Rustoleum engine bay

[shadesh]

Can I use rustoleum Protective Enamel over old paint? OR should I apply the Automotive Primer spray first? I have attached the enamel and primer in question.

I wanted to paint the engine bay as well as the body but there is still the old paint. Can I just sand a little of the old paint and apply the primer and enamel or do I have to strip to bare metal?

[bkelly]

My engine bay is stripped of everything but the engine. No crane! I need some metal work to be done before I can even think about painting. The lower shock towers need to be cut out and patches welded in. Then the battery tray. This is why rust removal is just like cancer surgery. I had a small hole that I thought could be fixed from the outside. It turns out that by the time it was cut completely out, you can stick your fist through it! I cut my batter tray out to reveal heavy scale under the tray. Had I not removed the tray, I would have never been able to get to that rust.

As of now, I'm going to give it a shot with the paint gun. White paint is dirt cheap. I've got reducer an all the other things I need from a previous job. The rustoleum is going to be a last resort.

First I need to find an engine crane......

[Zup]

Harbour Freight-------

$150.00 in the latest flier

Chain hoist or block and tackle and an accommodatingly stout tree limb if you are ol' skool---

Jim D.

"Zup"

[ktm]

Can I use rustoleum Protective Enamel over old paint? OR should I apply the Automotive Primer spray first? I have attached the enamel and primer in question.

I wanted to paint the engine bay as well as the body but there is still the old paint. Can I just sand a little of the old paint and apply the primer and enamel or do I have to strip to bare metal?

You do not have to strip to bare metal, but you do have to sand the surface a little bit to provide good adhesion. The primer is basically an adhesive component for the enamel. I did not use primer in my engine bay, but I did use it on my suspension pieces.

The tranny tunnel was painted with POR15 and POR's Chassis Coat.

[7277]

bkelly, go for it. are you going to pull the motor out? it's a lot easier if you do. check my post 'engine bay refresh...on a budget', in the 'body and paint' section. all done and said i'll be damned if anyone could tell a difference weather a shop did mine, or doing it myself with rattle cans.

do your prep correctly, follow the directions on the product your going to use, and use LOTS of wax and grease remover prior to painting. also, top off your color coat with clear coat to give it a good shine.

good luck.

[Poindexter]

Can't high-quality spray guns & compressors be rented at Homeless Depot or other similar places- or even equipment rental places? For $35 or $50, I bet you could do a better job in the engine bay, and also get a few things painted around the house while you've got it out. .02

[bkelly]

You can buy cheap, what I call "primer guns" for ~$45. One of my friends wrecked two of her cars so I wound up using it to actually paint. It turned out really good! I've also got a little touch up gun, which is like a mini paint gun. It's good for getting into tight places.

There's no way I'm spending $150 for a giant piece of equipment I'm going to use once, which is the problem with engine cranes. Luckily I live in a red neck town so engine cranes are all over! It should only cost me a case of Old Mil'.

BTW, that black engine bay looks great!

[ktm]

bkelly, I am assuming you mean mine (engine bay). Thanks. It was done with a rattle can, as were the suspension pieces also pictured.

Tip about engine hoists - CRAIGSLIST. A lot of people buy them new, use them once, and then sell them. I picked up a HF 2-ton hoist used only once for $60. I can easily get that money back, but I am holding onto it as I have found a need for it once in a while.