Eastwood Ceramic Engine Paint Application?

Now it's easier than ever to detail your engine with Eastwood's innovative line of High-Temp Ceramic Engine Paints. Designed to match the original finish in the 19 most popular factory-correct colors, these super-durable paints can be either brush or spray applied right from the can. Although metallic finishes should be sprayed for the most uniform finish, it also brushes on beautifully so you can touch up your engine without extensive masking. The high-performance silicone resin, which has been tested to maintain adhesion up to 650° F, is augmented with ceramic nano-particles that provide additional durability as well as resistance to chipping, marring and scratching. These paints should be mixed 4:1 with Eastwood's 21854Z Urethane Paint Activator for increased gloss and chemical resistance.

Here's the process:

As with any coating the surface needs to be free of grease, oil, loose rust and peeling paint. It's a good idea to start by putting down a sheet of heavy plastic since many of the chemicals used can damage floors. It's important to read and understand the safety warnings on all labels and work in a well lit, well ventilated area. Most of these products including the paint work best when the area and surface temperature is 65-95 degrees F with 50% or less humidity.

1. A Soda Blaster or pressure washer is very effective at removing most of the surface contaminants but if you don't have these tools what can you do? To remove old paint you can brush on a coat of 10410 Eastwood DEKOTE Paint Remover. This paint remover is safer to use and doesn't dry out as fast as Methylene Chloride based removers. Once the stripper loosens the coating you can use a scraper. After the worst of the deposits have been removed you can follow with a water rinse then once the surface is dry spray 10041Z PRE Painting Prep or acetone on the surface to remove residue grease and oil. If you prefer a more environmentally friendly approach use 10120 Metal Wash. This 7 oz. powdered concentrate is mixed with warm or hot water to make up to 2-1/2 gallons of effective cleaning solution. This can be applied with a pump spray bottle or scrubbed on with a nail cleaning brush or rag. Another nice thing about Metal Wash is that it leaves a protective coating behind that inhibits rust. Since it is water based, it does take longer than PRE Painting Prep or acetone to dry.

At this point you can apply the engine paint, as many of the original manufacturer's did, to the bare metal. If you have rust or want better durability you can spray 19417Z Fast Etch onto the surface. This Phosphoric Acid based cleaner continues to work as long as the surface stays wet. This product will etch concrete and can discolor coated surfaces so you may want to make sure that the plastic sheeting you put down earlier is still in place and effectively protecting the floor. Keep the surface wet with Fast Etch until the metal has a uniform gray appearance. Vertical surfaces should be covered with rags or paper towels wet with Fast Etch and pressed against the surface. You can cover the rags/towels with plastic wrap or plastic bag material to prevent evaporation. You can also utilize the 20558ZP Fast Etch Gel Gallon. The Gel formulation sticks well to vertical surfaces so you may prefer to use this.

Once the surface is a nice uniform gray, water rinse and force dry with compressed air, or spray the still wet surface with PRE Painting Prep or acetone and allow to dry. For greater durability, or if some slight rust remains, the entire surface can be primed with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. This will resist temperatures up to 400 degrees F so it's a great primer to use on an engine block. Plus since Rust Encapsulator is available in Black, Silver and Red you can select a color that most closely matches the engine paint color. Selecting the right color primer will minimize the number of coats of engine paint you need to apply. Thin coats move better with the surface as it expands and contracts with thermal cycling plus they're more resistant to chipping.

You can apply Eastwood Engine Paints with a spray gun or a brush. Brush application minimizes the need to mask and provides a nice finish when using a disposable foam brush like the 34152 Set of 3 Polyfoam Brushes. You may also wish to spray to achieve the smoothest finish. The unique Eastwood Engine Paints can be easily sprayed with virtually any HVLP gun with a 1.2-1.5mm nozzle. The 51550 Eastwood Concours Gun with 1.2mm nozzle will apply this and most other solvent and water based paints very nicely, because it atomizes well and uses only 4 cfm at 29 psi. Reducing the paint up to 20% with a quality urethane reducer or 50104ZP Eastwood Universal Zero VOC Urethane Reducer will provide the best flow out. Keep in mind that Eastwood Engine Paints and most other paints apply best when the area and surface temperature is 65-95 degrees F with 50% or less humidity. The silicone-based formulation with nano-ceramic particles offers great durability. Be sure to clean the spray gun within 2 hours of adding the activator with acetone or lacquer thinner.