Painted Engine Covers And Plenum

[ahh 33 s2]

hey all, just sharing my freshly powder coated engine covers and plenum,

only problem is that they coated the gasket side of the plenum, so how do i get it off,

cant take it back to the powder coaters coz it was thru a friend of a friend and cost me a carton of carona, and i never got to mention to him not to paint them,,

so let us now what u think of the colour, and best solution to clean up the gasket side

cheers dan

[75coupe]

looks nice....

give it a quick buzz with a wire brush on a angle grinder or drill would be maybe more controllable speed wise... but you want to be a light touch...

[StealthX]

Leave it? Can't see it being that much of a problem?

I'd say just install it with some gasket goo for extra insurance.

If you really wanna, anything abrasive will do the trick, just remember it's ally, don't go sandin' too hard...

[beemae30]

alloy padded disc sander. Snap on sells them

[89CAL]

Yeah I'd use a buff gun with an aluminium pad or probably could just get away with a normal buff pad.

I used an oil stone on mine after I'd cleaned up the ports to make sure the surface was flat. Do not use anything to harsh and do not just leave it.

FYI, my buff gun was $130 from snap on (its a blue point one) and if your doing alot of surface prep they are a great little tool. I get pads and sanding discs for free from work but I dont think there that expensive anyway.

Otherwise buy a paint scraper and try and scrape it off as best you can then get some sandpaper and rub it down till its nice and smooth. The worst thing you can do is have it uneven or poorly prepped. The hour that being lazy with it will save now will seem like nothing if something happens and you have to replace stuff

[The Bogan]

I would just give them a light key with some 1200 wet and dry on the surface where the gasket sits.

Cost = about $1.00

[DaveO74]

Yeh just sand it back LIGHTLY, had the same thing happen a couple of years ago with the BOV flange on the crossover pipe, sanded it back and whacked a new gasket on it and no dramas.

It's very important to keep the surface flat though otherwise you'll be in for a world of hurt with leaks that will never go away.

Whoever coated it should have masked up the gasket surfaces, even if it was mates rate

[boiracer]

sand it with the paper on a flat surface, so you dont sand the manifold round. start with heavier. and finish with 1000 odd, you'll be right.

I did this to my powder coated rims around the edge, went as far as 2000 and solvol, but i was polishing it

[ahh 33 s2]

Whoever coated it should have masked up the gasket surfaces, even if it was mates rate

Yeh I thought it would have been common sence, oh well, for $50 can't really complain too much,