AlphaBarney wrote on 12/12/11 at 08:43:33:okay, so I'm planning on doing this over the winter too. I'll be painting the caliper, rear drum, and the entire engine. Basically any aluminum I can get to easily because the clear on it is all starting to flake off/pit. Couple questions:
1) Am I looking for very high temp paint or "engine paint"? The engine paint says good up to 500° I think. Do our little air-cooled engines get hotter than that?
2) Is it better to paint the engine with the covers on, or take it apart and tape it all off?
3) Can I paint the carb to match or will this alter/ruin its performance?
3) Any other suggestions opinions accepted!!
1) Lower temperature engine paint is fine unless you're painting the exhaust. You could use it on the head just to be safe.
2) It depends. Do you want all your bolt heads painted too? If you like that look, then go for it.
3) As long as you tape off the intake, exit and fuel and vacuum nipples, there's no problem -- assuming you like your bolts painted too.
Get some Rustoleum Clear Coat Remover to strip the clear coat off before you repaint. Spray, wait for it to blister, wipe off the clear coat, repeat until you get it all from the nooks and crannies. Who knows, once you get the scabby clear coat off, you might decide to leave it that way. And as I've said elsewhere, clean clean clean before you paint, and use a primer, which is also available in a high-temp version, on the shelf next to the high-temp paint.