I have a tappet cover that is chrome but has lost a large amount of the chrome and has surface rust all over it. I am thinking of painting over it with the same colour that the rest of the engine will be painted in.

Can i paint over the chrome? i am assuming i can sand it, undercoat it and then paint over it.

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'66 BRG Morris Mini Deluxe 60HP ATW

Sand blast it first or the paint won't stick.

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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.

Never done it before, but I guess (and only a guess ) that like all other substrates, it needs to be keyed in. As the doc sujested, maybe sandblasting to remove it alltogether, being heavy handed with a wire wheel?
Maybe pop a phonecall to a chroming facility.
Hope this helps.

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Chuck Norris is the only person alive who can kick you in the back of the face!!
mooo, I'm a pig!

Just get another rocker cover, got a few here if you want to relieve me of one

Ok thanks for the help guys. I have a sandblaster so i will just give it a clean up with that and then sand and paint it to suit.

Cheers guys.

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'66 BRG Morris Mini Deluxe 60HP ATW

had a go today at sandblasting the chrome off the tappet cover. didnt really work. it seems to help remove some of the rust that has taken hold but didnt really do much to the chrome.

does anyone know of another way to remove the chrome off the tappet cover? i really want to reuse this tappet cover because it has the breather on the top and i like this particular one.

maybe acid dipping would remove the chrome?

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'66 BRG Morris Mini Deluxe 60HP ATW

my good mate Stewy is a painter & he`s had success painting chromed covers,,, but he does get them sand blasted & i think they use the industrial strength stuff,,, (heavier/thicker sand maybe?)

he then uses an "etch primer" of some sort & does an absolkutely wonderful job,,, they come out absolutely mint when theyre done

but i`m not sure what or how he does what "exactly"

wheres Phat when you need him???

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

twisted knot wire wheel

you need to find a girl by the name of candy with a K i heard she does a great job of decroming towballs

Dtrain wont that mark the steel or dent it? i have a twisted knot wire wheel and equipment here, do you think i should try that?

jimmyinamini Hahahahahahahahaaha!

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'66 BRG Morris Mini Deluxe 60HP ATW

The proper way to get chrome off is to take it to a plater and have them strip it, its basically the reverse of plating it. Normally you don't sandblast it off, you just roughen it up and try to get the paint to stick to it.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

What media were you using in your sandblaster jester? As matt said there are a multitude of different media, some harsher than others.

A wire wheel should work.

I would be worried about just keying it and painting it. Reason being that you said that it was rusting through the chrome, so the parent material was already oxidising when it was chromed and wasn't cleaned properly by the platers.

In short without the jibber jabber, if you key it and paint it, it won't last long before it starts bubbling off.

There are some products available off the shelf at paint shops that under normal circumstances where the chrome is in good nick, will act as a tie coat or sealer for the chrome, you apply it and paint over it. I can't remember what they are called, I've never used them. And to behonest I I know nearly nothing about how they work or anything.
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Wire wheel, smooth with 240 and paint away.

He back!.....Welcome back Phat.

Thanks MG. But don't get used to it.

Cheers

That sucks, back to trawling through your old advice. It was nice to have a pro spray painter on here that explained the reactions behind the products. Not just use this, this then that and wipe with that.

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Simplify and add lightness