Engine Enamel ?

[sparkyman]

Hi All,

looking ahead to eventually cleaning up engine on Project and wanted to get up to speed on Engine Enamels for cranckcases, barrels/heads and side covers etc.

Looking for recommendations on suitable enamels etc, looking for something better than average .... and your own experiences etc

Thanks

[slob]

I got a good finish on my barrels with
http://www.frost.co.uk/high-temp-satin-black-barrel-paint-aerosol.html

[Sirc]

as far as the 'silver' bit goes, I also would like to hear which product definitely works as least as good as the original - which on average wasn't very good but was still better than the majority of aftermarket spray-on paints. Have read many threads where user reports being disappointed eventually and wonder if, apart from stripping and powder coating etc there is anything that lasts. I get the feeling a VHT silver in satin/matt might be the best bet if only you could 'heat-cycle' it properly afterwards (unlike a barrel which is easy).

[DrD]

I prefer my method of gradually polishing all the paint off
- over a decade and some of the original paint refuses to fall off!
- that said I no longer use it in salty weather.

[Mr Gazza]

I get on well with VHT paints and I like all of thier products which I have tried so far. (VHT brand do all sorts of paint which is not all Necessarily Very High Temperature paint).

Their engine enamel system from primer, base coat to lacquer works really well, is easy to apply from good quality spray cans and gives an excellent finish.

I have used it on outer cases and even plastic belt covers. Where it has cured hard despite not getting particulaly hot and still appears to exhibit full "chemical resistance"

As with all paint, preparation is the key.

I don't know how good a match for original, VHT Silver is, but I have heard rather good things about Silver Smoothrite, which can be used as a heat curing engine enamel.

http://i65.tinypic.com/5umkk0.jpg

[Sirc]

Interesting, yes, re: " VHT " paint, I wasn't aware that the initials had been registered ias a brand name, I can remember the I initials being used when it merely meant very high temperature and was brandless. If you are saying that with adequate preparation and primer that the paint is as good as the original Ducati crankcase paint, then might be useful for O.P. and even me but I didn't feel the need to mention that I had already tried many different paints over the years, never helped using primer, and I'm definitely down with the preparation bit. :-)

[SpeakForYou]

When I painted my engine, I used Simoniz (i think that's what it's called) VHT paint. If you look on UKMOC bikes bit there should be a thread of mine called My M600 Dark. There's pics on that of the engine.

[Christy]

When I painted my engine, I used Simoniz (i think that's what it's called) VHT paint. If you look on UKMOC bikes bit there should be a thread of mine called My M600 Dark. There's pics on that of the engine.

That's what I used on mine. Seems to last well

[Blah blah]

I used halfords UHT enamel on exhausts in the past and it has lasted pretty well.

I've also used black smoothrite on an xj650 engine (not the exhaust) in the past and that went on well, looked good and lasted without burning off. It gave such a good finish that I'll be using it on the engine of my other project when I get round to sorting that