Painting manifold and engine covers on 5ltr V8

[VSPantha]

Hiya.
The powder coat on my V8 manifold and engine covers was cactus when I bought the car... the rail covers were all flaked and bubbling... the throttle body cover isn't as bad but has a couple bubbles... and the manifold is down to the metal on most of it. I want to tidy it all up and get it looking good, so far I've used gasket remover to strip the old powder coat off the engine covers, but am stuffed if I know how to do the manifold??

I'm not using any kind of stripper on the manifold while it's on the engine, and I don't want to have to take of the manifold to paint it as it's just too much hassle.so it really needs to be painted in place. I If I mask everything up and be careful I can paint it in place with manifold spray paint, but what do I do to prep it for painting?

I've already got high temp paint for the engine covers. The paint guy at Autobahn told me to also buy etch primer and put a few coats of that on before I do the colour.

I was going to give them a rub down with prepsol, 3 coats of primer, then 2 coats of high temp colour. Is that the way to do it? Last thing I want is cooked primer under the colour... or a fire under the bonnet

[undar8ed1]

wire brush wheel that fits on to a drill cost 2 bucks from any hardware store in the nation, did it with this on mine.

[VSPantha]

Thanks mate.
Didn't think of using that... I might give that a go next weekend.
I guess there's no need for primer with manifold is there? Manifold paint is pretty tough and sticky isn't it?

[undar8ed1]

Thanks mate.
Didn't think of using that... I might give that a go next weekend.
I guess there's no need for primer with manifold is there? Manifold paint is pretty tough and sticky isn't it?

No I never used any and its till holding strong, use a vacume cleaner in the tight spots to clean up the flakes.

[jaywa]

Yeah i never primer'd mine and it holds up ok. It doesn't last as long as ceramic or powder coat but much cheaper and easier to do

[Commydoor]

i use brake and caliper paint on my manifolds....its self-priming paint, just clean and spray