I want to repaint my stater panel and clutch cover to try and match the original silver color they originally were. Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be a good paint to use and what I should do about stripping the panels down. You can see in the picture that those drip marks are burnt in to the paint.
(http://t-sciences.com/images/extra/clutchcover.jpg)
I used Klean Aircraft grade stripper Odor free (not sure if it makes it weaker or not) and it made it soft and gummy, youd still need a good deal of elbow grease to remove it.
So my recommendation is to use something stronger, or hire it out.
Best to yank the case covers and go have 'em beadblasted and powdercoated. That dull silver can be matched easily with powder. And why would you want that ugly dull silver anyway? Got to be the most unattractive engine paint ever.
what kind of media?
Glass beads, sand will pit the aluminum due to the irregular jagged shapes of the granules. The glass beads are the ticket for aluminum, as they are spherical in shape and result in a nice 'peened' surface, ready for paint or what have you. I've had parts come back from the beadblaster that looked so good I almost didn't take them to the powdercoater. Just have to make sure you protect the threaded holes and mating surfaces.
i have some medium glass beads in my blaster, i use it at 50psi, it doenst work that well on the paint. I dont want to crank it up to high and risk embedding glass beads on the aluminum. maybe i should try coarser bead.
Well the guy I take my parts to uses a very fine glass media, and never fails to produce a satisfactory surface preparation for powder. I think maybe 50psi is way too low. I wouldn't worry about embedding the media into the surface, that's part of the reason glass beads are great for softer metals. They peen the surface, they don't really embed.
It works great for surface prep, thats what i use it for, but for paint stripping? i didnt think glass bead would work, but PSI did ur guy use to strip with glass beads?
Not sure but the number that comes up in my head is 80? I believe I discussed that with him once but not sure. All I know is the parts come back good 'n ready for powder, stripped of paint, chrome, what have you. I always have to wash them with soap and water before I take them in for coating, but they always come back nearly flawless, no offgassing defects or any of that crap. The powdercoater I use doesn't even pre-bake the parts to burn out the impurities.
I've also had good luck removing stock paint with walnut shell media, destroys paint but has pretty much zero metal removal. It's what I used to strip all of my covers before PC.
I run it at 90 psi FYI.
That was up on my next list of media to try. walnyt shell looks pretty good for stripping
Either way. I think I've decided to take them in myself with my swing arm also and get them all re powder coated. Thanks for all the advice.