Powder Coat wont stick to engine

[rg97]

Hi guys
As you know hopefully i am doing a stroker 200x rebuild, and now im onto the powder coating. i have an eastwood gun without the dual voltage setting, high gloss black, and ive been coating a few engine pieces. now i have a problem. the powder coat works by electrically sticking itself to the metal, but whats happening is that the powder wont go inside the air fins. it sticks to the first metal it comes into contact with, like the outside of the fins. if anyone has coated their engine before, i know youve had this problem, so please help me out! thanks

[bkm]

Heat the piece up and spray it while its hot, but not so hot that the powder melts when it makes contact.

[Dirtcrasher]

You may have a bad ground, I had to mess with my setup as well. I tossed the start switch.

On their website you will find another head for the gun that is great for small places such as cooling find.

Make sure your air is completely dry, whipped down with acetone.

I play the PSI sometimes as well.......

[rg97]

I dot thinly that its the ground, because the powder sticks but it won't go in the inside of the fits deep down in. Ill try that bkm said. Thanks guys. Any other porder coating tips i should know?

[Poco Loco]

Thats why the manufactures PAINT the engine parts. They dont use powder coat. Plus if you build too much the motor will run hotter. Just like its got a nice snuggly blanket on it. Powder coat is so over rated.

If your hell bent on using it try unhooking the ground clamp so its not attracted to the nearest piece.

I just happen to be a painter by trade, thought Id jump in on this one.

[Dirtcrasher]

Buy the other tip, or at least look into it.

It has a dozen holes in it, then you can lower the PSI and fog the powder on.

[hippyplz]

You have to have a good ground. I ran a good earth ground and that solved alot of problems with powder sticking. Shooting the part hot will help, but i only do that when the problems putting down a 2nd coat. When the first coat wont stick you really should tweak your setup. The tip that Dc is talking make a big difference too, i use it about 90% of the time.

[rg97]

I figured it out. while i was coating, i heated the part a little like bkm said and like poco said i removed my ground and the powder went right down in there.


if you build too much the motor will run hotter. Just like its got a nice snuggly blanket on it. Powder coat is so over rated
The same thing will happen with normal paint too...
plus name a type of paint that will stand up better to the oil, abuse and gas.....

How many coats of powder do you guys usually put on?

[Poco Loco]

175425175426175427175428175429175430175431
I figured it out. while i was coating, i heated the part a little like bkm said and like poco said i removed my ground and the powder went right down in there. Heres a little of what I do to pay the bills. You ask what paint is good for a motor? Polyureathane, 3 part. Epoxy polimide. Cardinal bake paints. There are so many. You wont get them at the hardware store. You have to find the local auto body supply or the Fed spec outlet. Also the paint you can get for painting guns is good too. Its a satin finish and is a 3 part componet.....Ever notice how the factory engines are a satin finish and the paint is thin? Hmmm...Their thin so thy wont hold the heat in. Powder coat builds up so fast and is very thick, unlike paint.
But you say,...


The same thing will happen with normal paint too...
plus name a type of paint that will stand up better to the oil, abuse and gas.....

Not always true...

Theres epoxys designed to be painted on the interior of fuel tanks. Polyurethanes will hold up also. Brake fluid wont even f-with them.
Painting is a tricky trade. Products are always changing because of the EPA. Ive been doing it for 32 yrs. I might know a little about it. Good luck on your project. I hope it does come out nice.

How many coats of powder do you guys usually put on?

[rg97]

Rims-- Easier than that! no primer needed! Powder gives shiny finish as well
Side x side-- got me there, no graphics for PCing, no plastics as well
Old car-- What, you think that you cant polish powder coating? It looks just as good! Lasts longer as well
Plus, who wants to spend $100 a gallon for paint when enough powder to cover an entire engine is $10
Even if you are worried about scratches an oil and/or gas, a clear lacquer finish is just as easy
Think also about the time involved.
Normal painting-- paint, wait to dry to apply 2nd coat (anywhere from 30 min to 2 days), wait to apply 3rd coat, let dry (anywhere from 2 hr to 3 days), and DONE.
Total= at least 3.5 hours
Powder coating-- Spray on powder. Stick in oven for 25-30 mins. cool with fan. Apply 2nd coat, if necessary (usually not). bake 25-30 mins. DONE
Total time= 1 hr or less

