I picked up my engine yesterday after a rebuild and, staring at all of this bare metal I am wondering if there are any major cons to painting it. Yesterday I talked with my neighbor and got a complete tour of his one owner, 1963 Ford pickup and, of course, it looks like it just rolled off the factory floor (he wiped where my hand touched it while I was standing there; RUDE)... the original engine was gorgeous and painted. Of course it is iron but it made me think how nice that would look buried under all of my wiring and plastic.

From what I have read, self etching primer and VHT enamel will do the job.

Also, from what I have read, it really does not affect heat build up.

Can anyone knowingly comment on either the idea of painting or my paint choices?

 

I totally understand you wanting to make everything as nice as possible but I'm not sure on the engine painting. Your neighbors old ford probably has a cast iron block in it and I believe we are rocking an Aluminum block. I know that Aluminum releases more heat in the raw rather then painted and a cast iron block probably wouldn't be able to tell there was paint on there. With that said, I have seen black painted radiators so I'm not sure if it makes a huge difference but I personally would leave it raw aluminum.
I'm betting your neighbor doesn't even take his truck out in the rain let alone mud and all the other crap we proudly drive our rovers through. A painted engine, even though they look great, just sounds like one more thing I'll have clean up after I'm done playing for the day.

 

That 1963 is iron. And there is so much room around the engine I could smuggle immigrants in it! Not like ours. When I was on a diesel kick, a guy sent me a picture of his prepped Mercedes OM617 engine and it looked like an alien life form compared to mine!

I'm sort of fixated on it.



Maybe it will pass.

 

Maybe just the valve covers and upper intake?!????

 

Paint it black. Black radiates heat faster than any color, including bare or polished aluminum. Google it, if you don't believe me. It absorbs sunlight more, but last time I looked, the sun does not touch the engine.

 

We have a saying in Texas that "the sun shines on a dog's a__ once in awhile" (sort of like "a broken clock is right twice a day," but redneck). But the sun is never on my block.

I did Google it. Apparently, racing engines (which, admittedly, a rover lump is NOT) are often painted flat black for that purpose. But I can't tell whether they are talking about iron, which dissipates much less efficiently anyway so what's a little more, and aluminum. Also, I envisioned something a little more shiny.

 

Just for show and that would be aluminum in color. Let the aluminum breathe as the heat transfer would be limited.

 

Charlie, this is something I read a while back when contemplating the same question on my EFI-swap for the Mustang. Coming from the aviation side of the house, it lists some interesting aspects to consider when painting aircraft engines. In the end, it 'probably' doesn't make much of a measurable difference in your case, but I'm still not sure I would paint it. In my case; for an iron block FORD 302, I painted it black and it looks great. Sorry, that probably doesn't help much.

 

I did some searching and I have to admit I was surprised at the amount of threads out there that cover this topic. One of my favorite responses, "Yeah black engines are faster too." That was my original thought but I've recently learned that I don't know everything in the world so I decided to look it up.

From what I've read there seems to be some research to confirm what this theory. Although I don't believe that painting your engine will improve engine temps very much, from what I gather I don't think it will hurt anything. It seems to be personal preference.
I have also looked up the process to do the job correctly and I believe all the painted parts should be baked afterwards or they have to dry for weeks maybe longer before being installed. Since you aren't going to gain any performance and this is strictly for aesthetics, you REALLY have to like the look to warrant the time and labor to do the job right.

As far as black cooling better though I might have to disagree with that. If there is a difference in color it would be extremely small.
I know you weren't talking about lowering temps Charlie, but if I were looking to lower engine temps I would focus more on the heat in the engine compartment before the color of my engine. Adding hood vents of some sort has always been an upgrade I've been wanting to do. I've even looked into making LR3 fender vents operational and that's the direction I think I'm going to go.

 

That nixes it! I don't wait weeks for anything!!!! I can buy a house in weeks! I could take over a South American country in weeks!

I just called the shop and they can dip my valve covers and oil pan for nothing but my goodwill so I might just stick with that (I have extras of both). I have to go to my a machine shop and get my manifolds (four out of six studs broke. What a horror!) and it is next to a huge auto place that does engine and paint, so I'll get their input, too and post what I learn. Whoa. I didn't ask about painting the manifolds. Opinions? That's one thing I would prefer NOT to have radiating so much heat. I saw some rattle can stuff for manifolds when I was at the parts store last week...

By the way do I need to be concerned about the purple stuff on the valve side of my heads? It had something to do with seating the valves. Do I need to get that off? I'd prefer not to go near my valves but I don't know...