How To: Cleaning and Polishing the Engine Block

[sdg3205]

One last thing.

Make sure you get the POR15 solvent. Normal turpentine is not effective.

[nkemp]

Does anyone have any info on how well this lasts? In 2 or 3 or 15 years how does it hold up? Or does it need to be done again? BTW ... I'm not talking about oil leaks but rather hw well the paint holds up.

Nick

[sdg3205]

Does anyone have any info on how well this lasts? In 2 or 3 or 15 years how does it hold up? Or does it need to be done again? BTW ... I'm not talking about oil leaks but rather hw well the paint holds up.

Nick

Good question.

The truth is I don't know.

I've found the paint can chip if you're throwing tools or parts around, so it's not nearly as bullet proof as powder coating.

I keep my engine/engine bay really clean, so oil and dirt doesn't have long to sit on the paint. So far, the silver POR15 has darkened a bit, which looks super cool in contrast to the high heat spray paint on the rest of the engine.

It's probably like anything else - it'll last longer if you keep it clean and don't use the car as a daily driver.

[Stainless]

Hey Dave - 10 years later, how have things held up? Have you been back into the valley to inspect the paint job?

[sdg3205]

Hey Dave - 10 years later, how have things held up? Have you been back into the valley to inspect the paint job?

A hoy!

Sorry, im not on here much anymore.

How did it hold up? It didn't. I just saw another thread about someone painting the valley with POR15, but it was already done and I didn't want to give him the news that it's not a good idea. It lasts for a short while, then the heat cycles, dirt, oil and coolant break it down. It bubbles, cracks and eventually the aforementioned fluids build up UNDER said POR15 and causes worse problems than if it had not been treated at all. Looks like I did this in 2010 or 2011. When I did my Spec 2 upgrade I took the whole engine out and scrapped off as much as I could.

My 2 cents - clean the VOD well, dont paint it. Now I put a hose under the intake with the car on an incline and run the hose to flush it out, followed by a good drive to evaporate the water.

[Stainless]

Yes, no primer is needed for the POR15. I used it over the whole valley and timing chain. Just be aware, POR15 darkens slightly with heat. I really like the effect. It looks like an aluminum - carbon cross color.

Everything else is painted - including the intake, idle speed motor, CSV etc. The gold and silver are High - Heat Engine Enamels available from any decent automotive store. I did one coat of primer, 2 coats of a color and then put a high heat clear coat on. This gives it a ice shine and extra protection.

I used black POR15 on the fuel distributor and then clear coated it with the rest of the mixture unit.

How have the other areas, besides the valley, held up? I really liked the look of the gold high heat engine enamels of your engine bay (thread), but don't want to go down that route if it doesn't hold up. I'm looking for something more durable than yellow zinc coating, which just doesn't last.

[sdg3205]

How have the other areas, besides the valley, held up? I really liked the look of the gold high heat engine enamels of your engine bay (thread), but don't want to go down that route if it doesn't hold up. I'm looking for something more durable than yellow zinc coating, which just doesn't last.

The high heat paints do work well. Many of the items originally painted still look good. Having said that, I've changed the way I "dress" engine pieces now. Rather than paint, I glass bead blast the parts (CAREFULLY!!!) and then use a high heat clear coat. This preserves the polished metal finish and also eliminates the possibility of chipping paint. I used a zinc coating on the nuts and bolts and it has help up well. I also ceramic coated my exhaust. It has dulled. Nothing really lasts forever. Remember I only put on about 1500 seasonal miles. Your mileage may vary.

[Stainless]

The high heat paints do work well. Many of the items originally painted still look good. Having said that, I've changed the way I "dress" engine pieces now. Rather than paint, I glass bead blast the parts (CAREFULLY!!!) and then use a high heat clear coat. This preserves the polished metal finish and also eliminates the possibility of chipping paint. I used a zinc coating on the nuts and bolts and it has help up well. I also ceramic coated my exhaust. It has dulled. Nothing really lasts forever. Remember I only put on about 1500 seasonal miles. Your mileage may vary.

Thank you. I'm not sure which route I want to take. I do like the look of the gold/yellow in the engine bay as opposed to having everything with the polished metal look.

As far as the POR15 failure you experienced in your valley, what I've realized is that it is way harder than I thought it would be to clean to the point that there's no residue left, be it oil or oxidation. Do you think it failed due to not getting everything as clean as it should have been, or do you think it's just not designed to hold up to the heat it is exposed to? Secondly, do you think a regular engine enamel paint would fare any better? My fear of leaving it as bare aluminum is that it will oxidize over time just from regular humidity exposure. I'm considering using an aluminum colored engine enamel on the entire engine, but don't know if that's any better.

[sdg3205]

Thank you. I'm not sure which route I want to take. I do like the look of the gold/yellow in the engine bay as opposed to having everything with the polished metal look.

As far as the POR15 failure you experienced in your valley, what I've realized is that it is way harder than I thought it would be to clean to the point that there's no residue left, be it oil or oxidation. Do you think it failed due to not getting everything as clean as it should have been, or do you think it's just not designed to hold up to the heat it is exposed to? Secondly, do you think a regular engine enamel paint would fare any better? My fear of leaving it as bare aluminum is that it will oxidize over time just from regular humidity exposure. I'm considering using an aluminum colored engine enamel on the entire engine, but don't know if that's any better.

I really think the best course of action is to clean the block and leave it bare. Focus on the pieces that can be easily removed, like valve covers, timing covers, intakes, W-pipe etc. I couldn't tell you exactly why the POR15 failed but I do know others have found the same thing.