1971viking

I have a set of aluminum valve covers I want to paint. I heard you need to use self etching primer before painting. Does that self etching primer need to be heat reistant? I have heat paint for the final coat but the only self etching primer did not say anything about heat resistance.

Doomah

I am about to paint valve covers as well. do you need to add a primer? I can't seem to find one with high heat.

droptopron

Post pics of what you have

1971viking

They look like these covers but the finish is not as good.

TripDeuces

You could spray them with high heat header/caliper paint as a primer then top coat it. Just make sure all that shine is off the VC before you paint it.

Doomah

These are the ones I am going to sand blast then paint.

ijasond

Valve covers shouldn't get hot enough to worry about high heat paint.
I'd clean, etch prime and paint them. it'll be fine. I see people use regular automotive paint on valve covers all the time with no problems. I've even seen engines completely done in base/clear automotive paints and holding up with no problems. The exhaust and heads are the only areas where heat will really become an issue.

67 Cutlass Freak

Don't paint those aluminum covers, polish them up. For $100 they can look like these-
113-1353_IMG.jpg
Please make sure you clean your valve covers extra well after sand blasting, or you'll be sorry. Especialy under the baffles. Sand blasting or bead blasting tends to adhere to the pours of the metal.

1971viking

I already spent a good amount of time trying to polish them. What did you use?

67 Cutlass Freak

It takes me about two hours to do each cover. I start off with a brown whizzer pad on a die grinder. Next I use a DA sander starting wth 80 grit working my way up to 1500 grit. The final steps are done on a buffing wheel. Looks like chrome when done right. There's a guy called Baddandy that does this for a living. You can find him on - Realoldspower.com
I believe he was ejected from this website.

droptopron

I used Badd Andy from ROP and they came out awesome.
If you choose to paint them my friend used black krinkle finish barbecue paint and block sanded the paint off the raised areas.

droptopron

I wouldn't sand blast those. Too hard to guarentee you get them 100% clean afterwards so you may be pumping sand into your engine. Scuff them really good & then spray with a high build primer. Give them a good sanding with high grade sandpaper & paint with engine enamal.