http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/rg97/DSC01606_zpsc12ec9c2.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/rg97/media/DSC01606_zpsc12ec9c2.jpg.html)http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/rg97/DSC01607_zpsc58fa159.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/rg97/media/DSC01607_zpsc58fa159.jpg.html)http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/rg97/DSC01604_zps67dc215d.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/rg97/media/DSC01604_zps67dc215d.jpg.html)

[rg97]

Remember too that I had never looked into powder coating before abut a week after my rebuild started. Im new to it. Give me some of that cardinal bake or 3 part polycrap, and i wont know what the heck to do with it. To each their own. You like your 'typical' paint, I like my paint.

[Poco Loco]

That look like shart. Sorry The side by side not graffics. Thats airbrush satin. Stick to the powder, cause you know nothing about paint.

[rg97]

Hmm... 32 years to learn to get a perfect finish, a little over a week to get a pretty good finish, not perfect. I dont see the trade-off?
Who's going to complain at the dunes, "Aw man that engine looks bad because there's a tiny detail missing on one side of the fin on the cylinder head" Wait a minute, NOBODY
If i was dumping thousands into a car resto, i could see very HQ paint being used. This is a ATC. Its old, It doesnt need to be 100% perfect, and it makes me happy. complain and show all you want, im sticking with PC, along with most of the people on this site!

[Poco Loco]

Dude, you had a problem. I helped you solve it. You asked questions. I answered them. Get over it.

I know powder coat. I got paid to apply it for 3 yrs. Out

[rg97]

You showed me your paint, I showed you mine. When you call my stuff ****, it irritates me.

[3wheeled roofer]

Not trying to do anything but state my fact. I powder coated my radiator on my sand car.....big firkin mistake cause of the heat factor. like someone said its like a cozy little blanket. Had my motor running at 225 to 230 degrees and when I replaced radiator only with no powder coat it ran 200 to 220 degrees. IMO on the air fooler it might run alittle warmer. out here it would be a problem. It has not dropped below 75 to 80 degrees here at night in about 8 weeks.

[jb104]

I hope your parts turn out nice for you. I would agree with poco on painting the engine vs powdercoating. Looks like Poco gave you some great pointers on painting but you did not like his help so why ask a question then reply like he does not know what he is talking about? Sounds like if you do not get the answer you want you act a little negative

[rg97]

Now a radiator i would not do. The little fins are so close together that the powder builds up and prohibits air movement. But when the fins on an engine are .5" apart and the powder makes a paper thin layer, its not going to stop airflow. Honda original paint on my engine was pretty thick, but it never overheated.
Jb, the reason i got a lil negative was that i had posted a thread about powder coating help and i get people that tell me don't do it, its over rated, your engine is screwed blah blah blah. When i had posted the thread, people already k ew that i had started the powder coating. By no means would i strip all of the powder back off and do it with some expensive paint that is better in someones opinion. This i rest my case.

[rg97]

Not trying to do anything but state my fact. I powder coated my radiator on my sand car.....big firkin mistake cause of the heat factor. like someone said its like a cozy little blanket. Had my motor running at 225 to 230 degrees and when I replaced radiator only with no powder coat it ran 200 to 220 degrees. IMO on the air fooler it might run alittle warmer. out here it would be a problem. It has not dropped below 75 to 80 degrees here at night in about 8 weeks.
In Arizona, its always hot. I have friends that live out there and it normal to be 110 all the time. Where i live in pa, it never gets above 90 ever. The rest of the year its anywhere from 0 to 75 or so. Im not worried about my engine

[Poco Loco]

Now a radiator i would not do. The little fins are so close together that the powder builds up and prohibits air movement. But when the fins on an engine are .5" apart and the powder makes a paper thin layer, its not going to stop airflow. Honda original paint on my engine was pretty thick, but it never overheated.
Jb, the reason i got a lil negative was that i had posted a thread about powder coating help and i get people that tell me don't do it, its over rated, your engine is screwed blah blah blah. When i had posted the thread, people already k ew that i had started the powder coating. By no means would i strip all of the powder back off and do it with some expensive paint that is better in someones opinion. This i rest my case. Never in a 100 years would you of thought of taking off the ground wire on that electrostatic sprayer. You asked for advice I my knowledge helped you.

