[Tim Corcoran]

Originally Posted by 78w72

I havent seen the 2000 matte clear, will have to check that out for future use, does it specifically say it needs to be baked to cure? If so, you could probably find a local powder coater that would let you throw it in their oven when they do a batch of parts, or let it sit in the sun on a hot day and carefully use a heat gun over the surface? Should be able to figure something out.

Does the 2000 paint say its resilient to automotive chemicals? The clear I used is good for lighter exposure to most chemicals, obviously pooled fuel over time or brake fluid will eat it, but normal light amounts of oil, coolant, even fuel if wiped up soon hasnt hurt mine.
The valve covers & misc brackets I did back in 2007 on 1 car still look great too, the E-heads & other parts I did around 2013-2014 that I mentioned in that post from 2017 also look great still, even the E-heads have no signs of failure or yellowing. I get a laugh out of people that say clear will flake or yellow fast, maybe they used the wrong stuff or didnt prep the part right, but engine clear works great in my experience & lasts a very long time if prepped & applied right, i have no reason to believe it wont still look good at 20 years & beyond.

I was a little concerned with using gloss too, at first it will be glossy, but it does dull up to a semi gloss/satin sheen in a short time after wiping off dust/dirt... but even a gloss clear looks 100x better than the chalky corroded dull look I see on many aluminum heads & intakes after a few years, I live in the upper midwest so maybe winters and condensation contributes to that more than dry warm states?

I can get current pics of the heads and intake if youre curious what they look like and give a couple tips on how I prep the heads, but heres a few pics of when it was freshly applied, 1st pic is before any run time, last 2 pics are with a couple hundred miles & dyno time. Everything looks the same 9-10 years later on this car with thousands of miles & lots of drag strip time, same for my 78 & 81 that are ~15 & 12 years since restoration.
Everything thats shiny metal has the engine clear on it, radiator tanks, brackets, valve covers, even the brake & fuel lines, some lines are pretty close to the headers too. Im still surprised the exhaust ports on the E heads arent burnt & yellowed, must be the aluminum that stays cooler than iron heads that wont hold paint. I have an aluminum HO intake now thats also lightly cleared.

Hope that helps you decide what to use.

Thanks for your post and pictures

I will try the Rustoleum engine paint clear gloss since it only comes in gloss. I would get the 2,000 degree and bake it in my wife's oven but I think it would stink up the house and she would kill me.

For the Rustoleum 2,000 I was looking online and couldn't read the instructions on the can but some of the reviews said you have to bake it using mutiple bakes at different temperatures, but I don't know for sure.

[NeighborsComplaint]

SharkHyde in aerosol. I even coated my Tuble polished carb, it’s fuel resistant. Carb and intake still look fresh after 3 years.

[HWYSTR455]

So one of the issues I have with 'coatings' is that if you ever need to touch it up, you have to pull the intake and do the whole thing over. The other issues are also previously mentioned, yellowing, discoloring, etc.

I just spray items like that with aluminum engine paint, my preference is DupliColor 1615 (NOT 1650!). It has the closest shade to natural that I have found, and in some cases more natural than some of the 'as-cast' products.

You can tape off sections while it's on the car for touch-up, wipe with acetone, let it dry, mist it, and it pretty much blends in after a heat cycle or two.

The best way is to catch the intake before it's installed, etch it with MetalPrep, and then shoot it. Once it's etched and painted, it's pretty much sealed, and the porous properties are gone.

Been doing it this way for years, it's easy, paint can be found in normal auto parts store, and affordable. Pretty sure I've posted this before, even with side by side intakes for comparison.


I've tried everything too, Zoop, powder coating, etc, and in the end, the above solution works the best for me.




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[78w72]

Originally Posted by Tim Corcoran

Thanks for your post and pictures

I will try the Rustoleum engine paint clear gloss since it only comes in gloss. I would get the 2,000 degree and bake it in my wife's oven but I think it would stink up the house and she would kill me.

For the Rustoleum 2,000 I was looking online and couldn't read the instructions on the can but some of the reviews said you have to bake it using mutiple bakes at different temperatures, but I don't know for sure.

YW.

I did some research on the 2000 rustoleum you mentioned, it is intended for automotive applications just like the type I used, says its fuel & oil resistant. I might try that next time I need to clear something.

Also found the directions, looks like it can be cured in a oven, if you dont have access to one or the part is on the car it says you can cure it on the car too, thats how other high temp paints like POR-20 header paint or exhaust manifold paint say to do it... let dry for stated times then start the engine for a few minutes the 1st time, let cool then run a little longer, let cool then run for like 30 minutes & let cool. Obviously depending on the location of the part the run times may be longer such as headers vs an intake. can use a infrared temp gun to check the temps.

I think the matte finish will get you closer to the ideal sheen but the gloss isnt too glossy IMO on cast parts with a texture & does dull up pretty quick. Heres a link to the instructions- https://www.rustoleum.com/-/media/D1...9B621537F.ashx