I know a lot of people clear their intake manifolds, I was wondering how they hold up over time on a car that is driven (not a non driven show only car).. I was thinking about shooting some automotive clear (not buzzbomb) after giving mine a good cleaning, anybody have any input??

TIA

Never used auto paint but any other clear it turned the intake a darkish grey that was shiny. Lost the neat aluminum look and of course once gas gets on it they start yellowing. Wonder if PC it would be a better way.

VHT makes hi-temp clear in both gloss & satin.
-------------------------------------------

POR.com has a terrific 2-part
clear non-yellowing epoxy we've
been happy with for years.

We've used it on air cleaners
and other underhood parts.

It's bullet-proof on most anything.

We've used it most often
as a chassis final coat.

PELUCID is the product.
---------------------------------------------------

Eastwood has a great protective low-gloss/satin clear
that has not yellowed in any of the environments we've
subjected it to, including underhood.


HTH :beers:

I am in this same situation. I have a used RPM, which I've cleaned and scrubbed down to bare aluminum, and haven't decided if I should finish it or leave it bare. My last intake was a performer, which I rattle-canned with Rust-oleum 500 degree engine paint...chevy orange. I loved how it looked. Loved it. But, paint chipped off when I tightened it down, around the bolts and where the wrenches/ratchets on the riser/plenum. It touched up fine with a q-tip though. To me, there are just too many chevy engines with orange blocks, chrome valve covers/air cleaners and bare alum intakes. I just might orange this RPM too.


Anyone have pics of clear on an alum intake?

When I asked my local paint store about making a custom color for the engine, they told me that 2 or 3 of their clients tried it with auto paint and it lifted off as soon as the engine got hot. So you really need hi-temp engine enamel such as VHT or Duplicolor (they both have clear coat).

I personally have used POR-15 clear on my small block. On this picture you can "see" the clear on the alternator (pulley and fan included), water pump pulley, heater coolant outlet, gauge temp sensor,car spacer, distributor (vacuum included). I also done the back of the water pump, starter, fuel pump, etc. The yellow reflections on the photo are from the ambient light and you don't see that "live" (the front of the alternator and water pump pulley is pretty representative). For comparison, the valve cover are NOT clear coated (natural alu finish). I also think there are too many orange SB with alu heads and intake, so I've painted mine Pontiac silver blue.

28628

It is very shiny and still perfectly clear (brush painted 7 months ago but didn't run much since then). But you have to be careful, as it will yellowish (without affecting paint quality, though) if exposed to the sun, so you can't open your hood at car meets! Although, I've tested it and it takes 1 or 2 week of sun exposure to get a golden old varnish look which is not a bad look by itself. But as Jack Armstrong mentioned, they have other clear coats (like Pelucid) that are not UV sensitive and should also resist Hi Temp (I guess we can safely say that all urethane paints do, although I'm not an expert on the subject).

Thanks for the input guys.... I know a lot of people have cleared them, I was hoping somebody would chime in with a success story :D..

I had a clear powdercoated Performer RPM on my 72 monte and a little gas leak yellowed it badly. On my boat motors, I painted my aluminum intakes silver. To some it looks hokey, but I like it.

I have never used a clear automotive paint on an engine, but the rumor that you need high temp paint on an engine is pure BS. The outside of your engine doesn't get any hotter than the hood of a car in the sun in the desert. Ever put some water on your hood and watch it boil? That's pretty hot.

I painted the engine in my 56 in 1990 and it still shines like a mofo. Cleaned the block, shot it with Veriprime and followed that up with Centari (both Dupont products) I've done the same with Veriprime and Imron. If the paint lifts the prep was bad.
These are painted with veriprime and imron. This pic is after two seasons (yes, they are red).

here's the 56 with the centari (yes it's red too):
I even painted between the ribs of the old magnacharger.
Even when the blower got hot enought to gall the ends of the rotors and lock up, it still looked beautiful! (the far carb looks orange because the sun is shining on it)

IMHO and experience,don't even bother. I wipe my aluminum intake down with laquer thinner from time to time and 8 years later it still looks like it did when it came out of the box.

I cleared a couple years ago and one of them was on a truck that I probably put 10,000 miles on and it looked great when I sold it, Held up great. This was automotive type clear out of a gun, Bead blasted and then shot with clear.
My motor in my car was painted 12 or so years ago with automotive single stage urathane and it sat on a stand for 10 years before I put it in my car - Have put probably around 8-10K on it and not one problem, Still looks great.

LK

Never used auto paint but any other clear it turned the intake a darkish grey that was shiny. Lost the neat aluminum look and of course once gas gets on it they start yellowing. Wonder if PC it would be a better way.

X2 same thing happened to mine. Got it blasted again and kepy it natural.

I always used engine paint in the "aluminum" color. Never clear.

Thanks for the input guys.... I scrubbed it really well with some aluminum wheel cleaner and it cleaned up pretty well, I guess I will leave it for now..

As a painter I can verify Clearing with auto paint will hold up. I've bc/cc many engines and never an issue. No fancy primer either. It's all in the prep. You gotta clean the snot out of it. If it's new clean it anyway. Lacquer serves a painter well for cleaning this kind of stuff.
Dupont
Sherwin Williams
PPG
They've all held up just fine.

RandyB.