What is the best way to paint your engine?

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

paint the box, then block and head together, followed by the other stuff

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

but obvioulsy (and i reckon you would know this, you're no fool!) make sure you dont get paint on any of the faces or on any interior part

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

For me if I had the engine out I would definitely paint all the parts individually BUT if it were already in and assembled you would only have to paint the bits that you would see and there is no chance to scuff up your new paint during assembly.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Depends on what look you are after. For the real OEM style look it has to be paint individual parts.

If you are in a rush or the above is not possible, I've seen some good looking whole engines painted before.

Personally I like to see gaskets and seals, gasket and seal colour

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

if you paint the engine whole will it make it difficult to separate some parts? cos they have a coat of paint over them?

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

Not unless you paint it too thick.

On a rebuild I tend to paint the block fully assembled sitting on a Morris Minor sump.

If it's a quick tidy up and the gearbox is not coming off I paint the lot.

Either way I block off the dizzy hole with a rubber plug and the intake/exhaust flange with an old gasket wrapped in masking tape to cover the ports.

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Brett Nicholson
Greendale (near Ballan) VIC.
1971 Morris Mini Moke
1966 Austin Mini
1965 Morris Mini Traveller
1973 LR Series 3 88
2007 LR Freelander 2

dont paint the box

its alloy, wont rust and will get rid of heat better without paint on it..
not to mention it chips off..

Paint the timing cover seperately because the harmonic balancer will be in the way if fully assembled. Also paint the inner face of the harmonic balancer before you put it on.

Paint the head, block and gear box all at once with an old rocker cover on it. Paint the rocker cover seperately and do a really good job of it as it is the most visible.

Dont forget to mask up where the speedo cable screws onto the gear box

Make sure you post pics when it is painted

Cheers,
Matt

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Actually chong, if your after an OEM look for a roundy, it would be first painted BMC green(the dark one) then Painted Australian Metallic Green(the light one) all assembled of course. all motor's were originally shipped to aus as crate motor's at fiest then were painted australian metallic green when they got here. This of course changed as the motor's were built over here.


Cheers
Aaron

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BMC just painted the whole shebang assembled, minus a few external bits... on the assembly line- that was their OEM method.
No prepainting for them. That takes time!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Dont forget to tape up your vee belt grooves. Painting them assembled means you dont have to touch up the bolt heads, otherwise poke your bolts through a piece of cardboard so you dont do the threads.

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Michael N

Like this...and don't paint the oil filter housing or the thermostat housing

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use paint

After screwing around with spray cans I want to try brush next time - can't seem to find a brush engine paint though...

Edit - interesting seeing welch plugs painted...I like 'em brassy