I never said your motor was screwed. I said powder coat will make it run hotter (fact) You also asked me what paints are better and I told you. I cant help it if your motor looks like a spray can job. Its just an observation.
Oh on an ending note....Powder coating is way over rated. Just a fact. I dont care how many people use it. I sprayed it for years for a living in a booth on a assembly line. Miles of that stuff. It does have its good areas to be used. Just not on engines.

[Dirtcrasher]

Dude, you had a problem. I helped you solve it. You asked questions. I answered them. Get over it.

I know powder coat. I got paid to apply it for 3 yrs. Out

I'm glad you tried to help, however, you have the guns the reducers, the hardners, the buffer and you need good weather.

PC is very easy to do and for us amateurs, it's easy and quick to get into.

Every god damn time I paint a truck I have to by sticky disc, long flat board sander sandpaper, paint, reducer (hope it fits the weather), hardner, a 200$ gun (reducer to clean that) and plenty of other crap that will be leftover and thrown out. You obviously know your paint, many of us do not.

See that naked picture in my avatar? Thats my 87 200X motor PC'd in 2008. I have the finished photos; It does not run hot and has a couple of mere chips........

[Poco Loco]

So the end result was....He got a better job on his engine due to my advice. And everybody got a lesson on paint verses powder coat. We all go to bed tonight a little smarter because of this. My work is done.

[Dirtcrasher]

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/RTSwingerassembled.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/RTSwingerassembled.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/FrontendDONE.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/FrontendDONE.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/18Topendclose.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/18Topendclose.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/18MotorMountsclose.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/18MotorMountsclose.jpg.html)

Or how about a whole 250R motor?

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/Powderapplied.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/Powderapplied.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/Wholemotor.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/Wholemotor.jpg.html)

That come out OK for a guy 10 days into PCing??

[Poco Loco]

175549175550175551175552175553175554 Heres a little 3 wheeler part with some paint on it.

[Poco Loco]

Those look nice. Good job.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/RTSwingerassembled.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/RTSwingerassembled.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/FrontendDONE.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/FrontendDONE.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/18Topendclose.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/18Topendclose.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/18MotorMountsclose.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/18MotorMountsclose.jpg.html)

Or how about a whole 250R motor?

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/Powderapplied.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/Powderapplied.jpg.html)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh220/Dirtcrasher/Wholemotor.jpg (http://s257.photobucket.com/user/Dirtcrasher/media/Wholemotor.jpg.html)

That come out OK for a guy 10 days into PCing??

[Dirtcrasher]

Thank you, and I appreciate your work as well. The set up cost is just so much more expensive and has to be measured perfect and work with fast or slow dry reducer; Plus we hang chit on clothes lines and it blows all around with the light parts when paint spraying :lol:

You are simply very good at what you do.

[rg97]

Never in a 100 years would you of thought of taking off the ground wire.
I tried that before I came to ask help on here, but to no avail. I had some other minor problems that I fixed, then it worked fine... I'm a week into PCing, so I'm no expert, which apparently you are.


Looks like a spray can job
Put your glasses on! If you think that that looks like rattle can, theres something wrong with you. Or should take pics more like dirtcrasher? :naughty:
If you think i missed something, I didnt. Theres just a whole bunch of fingerprints on there from after I was done...
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/rg97/DSC01608_zps4b605ada.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/rg97/media/DSC01608_zps4b605ada.jpg.html)http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r696/rg97/DSC01609_zps22c4e7cc.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/rg97/media/DSC01609_zps22c4e7cc.jpg.html)

[Poco Loco]

Rj, you got your panties all bunched up. Lighten up Francis. Lol