Crackle Finish your cam covers!

Miguel - Newera

14-07-2017, 07:57 AM #1

Here's a useful thread on repainting an engine cover in crackle finish. Not that hard to do - and easy to get great results. We recently did this on a set of RB26 engine covers for a friend's birthday... He was well chuffed!

The following wasn't written by me - but taken from an E30 M3 forum.
Ideal for any alloy engine cover. Smile

A lot of people have repainted their cam covers in the past, one grey area is it's sometimes difficult to get the correct finish on them.
Harley Davidson make a crinkle/crackle/wrinkle finish paint but some people have reported that the can clogs up a lot or they can't achieve an even finish. I thought I would post my findings.

Having done some searching about on the net I found this Frost Website For those that don't know Frost stock all sorts of useful products, from POR15 rust treatment to handy tools for fiddly jobs. So it's a good website to book mark even if you're not planning anything like this.

Tools you will need are

1) Nitromores or other paint stripper
2) Masking tape
3) Very sharp knives
4) Frost Paint
5) Some kind of parts washer, I used a toothbrush, alloy wheel cleaner and a big plastic tub.
6) Various grades of wet 'n' dry, 600, 1200 & 1500.
7) Cotton buds
8 ) White spirit
9) Heat gun or hairdryer with a flippin' hot setting.

Any other stuff is easily used around the house, kitchen table etc.

The first step is to wash the cam cover, I first soaked it in my makeshift parts washer with hot water, gave it a good scrubbing and then hosed it down. You may need to repeat this process a few times. You will be cleaning it a few times more through out this little project :-)

So we have our cam cover that has been washed down and ready for stripping. 1st step is to apply as thick coat of nitromoors to strip off the old paint.
After about 5 minutes it should start to bubble up, you may need to agitate stubborn bits with an old toothbrush. Then rinse it off with a hose.

[Image: DSC00255.JPG]

Once you have all the old paint off give it a wash with some fairy liquid.
The next step is to bring the lettering up, this may not be required in all cases, but if it is a bit flat get a block of wood and some wet n dry and give it a polish up.

[Image: DSC00256.JPG]

If you're happy with the finish, give it another wash down with some soapy water then clean water and leave to dry.

Next up is the most boring, the masking. You will need to cut masking tape into strips and then go around the outline of the letters with a sharp knife. Try to place the first part of masking tape overlapping the next, this makes life a lot easier when you try to peel it off when the paint is still tacky.

[Image: DSC00260.JPG]
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To stop paint clogging up the holes for the bolts cut up the cover of an old glossy mag ( attacked the TV times) and curl it up.

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You should end up with this

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One final check and you're ready to paint.

[Image: DSC00268.JPG]

For best results stick the paint can in a saucepan of hot water and let it stand for a 5 minutes.

Shake well and spray 30 cm from the cover is a cross hatch fashion, vertically, horizonally and diagnonally.
Build up the layers slowly

[Image: DSC00269.JPG]

Here you can see the paint has already started to wrinkle.

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The next part is pretty crucial, once covered get the heat gun out and go over the whole cover, paying specific attention to areas that may not have crinkled, the heat from the gun will sort this out. Once you're happy with this and the paint is still tacky start taking off the masking tape, it will be near impossible if you let the paint dry too much.

[Image: DSC00272.JPG]

You should end up with this, now it's time to get rid of any paint that may have got around your masking and any paint that may have dropped onto the lines when removing the masking tape. Get a cotton bud and dip it into white spirit, dry it off and rub over the areas that have any overspray.

Once you're happy with it give it a good blast with the heat gun and leave to dry somewhere warm. You can stick it in the oven for a while if you want to but this is very slow drying paint, the can recommends to don't attach it to the car for at least 5 days, you can shorten this time by oven baking though ( careful it stinks)
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After a while the paint will go a bit more matt
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The oil cap was a bit rubbish too so that was flattened

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And repainted Cosmos Black

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Finally refit it back to the car. Even after tha paint has gone off ( some 7 days) on the first couple of drives it will still stink. Don't worry about this the smell will go away and nothing has caught fire. :lol:

[Image: finished.jpg]
[Image: engine.jpg]

Cam cover has been on for just under a year and holding up pretty well..

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Lexusboy

14-07-2017, 08:12 AM #2

Nice tip this is the sort of thing we are all capable of...

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Asi

14-07-2017, 08:12 AM #3

looks very nice mate

[SIZE="5"]V8 TURBO IS200
JAE Best Modified OJC Winner [/SIZE]

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Chri5

14-07-2017, 08:30 AM #4

That's a nice job mate and it doesn't look that hard to do Smile

Watch this space for my slow project :thumbup:

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TimmyK

14-07-2017, 11:17 PM #5

great write up rep given Wink

Car 1 - 02 Lexus IS200 SE Strathcaron Blue, Sport Grille, TTE Lowering Springs (to be fitted), K&N Panel Filter, 6500K XENON Headlight Main & Dipped Bulbs, Xenon Sidelights, 17" Gunmetal Powder Coated Alloys, Front Grooved Discs and Mintex Pads
Car 2 - 73 Hillman Imp AKA Hilda, Aquarious Blue, work in progress!

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