Repainting 78 L82 Valve Covers
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: New Castle PA
Repainting 78 L82 Valve Covers
Has anyone repainted L82 black valve covers with the aluminum fins. I'm going to repaint them. What type of high temp. paint could I use, what prep first, just light sanding to ruff up?? Use Primer?? Is it best just repaint the whole cover and then when dry sand down the aluminum fins with sand paper to show the the exposed fins?
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the help!
Pro
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 534
Likes: 2
From: Connecticut
Has anyone repainted L82 black valve covers with the aluminum fins. I'm going to repaint them. What type of high temp. paint could I use, what prep first, just light sanding to ruff up?? Use Primer?? Is it best just repaint the whole cover and then when dry sand down the aluminum fins with sand paper to show the the exposed fins?
Thanks for the help!
Thanks for the help!
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 289
Likes: 0
From: Franksville Wisconsin
You could strip the old paint (best option) or sand,then polish the top of fins clean it good and tape over the fins and trim tape to cover the tops of fins only. Paint with hight temp engine paint and once dry remove tape. If you dont mind a sanded finish theway you said will work too. They may become corroded if in damp enviroment as I recall the covers being of magnesium alloy. magnesium tends to corrode easily. If you sand them I would try putting clear hight temp paint over the top.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 289
Likes: 0
From: Franksville Wisconsin
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,100
Likes: 12
From: Frederick Maryland
After prepping the valve covers, you can add a coating of petroleum jelly to the exposed parts of the fins. After painting and allowing it to dry, you can simply wipe off the fins...the paint will be on the surface of the jelly and wipe off with it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,354
Likes: 214
From: Beecher Illinois
I've done 4 sets over the last few years.
Paint stripper and a wire brush, tooth brush, and steel wool. I use Zinnser Strip Fast.
Wire wheel the gasket surfaces to clean them up.
A few coats of semi or low gloss black engine enamel.
When dry, I pop em in the oven for about 30 minutes at 250 degrees or so. Seems to level out the finish a bit.(you may have to forego this step if the wife's home)
Then I take masking tape, and using a new emblem I cut out a couple of round patterns. I stick these over the oil fill hole and emblem spot. This keeps those areas nice when I sand the top of the fins.
I have a belt sander belt slipped over a rectangle of plywood to use as a sanding block.
Correct, at least for your 78, is fin surfaces with a machined look, not smooth.
Paint stripper and a wire brush, tooth brush, and steel wool. I use Zinnser Strip Fast.
Wire wheel the gasket surfaces to clean them up.
A few coats of semi or low gloss black engine enamel.
When dry, I pop em in the oven for about 30 minutes at 250 degrees or so. Seems to level out the finish a bit.(you may have to forego this step if the wife's home)
Then I take masking tape, and using a new emblem I cut out a couple of round patterns. I stick these over the oil fill hole and emblem spot. This keeps those areas nice when I sand the top of the fins.
I have a belt sander belt slipped over a rectangle of plywood to use as a sanding block.
Correct, at least for your 78, is fin surfaces with a machined look, not smooth.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,100
Likes: 12
From: Frederick Maryland
Probably not. L48 engines came with orange painted stamped steel valve covers and L82's had the cast aluminum (or magnesium) ribbed valve covers. Neither had the Corvette script. The L82 valve covers did have a crossed flag badge on one side, but that was it.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: New Castle PA
Thanks for all the feedback. Very helpful. The ribs have diagonal machined lines on them. So I'm assuming I should keep track of the angle before painting and sand in the same direction as the machined lines?
