I just bought a used AEM CAI and I want to paint it a different color. Its chrome right now. Do you guys have any idea how its done? oh and how do I clean the filter? thanks

 

Hmm. I would also like to know the same.

 

depends if its metal or plastic.

sand it a bit just to get it rough then use the appropriate paint.

 

so should i use some paint that will withstand high temperature? or just regular?

 

I think it is metal

 

since its most likely very smooth you need to roughen it up a bit. with a 2000 grit sandpaper you'll get enough texture for paint to adhere. wipe it down with an alcohol solution let it dry then use a Tremclad paint. they are formulated to adhere to metal. Follow the directions on the can and you'll be fine. You probably don't need the high heat. But i would recommend it.

On my Accord i painted my neuspeed strut-bar with this method and it worked great.

 

you should try getting high heat. the intake gets really hot

 

Just painted mine. My intake and engine cover all match. The color is a carbon met. I also have a another intake that I will paint and will be selling.

 

Thank you BIGTUFFGUY for the instructions. I want to paint my engine cover too. My friend took my car to jump start his and left the battery cover on top of my engine. I drove around with mashed by the hood till I had to change my oil. It got scratched up pretty bad. Thanks again...

 

+1 the intake does get pretty hot when you run the car hard or for a long time

 

really? mine is always cool to the touch even after a few hours of driving

 

i guess it depends on the weather as well as how hard you drive it. ive never really popped my hood to feel my CAI and check its temp. although im sure it would probably be lukewarm at best

 

Hmm maybe it's just b/c it's so damn hot down here

 

maybee instead of painting it get it jet hot coated. the metalic silver looks cool and would help cut down the temps

 

I dunno... I live in the desert area where summer temps average around 100ish.

 

Well when I had my "custom" intake, that shit would get blistering hot. I think I even cooked eggs on it one time..... anyway, I think high temp would be good, just to stay on the safe side.

 

I looked at Duplicolor METALCAST which stands up to 500 degrees but there's also Metal Specks which has some flakes in it. Looks a bit cooler but doesn't say that it is made for high temperature. I dont know... When the intake comes I'll go shopping for the paint and I'll ask around. I'll show you the end product. thanks

 

if you read the label/directions on the can, it should tell you that whatever your painting should not exceed xxx degrees.

 

I did this using METALCAST, and it's over a year later and it is still fine. I also used this for the engine cover. All you have to do is use sandpaper to rough up the surface a bit and then spray, real easy.

 

LOL well I just got done packing it right now I would say powder coat and yes it's metal. Make sure to pull or cover the CARB sticker before you do anything to it, that way you can put it back later.

 

I'll go check out the label on MetalFlakes stuff to see if its made for high temps. I'll paint the engine cover, I'll get a new battery cover and paint that and the intake... Going to look fresh lol...