I'm mid engine removal (should get finished tomorrow if the weather behaves). Once the old one is out I'll be rebuilding the replacement and I'm thinking I'll treat it to a coat of paint. I assumed VHT but then read some posts on google that made me think otherwise. One website recommended hammerite! Doesn't really seem like it would be up to the job!

What's the best paint to use? https://www.fiatforum.com/images/smilies/confused.gif I don't have access to a compressor so it'll have to be rattle cans. It doesn't need to look amazing but I'd like it to last more than a few weeks.

Hi, I'd go with hammerite smooth, I've used it before on engine blocks. Just make sure that the surface is degreased and use a brush. It's an enamel paint so should be Ok for most of the engine block, the area behind the exhaust manifold is the only place that may be a problem, depends how hot it gets.

tommd13 said:

Hi, I'd go with hammerite smooth, I've used it before on engine blocks. Just make sure that the surface is degreased and use a brush. It's an enamel paint so should be Ok for most of the engine block, the area behind the exhaust manifold is the only place that may be a problem, depends how hot it gets.

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Great, thanks for that, I'll give it a try.

agreed, finish here is all about prep - my calipers are painted with just hammerite and they see some mega heat cycles and look spot on still. Whether its best for engine blocks i will not comment as i have never done it but heat itself is fine with the hammerite, you should be more thinking about will the paint you use stand up to the chemicals it might come into contact with during its life, so all the fulids you might have leak and also all the stuff you might clean said leaks up with.

i used hammerite on my starlet engine block. you can barely see it tbh, but looks fine.

i just degreased and pressure washed it before painting. as its japanese, it deasnt leak, so i cant comment on how it would be if you used hammerite on a leaky old fiat engine.

I'll pick a tin up this weekend and see how I get on. The engines out of the car, I just need to get it onto the engine stand and give it a VERY good clean. Then I can paint a patch of it, rub a bit of oil and petrol on and see how it fares! It hasn't got to be perfect.

i used to always use hammerite smooth but of late have switched to halfords enamel paints ,,there tough are good with heat and dry quick and are fairly tought there caliper paints are great .really good shine and have a smooth look cheap to get too....they even do several colours ,,,foliatec do engine paints which are 2pac but are expensive and you have limited time to paint them on ...go with the halords ones you can go wrong .

Hammerite is fine. It's heat resistant enough to cope with an engine block.

Oil rarely gets above 130C and the "block" itself, the part you paint, is actually a water jacket.. so it must be cooler than 100 - 105C otherwise the coolant would boil, which it doesn't.


Ralf S.