Engine Paint- Corrossion Protection

[JC]

Hi. I am looking for an alternative to the Cummins spray paint that is used on engines. I ran out of paint and am in El Salvador. I cant find the paint locally and wanted to see if there is an alterniative in Sherwin Williams or other?? What are the characteristics I need to look for.(High Temp, etc...) My engines are starting to have a little corrosion in some spots and I cant stand that!!!

Thanks,

JC

[Al C]

I have been using Rustoleum and it seems to be working fine on my motors.

[In Memory of Vicroy]

JC, agree that Rustoleum or just about any other good enamel paint will do. Need hi-temp on the exhaust stacks and turbo hot side. Now the trick to keeping paint on the engine and gear is to prep, prep, prep. Sand or wire brush (a small wire cup brush in a cordless drill works great) all the areas where the paint is flaking or there is rust,, then vacuum up the dust and flakes, then wipe the area to be painted down with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner. Shoot or brush your paint, let it set up for 24 hours, then the Magic Bullet - shoot over the paint with Corrosion X. Da Judge's magic formula of mixing CX 50/50 wtih lacquer thinner is probably the best if you have the CX in bulk, but if not, just shoot the whole engine and gear lightly with the regular old red can CX and do it every couple of months and you will never have a problem again.

UV

[MikeD@Lightningshack]

I usually use a high pigment engine enamal that is used for classic car restorations. Bill Hirsch Engine Enamel Paints in NJ. There engine paint has a lasting luster that you probably won't find anywhere else. Apparently there is more pigment in there paint then other types. Whatever it is, it is different and it looks great.

I was recommending this paint for a friend a couple months back when I found out that they don't make a straight white paint. All of there colors are factory reproductions for domestic car manufacturers. If you need 1960-1966 ford blue you can find it, but if the color you want wasn't used by an automotive manufacture on their engines, well then they probably won't have it.

My searach for an alternative lead me to POR-15. My buddy used it on his Cummins engines and was really pleased with the finish. Whether it was as nice as Bill Hirsch's paint or not I, I don't know. But it is probably the only specifically formulated brush on Engine Enamel that you are going to find. I would definetly recommend it over something that wasn't neccessarily formulated for engines.

http://www.por15store.com/page/por15/PROD/Topcoats/EE

Best of luck,
Mike Dolan

[Rawleigh]

POR-15 is good stuff!! You will have no more rust problems after painting with it, but it is a lot more work to apply. I also love their Marine Clean.