Has Anyone Painted Their Valve Covers?
09-19-2014, 09:43 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Has Anyone Painted Their Valve Covers?
I'm never going for NCRS points so taking small liberties such as painting the raised portions of the aluminum valve covers is something I'd like to do. But it looks difficult to do well. How would you suggest painting to achieve this look?
09-19-2014, 10:17 PM
#2
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One thought..... mount the valve cover upside down and use a low nap paint roller to hit just the high spots (or in the case of it being upside down, the "low" spots).
Jim
Jim
09-20-2014, 05:31 AM
#5
Burning Brakes
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I really like that. Using a low nap roller and putting the valve cover upside down and just roll it over the roller would in my estimation be the way to go. That way it will only hit the high spots (like the member above said). I am definitely going to try this.
09-20-2014, 07:22 AM
#6
Team Owner
Gads. The hours I've spent cleaning old paint off gorgeous aluminum valve covers to bring them back to life. "Come towards the light!"
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 09-20-2014 at 07:36 AM.
09-20-2014, 06:24 PM
#8
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09-20-2014, 07:03 PM
#9
Safety Car
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On my old Vette I just painted the finned / script area , then wiped the tops of the fins and script clean while still wet with a soft rag and thinner. AFTER the whole thing was polished. Looked good, wish I had a pic.
09-20-2014, 07:39 PM
#10
The way this is normally done is by painting the cover with the color that you would like on the ridges first. Let dry and tape the ridges. Paint the valve cover the final color and after dry, remove the tape. Lightly sand to remove the edges if needed.
makes you want to throw an MSD box in there doesn't it?
09-20-2014, 09:48 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
Great cleanup results! What do use?
Those covers look great. What do you use in addition to lots of elbow grease?
Last edited by SI67; 09-21-2014 at 01:21 AM.
09-20-2014, 10:06 PM
#13
An old trick I learned many years ago has made this kind of work a snap. Get yourself some cherry chapstick and a q-tip and put a thin coat of the cherry chapstick on all the ridges, script areas and fins. If your asking why cherry chapstick and not regular chapstick it is because you can see the cherry color when you're putting your thin coat down. After coating, paint the whole thing and then let dry. After drying you can simply wipe off the areas you have coated and your done. I'm including a picture of my valve covers and air cleaner on my hot rod that I did this trick on. Good luck!
09-20-2014, 10:35 PM
#14
Pro
An old trick I learned many years ago has made this kind of work a snap. Get yourself some cherry chapstick and a q-tip and put a thin coat of the cherry chapstick on all the ridges, script areas and fins. If your asking why cherry chapstick and not regular chapstick it is because you can see the cherry color when you're putting your thin coat down. After coating, paint the whole thing and then let dry. After drying you can simply wipe off the areas you have coated and your done. I'm including a picture of my valve covers and air cleaner on my hot rod that I did this trick on. Good luck!
09-21-2014, 10:44 AM
#15
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
The only problem with the Chapstick method is that it doesn't work for painting the raised portions while leaving the lower parts unpainted. I was thinking of maybe spraying PAM (non-stick vegetable oil) on the entire area and then wiping off the raised portions so that the paint spray would adhere to the wiped parts and not stick to the background that's coated in the oil. In other words, the same idea as the Chapstick method but only in reverse.
09-21-2014, 11:19 AM
#16
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I was thinking of maybe spraying PAM (non-stick vegetable oil) on the entire area and then wiping off the raised portions so that the paint spray would adhere to the wiped parts and not stick to the background that's coated in the oil. In other words, the same idea as the Chapstick method but only in reverse.
09-21-2014, 11:50 AM
#17
Safety Car
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An old trick I learned many years ago has made this kind of work a snap. Get yourself some cherry chapstick and a q-tip and put a thin coat of the cherry chapstick on all the ridges, script areas and fins. If your asking why cherry chapstick and not regular chapstick it is because you can see the cherry color when you're putting your thin coat down. After coating, paint the whole thing and then let dry. After drying you can simply wipe off the areas you have coated and your done. I'm including a picture of my valve covers and air cleaner on my hot rod that I did this trick on. Good luck!
09-21-2014, 02:43 PM
#19
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Valve Covers
Since you guys are restoring valve covers... I have a standard steel 327/300 pair with some rust pits. What could be used to fill these in and hold up to the heat?? Any ideas ???? Thanks.