Valve cover corrosion?
#2
Archive Gatekeeper
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Rennlist Member
That needs media blasting followed by some Lab Metal. There are some old threads on DR using Lab Metal to smooth the casting flaws in valve covers. Don't recall ever seeing pics of the process but the references are in the archives.
#3
Drifting
I don't know if you can use something like liquid metal or not when powder coating; however, color selection and finish type will help.
A non glossy wrinkled PC will hide a lot. Hammered will help, but not as much. Anything too smooth and glossy will exaggerate imperfections.
I used a black crinkle on mine:
Honestly, you might want to consider buying a better set of used cores before spending the money to PC.
A non glossy wrinkled PC will hide a lot. Hammered will help, but not as much. Anything too smooth and glossy will exaggerate imperfections.
I used a black crinkle on mine:
Honestly, you might want to consider buying a better set of used cores before spending the money to PC.
#4
Chronic Tool Dropper
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The powdercoater that Greg and Rob recommended to me suggested filling with JB Weld. Eay to find and holds up to the curing temps for the PC.
If I were on a quest for that perfect show-quality finish onthe covers and intake, I'd go with a more conventional paint system rather than PC. That way you can use a filling primer over your repairs and the neutralizing coat, and get the best color-match for your finish coats. You do get to sweat damage during install, and it probably won't last as long. But it will look great for a while. My original finish was fine for almost 20 years, until I decided to clean it.
If I were on a quest for that perfect show-quality finish onthe covers and intake, I'd go with a more conventional paint system rather than PC. That way you can use a filling primer over your repairs and the neutralizing coat, and get the best color-match for your finish coats. You do get to sweat damage during install, and it probably won't last as long. But it will look great for a while. My original finish was fine for almost 20 years, until I decided to clean it.
#6
Burning Brakes
Take them to your coater and ask them about filling. There's quite a few fillers that are PC friendly and your coater should have his/her particular favorite. As said above, it also depends on the finish you want. Hi gloss, smooth finishes are HARD to do in PC with these parts. Not impossible, but difficult and time consuming.
Those look pretty good IMO. Better than 80% of the ones I've seen/done after media blasting. I'd keep them. Trying to find better ones is harder than it looks because they corrode from the inside out. The last thing that you'll see start to go is the original finish. So.. that nice set you've just bought might be just as bad or worse underneath.
Anyhow, the pitting in your picture can easily be filled with a PC friendly filler by your coater. Don't expect a mirror finish in these areas, but a marked improvement from its 'before' state. These castings were horrible from the factory, and time has not been kind...
Those look pretty good IMO. Better than 80% of the ones I've seen/done after media blasting. I'd keep them. Trying to find better ones is harder than it looks because they corrode from the inside out. The last thing that you'll see start to go is the original finish. So.. that nice set you've just bought might be just as bad or worse underneath.
Anyhow, the pitting in your picture can easily be filled with a PC friendly filler by your coater. Don't expect a mirror finish in these areas, but a marked improvement from its 'before' state. These castings were horrible from the factory, and time has not been kind...
#7
If you want to make them look perfect, some of the powder coaters will blast, fill, sand, etc. and the finish might look real smooth for a while. Like these guys said, they were not perfect castings from the factory and anything you fill them with will shrink, crack, or fall out, eventually, from heat vibration and age. Any "imperfections" will show and I did mine in a darker color for that reason also. They look like original Porsche alloy covers with a beautiful new finish and that's all I was looking for. You might want to have them blasted and re-evaluate when you see how much it cleans up the surface. Like BPG and Bob said, just coat 'em, they'll look great... Kevin