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roman_pushkin · 12-21-2007, 03:39 PM

have a valve cover and been wanting to repaint it, but dont have a sand blaster so what kind of sand paper should i use??? Any color suggestions its a 90 white accord with a stock engine

AHHVTEC · 12-21-2007, 03:46 PM

i would just take it some where and have it blasted,but if your vc is stock you can just use engine paint without primer or anything as long as its good and clean, and when it heat cures it will have that wrinkled look,

whiterabbit06 · 12-21-2007, 10:46 PM

When I did mine I used a sand blaster. If I was in your position I would try to use some paint thinner or paint remover. If not use some 120 grit sand paper. as long as you put a few coats of primer on it and take your time it should come out nice smooth and shiny. Remember when painting to let the coats dry before applying another and not to overspray. Here are some pics of mine.
Before

After

BrutalB83 · 12-22-2007, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roman_pushkin

have a valve cover and been wanting to repaint it, but dont have a sand blaster so what kind of sand paper should i use??? Any color suggestions its a 90 white accord with a stock engine

I would prefer to not sandblast a valve cover actually. Yeah, it will give you a nice surface to paint, but it can also leave junk inside the valve cover that will eventually end up inside the motor.

Here's how I did mine:

First, I stripped the paint off with aircraft stripper. It works great; just spray the valve cover down with it and then wait 10 mins or so. The paint should start to bubble and then you can just take a hose and wash it off. You might have to repeat this a couple times to get all the factory paint off. Also, be careful with the stripper, because it will burn your skin.

After that, I bought a little sanding kit from Wal-Mart that has discs you can put on a drill. It came with 3 discs, a course sandpaper, a lighter sandpaper, and a Scotch Brite one. I just went over the whole valve cover with each of those, ending with the Scotch Brite. I would also recommend buying a few sheets of sandpaper and a Scotch Brite pad to get in the little areas where the sanding discs won't fit.

After that, wipe it down with a tack cloth to get any sanding dust off (or just wash the whole thing with soap and water. Now you're ready to paint...

You don't really need to use a primer, but it doesn't hurt. I used Duplicoler engine enamel. I sprayed about 3 coats of primer, followed by 4 coats of color, and then about 3 coats of clear. I did all of that in succession (like don't wait for the primer to dry completely before you spray the color), waiting about 15-20 mins in between coats. Just take your time, hold the can about 8-10 inches away from the valve cover, and spray light coats. 3-5 light coats is better than 1-2 heavy coats; you won't get runs if you do light coats.

After that, I'd let it sit somewhere for a good 48 hours if you can. If you only have one valve cover and you need to drive the car, then you can try baking it in the oven to cure the paint, or just install it back on the car and let the heat from the motor bake it.

If you have any other questions let me know. Here's a picture of how mine turned out:

roman_pushkin · 02-04-2008, 08:59 PM

here it is how my valve cover turned out!!

BrutalB83 · 02-04-2008, 10:03 PM

Looks pretty good man! Good work!

philyphreak2127 · 02-04-2008, 11:13 PM

brutal you should do a write up in the tech section...I know there is already one but do a revision for people that don't have a sandblaster.

whiterabbit06 · 02-04-2008, 11:20 PM

Nice work.

TurboMirage · 02-05-2008, 12:11 AM

BrutalB83 · 02-05-2008, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philyphreak2127

brutal you should do a write up in the tech section...I know there is already one but do a revision for people that don't have a sandblaster.

I have one on a different site actually. Maybe I'll ask B or some of the other staff if they'd be interested in having it on HondaSwap.

philyphreak2127 · 02-05-2008, 03:11 AM

for sure. It's worth it. I didn't even use paint stripper when I painted mine. I went over it with an air powered sander, and then by hand, I am in the process of wet sanding it now. Just to get some of the deep scratches semi out of it before I paint it.

BrutalB83 · 02-05-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philyphreak2127

for sure. It's worth it. I didn't even use paint stripper when I painted mine. I went over it with an air powered sander, and then by hand, I am in the process of wet sanding it now. Just to get some of the deep scratches semi out of it before I paint it.

I bet that thing will look real nice when you're done...

philyphreak2127 · 02-05-2008, 02:25 PM

thats the plan. there are actually 2 in the works, and one already painted on my car. I have a couple spare motors.

