Are there pros and cons to using engine or high heat paint on regular temperature areas?

[ebinmaine 70,815]

This question arose this past weekend when I noticed that the almond color on my engine paint is very close to the almond color on my non high heat paint. When I spray the engine paint it was much whiter after it dried.

 

I'm going to leave it alone for now but at some point it's going to bug me enough that I'm going to have to respray the front wheels and air cleaner to match the engine.

 

So.....

Should I just buy more cans of high heat or engine paint and use them on the regular areas?

 

 

 

Mods, please feel free to move this to another Forum if this one isn't quite appropriate. Thanks.

 

 

[Achto 28,806]

11 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

This question arose this past weekend when I noticed that the almond color on my engine paint is very close to the almond color on my non high heat paint. When I spray the engine paint it was much whiter after it dried.

 

Using a high temp paint on regular temp areas is not an issue. High temp paint can change color slightly after it has been heated the first time, so your colors may still end up being different in the end.

[ebinmaine 70,815]

2 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

Using a high temp paint on regular temp areas is not an issue. High temp paint can change color slightly after it has been heated the first time, so your colors may still end up being different in the end.

I had wondered about that, myself. In fact, I was hoping that the engine would darken up with heat but I ran it quite a bit after I got done painting it and no real change.

 

Do these air cooled engines, other than around the exhaust, get hot enough to warrant actual engine paint?

[Achto 28,806]

12 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Do these air cooled engines, other than around the exhaust, get hot enough to warrant actual engine paint?

 

I use the same acrylic enamel to paint the engine & tractor when I do a resto. The only place that the paint has discolored on the engine is around the exhaust port on my tractors. I can get you some pics a little later.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Achto

[squonk 42,593]

I painted Skonk's engine with std. Automotive paint. I have a few hours on it and it's held up fine. 

 

[Racinbob 11,753]

It might also on the cooling fins but I don't paint those.

[ebinmaine 70,815]

5 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

It might also on the cooling fins but I don't paint those.

Bob, what do you do there? Leave naked cast iron? Or are you talking about the head only?

[ebinmaine 70,815]

10 minutes ago, Achto said:

 

I use the same acrylic enamel to paint the engine & tractor when I do a resto. The only place that the paint has discolored on the engine is around the exhaust port on my tractors. I can get you some pics a little later.

That would be cool. Thanks Dan.

[Racinbob 11,753]

 

38 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Bob, what do you do there? Leave naked cast iron? Or are you talking about the head only?

 

Pretty much like Mikes. No paint on the head and just some on the block fins but not a solid coat.

[Achto 28,806]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

That would be cool. Thanks Dan.

 

Here are a few examples for you Eric. These engines were all painted with VanSickle acrylic enamel, an automotive grade single stage paint.

 

First my 1076 with a K241. This engine has just over 32hrs. of medium to light duty and was painted in the spring of 2015. I should have blasted the paint off of the cyl head before assembly on this one. The paint is sticking to it just fine but I would rather it bare for better cooling.

 

Next is my McLean with a K91. This engine has about 10hrs. of very light duty and was painted in the spring of 2017.

 

Last is my Raider 12 with a K301. This engine has about 3hrs. on it, most of which were spent pulling a 10" mold board plow. It was painted in the spring of 2018. The exhaust stack has 1500 degree paint on it.

 

As you can see the paint only seems to discolor around the exhaust port. Hope these help.

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 70,815]

1 hour ago, Achto said:

would rather it bare for better cooling

Good info there... 

 

And thanks for the pics!!

 

[953 nut 58,024]

21 hours ago, Achto said:

would rather it bare for better cooling.

When it comes to cooling an air cooled engine the greater the cooling area and the less foreign (thermal insulating) material there is in the way the better. Lots of people spend countless hours filing and sanding all the little nibs off of the fins not realizing that they are reducing the surface area in contact with the cooling flow, this results in laminar air flow which is the least effective cooling flow. Then they paint it so there will be an insulation layer between the cooling air flow and the fins. Fortunately these ten to be trailer queens that don't get worked hard so all is well.          

[ebinmaine 70,815]

27 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

When it comes to cooling an air cooled engine the greater the cooling area and the less foreign (thermal insulating) material there is in the way the better. Lots of people spend countless hours filing and sanding all the little nibs off of the fins not realizing that they are reducing the surface area in contact with the cooling flow, this results in laminar air flow which is the least effective cooling flow. Then they paint it so there will be an insulation layer between the cooling air flow and the fins. Fortunately these ten to be trailer queens that don't get worked hard so all is well.          

Definitely understand what you're saying there. I'll be sure to clean the cylinder head off at the very least.

 

So this raises another question for me. Just out of curiosity. Would we be considering flakes of rust to be adding to the area that is being cooled?

 

I'm not going to polish this engine by any means because it is a working tractor but I am curious if I should get some of the rust out

[953 nut 58,024]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Would we be considering flakes of rust to be adding to the area that is being cooled?

NO                  I think that would fall into the category of poor thermal conductivity.   

You can pick up a few low cost stainless steel bottle brushes to clean the cooling passages and lightly spray the ends of the fins.