ive got quite a few cans of clear coat spray bomb hanging around for some reason i cant remember lol.

[Silver R/T]

It's all up to you. That clear coat is just not going to last as if you were to use good 2K clear

[johnnycharger]

Is it clear engine paint?
I don't think it will hold up to heat and chemicals that will get on it. 

[DC_1]

You could try this

http://www.por15.com/PELUCID/productinfo/PELG/

[elitecustombody]

I think duplicolor makes high temp ceramic clear

[bill440rt]

I've never cleared over engine paint before.
Never had an engine paint problem, either. Although, I did find out PPG DP epoxy primer doesn't really hold up well to heat. 

[maxwellwedge]

Unless you are displaying an engine in your living room - primer and clear coat do not belong on an engine - unless you need to fix pitting on the valve covers.

[elitecustombody]

Unless you are displaying an engine in your living room - primer and clear coat do not belong on an engine - unless you need to fix pitting on the valve covers.

[jaak]

Last 2 engines I painted, I used acrylic enamel with hardener....no primer before paint. Both looked great and held up good.

Jason

[tan top]

think clear coat will yellow with time from the heat  prolly wont notice it on a orange engine

Unless you are displaying an engine in your living room - primer and clear coat do not belong on an engine - unless you need to fix pitting on the valve covers.

 

[bill440rt]

I've always had luck using simple Duplicolor engine primer in a rattle can. Not so good luck with the expensive stuff out of a gun (epoxy primer, etc).

I know the factory never primed their engines, but as a general rule with paint it just doesn't stick too well to bare metal on it's own. Especially smooth surfaces such as valve covers & oil pans. If you've ever put a part in a bead blast cabinet that was painted without primer, you'll notice the paint just blows off the metal.

Many people don't use primer on an engine, yet others do. I'd say whatever method works for you & you're happy with the results, then keep doing it.

[denifus]

I've painted a couple of motors with a base/clear system, just like you would the body of a car, and it has held up exceptionally well and looks awesome even years later. with a bare block i wipe it down with laquer thinner, spray an etching primer, sealer, then base and clear.  Before i tried it, i questioned if the heat would be too much for it but its not. As long as the block is prepped correctly it'll stick.

[Iron Chef]

I clear coated my aluminum manifold.  Big mistake IMHO.  The area around the heat riser has already turned a dark brown from the heat.  When I pull the motor, I'll be bead-blasting the manifold to remove all the discoloration and get the clear off of it.

[bill440rt]

I clear coated my aluminum manifold.  Big mistake IMHO.  The area around the heat riser has already turned a dark brown from the heat.  When I pull the motor, I'll be bead-blasting the manifold to remove all the discoloration and get the clear off of it.

Try using this next time:

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-extreme-diamond-clear-8-oz.html


I put almost 1000 miles on my car this year, first year since it's been done. Zero signs of yellowing or discoloration. It's really expensive, though. 

[Rob R]

I like to shoot Base/Clear on all of the engines that I do for customers "no Rattle cans though"..It looks like new for years..you can spray it down with engine shampoo and it has no effect on the gloss even years after being applied.
Yes it's not for everyone but for the discerning/serious driver it's pretty hard to beat.

[bill440rt]

They look great! 

What do you you use for paint? Brand/type?
Also, what do you use for a primer, if any??

[Rob R]

Bill for an engine I'll shoot PPG Omni or DuPont full base Nason but by next year all all there's going to be is the VOC compliant paint.
As far as a primer I shoot a DuPont Chroma Premier 2 part etch primer..any good self etching primer will do.

[Rob R]

[bill440rt]

Bill for an engine I'll shoot PPG Omni or DuPont full base Nason but by next year all all there's going to be is the VOC compliant paint.
As far as a primer I shoot a DuPont Chroma Premier 2 part etch primer..any good self etching primer will do.

Good to know. I may very well try that next time. I found out the hard way years ago that PPG DP epoxy primer does NOT like heat! The Omni I've used in the past has lousy coverage and is pi$$ thin. Is the Nason any better?
Also, is the Chroma Premier similar to Vari-Prime of yesteryear? Looks very similar. 

[1970Moparmann]

I usually do a single stage.   Those engine compartments look great. 

[Rob R]

Bill for an engine I'll shoot PPG Omni or DuPont full base Nason but by next year all all there's going to be is the VOC compliant paint.
As far as a primer I shoot a DuPont Chroma Premier 2 part etch primer..any good self etching primer will do.

Good to know. I may very well try that next time. I found out the hard way years ago that PPG DP epoxy primer does NOT like heat! The Omni I've used in the past has lousy coverage and is pi$$ thin. Is the Nason any better?

Bill...

I've never had any issues with Omni and it is thin compared to Nason...Nason is like pancake syrup compared to  Omni 

1970Moparmann...
No more Single Stage paint    With the new VOC requirements it now costs about 6x more to paint with waterborne products compared to single stage.
I cant buy qts of sealer or etching primer up here anymore,now it's a $1000 for a gal of good sealer and a $1000 for good self etching...