Painting Engine Covers
#41
Advanced
These bays look amazing! Im going to visit my local paint shop this weekend and see if they can match my cars color paint to spray paint. I love how geeteedans bay looks!!!!
#42
Instructor
Front plastic near front grill
Anybody have trouble with the front plastic near the grill? I have an 08 tls. Pretty sure it's the same. Looks like plastic pieces wedged between the front bumper and head lights.
#43
Three Wheelin'
I rather avoid heat soak so no covers for me
. In my oppinion if you do keep the covers on i prefer black then anything else, that bronze is way out of place but great work none the less....
![Smile](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#46
Instructor
![Smile](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Didn't happen to see a DIY on how to paint engine covers, so I thought I'd make one to help out anyone who wanted to do the same thing.
Disclaimer: mod at your own risk. I am not responsible for any messed up engine covers.![Tomato](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/tomato.gif)
Step 1: Go to your local Home Depot, Lowe's, Pepboys, etc and pick up 300-500 grit sand paper and 1-2 cans of high temp paint spray (# of cans is dependent on how many pieces you're going to be painting).
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090936.jpg)
Step 2a: Take off the covers that you want to paint. The cover that sits right on top of the engine has little plastic pins that have clips behind them. I chose not the paint those, so I took them off. Just remove the clips, and the pins come right out.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090759.jpg)
Step 2b: Wash them down. I just used soap, water, a large brush, and a toothbrush for the small "nooks." Hose them down and dry them off.
Step 3: Take the sandpaper and start sanding down the covers. You don't need to put a lot of pressure when sanding. Just a light scuffing will do. The point of lightly scuffing the covers is to give it a better texture for the paint to bind to.
1/2 sanded:![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090941.jpg)
fully sanded:![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090947.jpg)
Step 4: Wipe down the covers with a wet towel, degreaser, or alcohol. I chose alcohol because it dried much faster.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090948.jpg)
Step 5: Shake up your paint can and start spraying! Stay about 5-8" away from the covers and give it a light coat. You should still see some black after the 1st coat.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090952.jpg)
Step 6: Give the 1st coat a few minutes to dry before putting on the next few layers. I gave it about 3-4 coats before leaving the covers to dry for 24 hours. If you wish to stop here, I would add 2-3 more coats to give it a deeper gloss/look, then skip to Step 10
Steps 7-9 are not necessary, but in my opinion, give the paint a much nicer finish.
Step 7: Take your newly painted covers and resand them! I used the same 400 grit paper just to give the paint a light very light scuff.
Step 8: Wipe down the covers again using water or rubbing alcohol. (I left out degreaser here b/c I wasn't sure if it would strip the paint).
Step 9: Respray the covers again. I put a good 3-5 coats this time around. Let dry as per directed on the spray can. My directions said 1 hour, but I let it dry for another 24 hours. I also left the covers in the sun to let the paint cure faster.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090757.jpg)
Step 10: Snap the engine covers back on, and admire your work.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090803a.jpg)
Hope this helps!![Thumbs Up](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif)
Disclaimer: mod at your own risk. I am not responsible for any messed up engine covers.
![Tomato](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/tomato.gif)
Step 1: Go to your local Home Depot, Lowe's, Pepboys, etc and pick up 300-500 grit sand paper and 1-2 cans of high temp paint spray (# of cans is dependent on how many pieces you're going to be painting).
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090936.jpg)
Step 2a: Take off the covers that you want to paint. The cover that sits right on top of the engine has little plastic pins that have clips behind them. I chose not the paint those, so I took them off. Just remove the clips, and the pins come right out.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090759.jpg)
Step 2b: Wash them down. I just used soap, water, a large brush, and a toothbrush for the small "nooks." Hose them down and dry them off.
Step 3: Take the sandpaper and start sanding down the covers. You don't need to put a lot of pressure when sanding. Just a light scuffing will do. The point of lightly scuffing the covers is to give it a better texture for the paint to bind to.
1/2 sanded:
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090941.jpg)
fully sanded:
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090947.jpg)
Step 4: Wipe down the covers with a wet towel, degreaser, or alcohol. I chose alcohol because it dried much faster.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090948.jpg)
Step 5: Shake up your paint can and start spraying! Stay about 5-8" away from the covers and give it a light coat. You should still see some black after the 1st coat.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0712090952.jpg)
Step 6: Give the 1st coat a few minutes to dry before putting on the next few layers. I gave it about 3-4 coats before leaving the covers to dry for 24 hours. If you wish to stop here, I would add 2-3 more coats to give it a deeper gloss/look, then skip to Step 10
Steps 7-9 are not necessary, but in my opinion, give the paint a much nicer finish.
Step 7: Take your newly painted covers and resand them! I used the same 400 grit paper just to give the paint a light very light scuff.
Step 8: Wipe down the covers again using water or rubbing alcohol. (I left out degreaser here b/c I wasn't sure if it would strip the paint).
Step 9: Respray the covers again. I put a good 3-5 coats this time around. Let dry as per directed on the spray can. My directions said 1 hour, but I let it dry for another 24 hours. I also left the covers in the sun to let the paint cure faster.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090757.jpg)
Step 10: Snap the engine covers back on, and admire your work.
![](https://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii100/laxplaya11385/Acura%20TL/0713090803a.jpg)
Hope this helps!
![Thumbs Up](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif)
![Why Me](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/whyme.gif)
#47
Safety Car
iTrader: (8)
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jroca (03-21-2017)
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