Powder Coating Engine Parts!!!

[lxlaw]

Man i got my valve cover and intake powder coated and it looks sweet. The guy told me that he could do anyones if I got it to him. He charged me $50 each and cleaned, sand blasted and even polished the letters. It looked real bad before and it looks better than new now. If anyone wants it done drop me an email, and he will do the same price for you. As long as you pay for the shipping to and back. Email me if interested.

 

[lxlaw]

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Here is an image guys, for some reason i cant get it to upload.

 

[DSMu4ia]

Honestly, that looks sort of "sloppy" to me.

Mark @ PowderBlastCo does WAY nicer work. Last time I checked his site, I think he was doing Valve Covers for $45.

 

[lxlaw]

Well i am real happy with the job, i dont know what looks "sloppy" about it, but your opinion is taken. I am sure he can do it for that cheap, but does the other guy do all the blasting and all sanding? Either way i am just trying to help out a fellow DSMer, like they have helped me out.

 

[lxlaw]

sorry dude, in my opinion i think mine looks better. I went to www.powderblastco.com and they dont sand the letters to the aluminum color, they just cover the whole thing and theirs looks alot rougher than mine does. They are $45 for the valve cover and $65 for the intake with out any sanding. I think this guy did a heck of a job, and i guess you are talking about the bolt because it has overspray on it that makes it look "sloppy". I gave it to him like that and told him not to worry about it because it would be covered anyway. Anyway i put the link on here for people to look at their coating and if they think it is better then they can go to them, but if they want it done reasonably, like i said i am just trying to help people out, who like their cars to look nice.

 

[DSMu4ia]

No offense man.

I just like supporting vendors who support DSM's. That's like going to a Supra vendor to buy parts for your DSM just because you can get them 2% cheaper.

Anyways, your intake manifold looks sloppy. Down by the head flange where the runners meet, it looks as if the coating was sprayed in a not so uniform fashion. I'm not familiar with the exact process, but I'm assuming it's sorta like spray paint. Too much and it runs. The color doesn't look proportionate.

 

[lxlaw]

dude that is the texture of the aluminum not the spray. the pics of the other place would show the same if they had it in their photo. I am all for supporting people who are supporting vendors too, but i am also for helping out my fellow DSMers if they need it. If you want it done there then go there, but dont come on here and flame my post. But last time i looked I didn't see their name on the list of vendors. I didnt see any names of companies that do powder coating.

 

[eclipsefwd]

I think it looks good. And the polished letters look sweet.

 

[REDBLUR]

Originally posted by DSMu4ia
Down by the head flange where the runners meet, it looks as if the coating was sprayed in a not so uniform fashion. I'm not familiar with the exact process, but I'm assuming it's sorta like spray paint. Too much and it runs.

To powder coat something properly you must firstly, and in my opinion, always sand blast it, and then clean it really well (I use brake kleen). The powder coating process includes hooking the part to be coated up to a device that comes in the kit that electrically charges the part, and then you literally coat it with powder using a special sprayer hooked up to an air compressor at a low psi. The powdered paint molecules are attracted to the part that is charged (must be metal), and stick to it. You then bake the part in an oven at a specific temperature for a specified period of time. The paint molecules liquidfy and flow somewhat into porous regions.
The finish is highly durable (better than any spraypaint) and can withstand high temperatures (some people do there headers, although this probably wouldnt work on a turbo car).

You can buy a kit (I think Westwood makes one, cant remember) for a reasonable price. When I was building up my stroker (Chevy) I did my oil pan, intake, valve covers and all brakets and pulleys. There is a wide variety of colors and it almost always turns out looking great.

At $45 bucks for a valve cover and $60 for an intake, you can almost buy the kit to DIY. (my 0.02 cents)

 

[awd4bangr]

Originally posted by lxlaw
sorry dude, in my opinion i think mine looks better. I went to www.powderblastco.com and they dont sand the letters to the aluminum color, they just cover the whole thing and theirs looks alot rougher than mine does. They are $45 for the valve cover and $65 for the intake with out any sanding.

I dress the letters how the customer wants it. Some people want it, some don't. Some colors look good with it, others don't. The only valve cover pics on my site are a wrinkle black with shaved letters, a reflektra that looks just booty with the letter brushed off, and a red with the letters brushed off. Why would you say I don't do that when the pictures clearly show that I do?

I'm not cousin Bob's powder coating with a Eastwood kit in my garage. No matter what the part, it gets chemically stripped or abrasive blasted, then it goes through a 5 step treatment process before coating. So again, why you are saying I don't do something?

Pictures don't always show what the part really looks like. I assure you nothing will come out of my shop short of perfection.

 

[kiakarimi]

i think everyone needs to chill. No flaming and no bashing. The guys is just sharing his experience, no need to give him heat. I think it looks good.

 

[lxlaw]

Thanx, i didnt have anything to say about you until your name was thrown in the game and according the pics i looked at i didnt see it. If it is i am sorry, but i never said you didnt do anything other than by your pic i didnt see the letters sanded, nothing else was said about your quality. All i was trying to do was help people out. This is not the eastwood company kit that he uses, he has an industrial size oven and does Harley Frames and 20" wheels. He spent several thousand on his kit, and i found this out because i asked him about the eastwood kit.

 

[hostile]

Yeah I dont think you guys realize there are powdercoaters all over that do this stuff for a living, not on car parts but industrial stuff.

They all have bead blasters, and chemicals to do the job right, and they usually do little stuff for cars cheap just to be nice.

 

[GrocMax]

The one item you have to be very very very very very cautious with is if the part is in contact with circulated engine oil, and has lots of nooks and crannies for blast media to get stuck in, to clean the living shit out of it before install.

Best thing to do is chemically strip anything in contact with circulating engine oil, no blast media at all.

Can't tell you how many engine and turbos I've seen destroyed in no time from bead blasted reman heads and bead blasted and coated valve covers.