So I buy 3 cans of duplicolor engine ename to paint an engine and genset for my old lincoln welder that I'm rebuiliding. I just got through hours of removing DOM16 and was nearly ready to paint when I noticed in the "instructions" that bare metal needs to be primed.
With engine enamel???? WTF?
So I head off to Parts Source and Crappy tire, who both have TONS of duplicolur engine enamel colours to choose from...yet no compatible primer to go with it. Apparently, there is none in their computerized inventory. Searching online, I'm not the only guy to b**ch about it or find that it does exist, but is not sold in Canada.
Question is; Do I skip the priming and go directly to a topcoat, or return the product in exchange for something else? I did see another hi-temp primer, though no the same brand. I can't afford another paint failure on this job.
What would you do?
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Tom Laughlin "Billy Jack" RIP - a true Hollywood hero
I have painted lots of engines and don't remember ever using a primer coat.I usually just clean,degrease and spray away.The only pealing I ever get is in areas that I didn't clean properly.That is my experence anyway but then I am not real fussey and not working on show cars.If I do paint an engine,as long as it shiney orange I'm happy and if it wares there is always another rattle can. Ed
primer is really only a binder coat that takes care of any possible imperfections of the thing you is painting. if its clean and dry, the finish coat should stick and pull together fine. primer also creates a base coat to help the finish paint look better
Go to NAPA and buy a can of "Self Etching Primer". I've always used this stuff under rattle can paint , as well as automotive paint. It's a phosphoric acid based primer that will bite into steel or aluminum, and leaves a nice surface for paint. I have never had any failures with it.
Thanks everyone, I ended up spraying it last night after all. It looks good, heres hoping it sticks.
Hemi, thanks for that tip. I'll look for it the next time. I dont like gambling on mixing products unless I know they are compatible.
Had I known that Eastwood had Canadian distributors in Ontario, I would have tried their ceramic paint line - might try that when I build my next engine
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Tom Laughlin "Billy Jack" RIP - a true Hollywood hero