Ok, I have very limited knowledge on engine rebuilding but have a motor I am in the process of rebuilding due to a spun bearing. I have the block completely stripped down and it's going to the machine shop this week. I am not in a hurry at all, because this is a play engine and my main objective is to learn, however I want to do it right and I tend to be a neat freak, or as my wife says, OCD...ha ha. I plan to clean this block and paint it Chrysler orange when I get it back from the machine shop. I have looked and it seems like POR-15 has a good block paint, and I was going to use a high temp black paint for the manifold. POR-15 has a engine block painting kit that I plan to use, but I always like to hear tips from the guys who do this all the time. I plan to sand blast a lot of the accesories, but have not blasted anything before. Do you just lay the flat sealing side down to protect those areas from getting messed up? Do I need to put wooden dowels in the threaded parts to keep the threads from getting buggered up? Does anyone get the crank in the block and put the head on and then paint it with the oil pan or do I need to do them seperately? do I need to run a tap in all the threaded places in the block to make sure it's clean and then blow it out with air? Thanks in advance

 

I've read some bad reviews on POR15 engine paint, something about it not drying fast and not covering well etc.
I would get some automotive epoxy primer and shoot engine with it and then get some single stage hemi orange like you wanted (with catalyst) and shoot that on top of epoxy/sealer. It would last longer than anything else out there.
p.s. unless you're rich enough to afford to have it powdercoated.

 

I use a good rust inhibitor/primer for the base coat.

What colour you planning on painting the engine? I have power coated all the oil pan, rear main seal, gearbox housing, front tin covers, valve train side cover, accessory brackets and the valve cover. The exhaust manifold and my twins hot side is ceramic coated.

Just as an FYI cummins sells engine paints black and apex red.

I like using dupont engine enamel and have good luck with industrial black enamel paint. Just remove all the rust flakes prior to painting.

Good luck

 

I plan on painting the engine hemi orange. Not sure why, but to me black is the worst possible color to paint a cummins, because you will have a hard time finding where the black oil is leaking from if you go black.....and eventually they all will spring a leak at one point or another. Yes I realize orange isn't a factory color offered by cummins but it's ok, I'm fine with that. I like the idea of powder coating the accessories and the brackets, but have no idea how to go about this, doesn't powder coating require an oven to bake it on? If so how hard is that for a beginner to learn?

 

That's why I like black, I don't like cleaning all the time. Red gets dirty fast, lots of road grim and blowby under the hood.

My reasons for powder coating, easy to clean than a parts cleaner. The powder coated parts look like brand new. I personally really hate cleaning parts that are covered greasy oil/dirty/mud.

I do lots of powder coating for work, so I get a decent cut on pricing.

My favourite colour is black block with red accents (valve cover, intake plenum, air horn, accessory brackets and coolant neck).

The ceramic coating is for heat reduction under the hood and good underhood looks. I just hate looking at rusty new parts.

 

Mike,

yes, you are right, the engine might look cleaner if I painted it black, and me personally I like the color black better anyway, but I tend to be a little OCD about fuel/oil/coolant leaks and I am thinking a bright color would make it easier to spot the source of the leak. Think my wife would mind if I used our oven to bake the powder coated parts?...lol.