jaydaug99

So when I bought my rotors, they came with no pre-applied protectant and I had only realized that when I came outside one day and saw they were completely rusted over. I read a little in the forum and many people say they simply sand the rust, and cover the rotor in paint in order to stop the rusting. My question is: Can I use regular spray primer, paint, and clear-coat to do this? -- Do I have to use High-Temp?

Edit: I have a 1998 C5 if that helps.

Pounder

yes you would need high temp !!! You would not want to touch them after driving would you ????

jaydaug99

I'm a little confused by your reply. Could you clarify?

terrywerst

High temp paint my friend. Those puppies get hot!

Fastbird

What part are you concerned with rusting? If they came with a zinc coating, that should hold up on the hat and where the pad does not come into contact with the face. But where the pad contacts, that's going to be bare steel and WILL rust up.

If the hat is your concern, like others have said, a high temp paint will keep it looking good.

UM Rebel

Just drive it around the block and hit the brakes a couple of times.

jaydaug99

Let me give some preface. I'm 16 and I bought this 'Vette with money I earned from working 40 hours a week at my job for the past two years. That said, I am very new to cars and I'm not knowledgeable whatsoever when it comes to anything automobile.

I'm not sure what the "parts" of the rotor are, but I've never heard the term "hat" used. Which part of the rotor is that?

Also, the outer rim and inner hub of the rotor are the places I wanted to de-rust, since the brakes already remove most of the rust on the rotor's face. I don't know what those areas of the rotor are called though.

Sorry for the spiel, but thanks for your reply!

EDIT:

This is not my rotor but the appearance is the same. This is how my rotor looked before I sanded the rust off earlier this afternoon.

Evil-Twin

You do not want to paint the area where the pads contact the rotor.... the rotor is cast iron, it will rust when introduced to water. if you paint everything that doesn't come in contact with the pads, you will be ok, but the contact area will always rust when introduced to water. A few brake applications will scrub off any rust in this are ( Known as the "fire Path " )... you will need high temp paint. 500*F +.

The rotors should come off, be thoroughly cleaned with mineral spirits, wire brushed, and the fire path masked off... Be sure to spray the cooling vanes too. Clear or silver are popular colors.

jaydaug99

I'm curious about the masking of the fire path though. Shouldn't the pads scrape off any paint that I get in that area?

Vetteman Jack

Or get the rotor hats powdercoated.

Evil-Twin

Paint will foul the pads and cause fade.. you do not want to try to stop with paint on the rotor fire path. If you hurt someone in an accident and had painted rotors, it could ruin your for life...

Not sure why you are questioning the advice here.. you obviously know very little about automotive technology. Masking off the fire paths takes five minutes per rotor. It's common sense to anyone who knows anything about brakes and rotors and their function.

Pounder

no the paint will gum up the pads, and brake dry clean or lacquer thinner would be better to prep the rotors for paint, mineral spirits is kinda oil based and the paint won't stick that well. (the term hat was meant to be heat)or not ???

Evil-Twin

Mineral spirits is what I use on my rotors, once a year.. to prep them for paint.

16 years old, 90,000 miles...been doing this stuff for a long time. ( over 55 years )




look better now then when I put them on 16 years ago ( note my car has no MCM hood on it in this picture...My MCM hood is 16 years old

jaydaug99

I'm sorry. Not questioning, just trying to learn. As I said earlier, I'm very young and don't know much. Thanks for the help.

Pounder

never ever saw a body man use spirits for paint prep and as you said you do it every year ??? I did mine three years ago and have not had to repaint them.

Evil-Twin

You are the best.

Never saw a body shop paint rotors...
Mineral spirts has a slower flash point, after using mineral spirts and painting, the first dust coat is drawn into the cast iron as it flashes off slowly so there is no flaking. Rotors are sand casted with a very rough inner core, not smooth sheet metal parts.

Like I said, I am not new to this stuff, I do the research and apply the technology.

Rotors are not smooth sheet metal parts. I shouldn't have to tell you that, after all you have been a tech for 27 years. I don t have a problem with you telling the op what you use...I do however have a Big problem with you telling him that my advice is not worthy of any consideration and you offer nothing more than trying to equate a body shop that paints smooth sheet metal parts with the coarseness of a sand casted iron rotor.

It's not the first time you have tried to disrespect my advice to others. I put you on ignore once.. looks like I have to do it again.

Pounder

I just don't think in this case your advice is the best and you can't handle that. Do this, take equal parts of brake dry clean, lacquer thinner and mineral spirits and pour them in three different spots in your driveway. The brake dry clean and lacquer thinner will evaporate in seconds the spirits will be there for days. Go one further and paint each spot, the minerals spirit spot will be gone in months while the other two will be there for years. You can call it disrespect and that's on you, tell me I'm wrong and I would say, OK ???

Pounder

I have clean many engine parts(most parts cleaners used mineral spirits) and painted them in my years as a tech. I found that the paint lasted a lot longer using brake dry clean or lacquer thinner before painting.

Evil-Twin

norcalace

Now look what you've done. "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with ET. Do da do dot da dot dot do.