Painting valve covers

[Freq]

So I'm scrubbing all the oil and muck off the valve cover, getting it ready for primer. Originally it was all black with the VOLVO letters in metal. The more I scrubbed the black, though, the more it started to come off. Should I scrub all of it off? It's a super pain in the ass, but so is repainting the cover later on. Thoughts?

Also, I'm painting it Ford Dark Blue and sanding the VOLVO letters back to metal.

[Cassie]

why not tape over the volvo letters?

[Freq]

That would take so much effort, holy crap. And sanding down the paint (and lightly touching the metal) should shine it up nicely.

[Matt]

You need aircraft stripper.

[Cassie]

i guess i like doing intricate things like that.

[Freq]

Originally Posted by MattW

You need aircraft stripper.

I have that. Kind of using that as a last resort. The green goo is not my friend.

P.S. Red,
If you need a place to stay during the meet next month I have a pretty big bed ;)

[500dollar744ti]

i used to waste a lot of time painting valve covers, now i just strip the grime off and primer then paint.

[Crazychopstick]

You shouldn't even need primer.

Next time I do it, I'm not even going to use high-temp ceramic paint either.

[phenry]

I use magic marker.

[Crazychopstick]

Yeah just do it.

[Wilford Brimley]

Heres mine, just cleaned it, taped over the letters. 6$ can of spraypaint and viola, done.

[Matt]

Pics from August.

Mmmmmmmm, aircraft stripper.


Sandblasted, even the inside.


The first colour.

That's still how it sits right now, I've yet to mask off the cross and finish it.

[SwedishBrick242...]

Originally Posted by Freq

That would take so much effort, holy crap. And sanding down the paint (and lightly touching the metal) should shine it up nicely.

It really doesn't take that much effort. Just use painter's tape over it and use an exacto knife to cut around the letters. Took me about 20-30 mins, but I am super picky about that ****. I also polished my letters with a dremel.

I meant to make a thread about this a long time ago, but here are some pics of my process and supplies:

The supplies and starting point:

Polishing the letters:

Taping them off:

Primer:

Finished with 3 coats of paint and 2 coats of clear:


It was supposed to go on my silver 242... Now it just sits in the workshop collecting dust...

[Freq]

I know for a fact my shaky hands would make this project end in tears. I'll post pictures once I'm done. I won't try air craft stripper until the weather clears up.

[2fast242gt]

its alot easier to paint the whole thing and sand the leters later. and if you wana polish the letters after is easier to polished them after than mask them off. paint, sand, done. your letters will look perfect.

[SwedishBrick242...]

Originally Posted by 2fast242gt

its alot easier to paint the whole thing and sand the leters later. and if you wana polish the letters after is easier to polished them after than mask them off. paint, sand, done. your letters will look perfect.

My hands aren't steady enough for that. I would end up gouging the paint where I didn't want to.

[2fast242gt]

Originally Posted by SwedishBrick242...

My hands aren't steady enough for that. I would end up gouging the paint where I didn't want to.

i always use a block with sand paper. if your hands are stedy enough to mask those letters off to a T you can sand them sanding takes 5 minutes.

[SwedishBrick242...]

Originally Posted by 2fast242gt

i always use a block with sand paper. if your hands are stedy enough to mask those letters off to a T you can sand them sanding takes 5 minutes.

That works too. I just taped over the whole thing and cut it out with an exato knife which is pretty easy since the letters are raised and you can just trace.

[sdturbo]

For quick and dirty, get the valve cover hot tanked (im always having piles of parts tanked) do a quick sand then paint it with some black wrinckle finish or hammer finish paint. The texture hides any chips in the orignal paint. I then hit the letters with a 3m pad in a die grinder. No masking or careful block sanding, they come out nice and perfect every time.



If im doing something I want to last, i sand blast it, powder coat, 3m letters then a coat of clear powdercoat.

[Freq]

I don't have a hot tank ;)

[sdturbo]

Originally Posted by Freq

I don't have a hot tank ;)

Neither do i, however for a fiver, the local machine shop takes care of me.

[Freq]

Five dollar
Five dollar hot taaaank

[D3LaHk]

lol ^

[Freq]

I'm using aircraft stripper right now to remove the aircraft from my valve cover. I applied a thin layer of it, not knowing how much was too much. Let it sit for 40 minutes. Paint got soft but was still a dick to scrape off. I gave it a nice thick coat just now. Let it sit for another 20-30 minutes and show that paint who's boss.

[Poik]

Originally Posted by 2fast242gt

i always use a block with sand paper. if your hands are stedy enough to mask those letters off to a T you can sand them sanding takes 5 minutes.

+1, you guys are doing it the hard way. Just paint the whole thing then sand the letters with a block. I put a length of duct tape on either side of the letters in case I slipped or something, but you don't even really need that.