Painting my intake. How do i prep?
Painting my intake. How do i prep? While i have my engine all apart, i'm going to paint my intake before I put it back on. How do i prep the intake to get that smooth look? If i use sandpaper, what's a good grit to start/end with?
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
Use 400 or something close for paint prep. This is what i did to mine. I got a bucket of water. And wet the paper as I sanded every single inch of it. Sand and sand some more. Keep dunking the paper in water to keep it wet. All the little crevices where dirt accumulated. I then hosed out the inside with brake parts cleaner. MAP sensor on the rear was removed for that. Then I rinsed the outside off with water and compressed air getting any dirt that could be hiding. Then let dry. Wipe the whole thing down with rubbing alcohol to make sure its free of any contaminants. Then prime and paint. Repeat for anything else you wanna paint also.
Look for a writeup by "parbreak" on this site.
I think its in the paint and detailing section called "painting plastic" or some such.
It's what I used and it worked great.
An air compressor is handy, as is an old toothbrush.
Wear a mask or something b/c you will inhale a lot of composite dust.
I think its in the paint and detailing section called "painting plastic" or some such.
It's what I used and it worked great.
An air compressor is handy, as is an old toothbrush.
Wear a mask or something b/c you will inhale a lot of composite dust.
Here's the link if you don't find it.
Also some tips.
1) Either paint lightly or not at all the tops of the 10 bolts that hold the intake down. The washers at the top will cover it mostly and the paint will crack and wrinkle anyway after it is tightened down. I think I used a black sharpie on mine after a fella hipped me to that.
2) Make sure to keep paint out of the injector holes if you are painting that far down.
I forgot to cover mine and after removing the injectors the next time I found all kinds of paint on the injector o-rings.
3) if you make it shiny, be careful when installing and buttoning things down. There are a couple connectors on the sides that like to spin into the plastic as you tighten them and can chip your finish. When removing and re-installing, I liked to cover mine with a small towel too keep the dings down.
just some thoughts.
Also some tips.
1) Either paint lightly or not at all the tops of the 10 bolts that hold the intake down. The washers at the top will cover it mostly and the paint will crack and wrinkle anyway after it is tightened down. I think I used a black sharpie on mine after a fella hipped me to that.
2) Make sure to keep paint out of the injector holes if you are painting that far down.
I forgot to cover mine and after removing the injectors the next time I found all kinds of paint on the injector o-rings.
3) if you make it shiny, be careful when installing and buttoning things down. There are a couple connectors on the sides that like to spin into the plastic as you tighten them and can chip your finish. When removing and re-installing, I liked to cover mine with a small towel too keep the dings down.
just some thoughts.
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Honestly, if you sand it down and smooth it enough, prime it with Duplicolor filler primer, wetsand again to smooth out the orange peel, and paint the color of your choice, you should be fine. After all that I recommend you use Duplicolor's top coat clear then wet sand and buff it out for a deep shine.
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