12-21-2007, 03:39 PM	#1
roman_pushkin Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 28 iTrader: 0 / 0% Rep Power: 0	how to paint a valve cover???? have a valve cover and been wanting to repaint it, but dont have a sand blaster so what kind of sand paper should i use??? Any color suggestions its a 90 white accord with a stock engine

12-21-2007, 10:46 PM	#3
whiterabbit06 universal logic protocol Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florida Age: 22 Posts: 631 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 99 VW GTI 90 Civic Hatch 07 Jeep Compass Rep Power: 69	When I did mine I used a sand blaster. If I was in your position I would try to use some paint thinner or paint remover. If not use some 120 grit sand paper. as long as you put a few coats of primer on it and take your time it should come out nice smooth and shiny. Remember when painting to let the coats dry before applying another and not to overspray. Here are some pics of mine. Before After __________________ 90 Civic Hatch 99 VW GTI <= BIG F'IN POS 07 Jeep Compass If you ever find anything I write usefull please leave rep. Rebuilding a Transmission http://www.the-whiterabbit.com

02-04-2008, 08:59 PM	#5
roman_pushkin Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 28 iTrader: 0 / 0% Rep Power: 0	here it is how my valve cover turned out!! Attached Thumbnails

02-04-2008, 10:03 PM	#6
BrutalB83 Crusher of Noob Ambitions Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oxford, MI Age: 25 Posts: 6,665 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 97 Integra LS Coupe Rep Power: 160	Looks pretty good man! Good work! __________________ If you find something I say helpful, please rep it up! Also, DO NOT PM me with tech questions! Use the forums so we can all benefit from the answers. I will NOT respond to tech-related PMs... 97 Integra LS Coupe: AEM Intake/Megan Header/Magnaflow Exhaust Tokico Shocks & Springs Megan Strut Braces & H-Brace 98-01 Conversion (Front/Rear Bumpers & "Mesh" Alloys)

02-04-2008, 11:13 PM	#7
philyphreak2127 The name's Sam Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: morrison, co Age: 19 Posts: 1,380 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 98 civic dx sedan, 80 trans am Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 18	brutal you should do a write up in the tech section...I know there is already one but do a revision for people that don't have a sandblaster. __________________ Parts for sale: http://hondaswap.com/parts-sale-trad...-parts-115446/ Build Threads: Civic: http://hondaswap.com/civic-del-sol-eg-ek/d16y8-n-build-112401/5.html Trans Am: http://hondaswap.com/other-vehicle-discussions/1980-trans-am-build-thread-oh-yeah-its-official-149941/#post1054318


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12-21-2007, 03:46 PM	#2
AHHVTEC HS TECH Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Alabama Age: 29 Posts: 9,184 iTrader: 2 / 100% Ride: dc5,mk4 gti,2nd gen civic, Rep Power: 181	i would just take it some where and have it blasted,but if your vc is stock you can just use engine paint without primer or anything as long as its good and clean, and when it heat cures it will have that wrinkled look,

02-04-2008, 11:20 PM	#8
whiterabbit06 universal logic protocol Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Florida Age: 22 Posts: 631 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 99 VW GTI 90 Civic Hatch 07 Jeep Compass Rep Power: 69	Nice work. __________________ 90 Civic Hatch 99 VW GTI <= BIG F'IN POS 07 Jeep Compass If you ever find anything I write usefull please leave rep. Rebuilding a Transmission http://www.the-whiterabbit.com

02-05-2008, 12:11 AM	#9
TurboMirage Running on two cylinders Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southbridge, MA Age: 25 Posts: 16,395 iTrader: 1 / 100% Ride: 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer RPW E5 Coupe Rep Power: 243	__________________ Home of the RPW built 2000 Lancer CC Coupe. See what is done to the Little EVO5

02-05-2008, 03:11 AM	#11
philyphreak2127 The name's Sam Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: morrison, co Age: 19 Posts: 1,380 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 98 civic dx sedan, 80 trans am Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 18	for sure. It's worth it. I didn't even use paint stripper when I painted mine. I went over it with an air powered sander, and then by hand, I am in the process of wet sanding it now. Just to get some of the deep scratches semi out of it before I paint it. __________________ Parts for sale: http://hondaswap.com/parts-sale-trad...-parts-115446/ Build Threads: Civic: http://hondaswap.com/civic-del-sol-eg-ek/d16y8-n-build-112401/5.html Trans Am: http://hondaswap.com/other-vehicle-discussions/1980-trans-am-build-thread-oh-yeah-its-official-149941/#post1054318

02-05-2008, 02:25 PM	#13
philyphreak2127 The name's Sam Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: morrison, co Age: 19 Posts: 1,380 iTrader: 0 / 0% Ride: 98 civic dx sedan, 80 trans am Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 18	thats the plan. there are actually 2 in the works, and one already painted on my car. I have a couple spare motors. __________________ Parts for sale: http://hondaswap.com/parts-sale-trad...-parts-115446/ Build Threads: Civic: http://hondaswap.com/civic-del-sol-eg-ek/d16y8-n-build-112401/5.html Trans Am: http://hondaswap.com/other-vehicle-discussions/1980-trans-am-build-thread-oh-yeah-its-official-149941/#post1054318

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how to paint a valve cover????