Valve cover clean up

**dtmcnamara** · 07-05-2009, 06:12 PM

Ok so my valve cover was looking a little beat up after 8 years of oil changes, valve adjustments and just wear and tear on it. I decided to do a little DIY wrinkle paint and figured I would take a few pictures of it while I was doing it and do a little write up.

Things you need:
VHT Wrinkle paint (comes in black and red)
Air Craft stripper
Nuts and bolts
Old shirt or towel

First things first you need to get the valve cover off.

Next you need to remove any rubber grommets from the cover

Then you need to start to strip all the paint off the cover. What I did was cut up an old shirt and cover up the spark plug holes since the seals were still in. I sprayed the entire cover and let it sit for around 30 minutes while it did its magic. I then sprayed everything off and then sprayed the stripper where it was needed

Once it is cleaned up you need to scuff up the bare metal. I used the metal scuffing pads and just cleaned everything up for about 10-15 minutes. This helps get any remaining paint off the cover and makes the surface easier for the paint to stick too.

Finally you need to clean the cover one last time and dry it completely off.

Next you need to cover up any holes in the cover. What I used were random bolts and washers to cover mounting holes, fill holes, and the sensor holes. This seems to work well. I then used the cut up shirt to cover up the spark plug holes as again.

Now its time to paint. What I did was spray the cover with 3 thick coats. When reading the can it says to spray vertical, horizontal, and then diagonal, so I did. In between each spray I let the paint set up for 10 minutes.

Once the final coat was put on I set the over to 200 degrees and the timer for one hour. I placed the cover on a tray with tin foil on it and place it in the over.

Within 10 minutes you will see the paint start to wrinkle. Let the cover completely bake and thhen remove it and let it cool off.

Once its cooled off reassemble the seals and then re install.

If you have any questions let me know. I will be doing another cover later this month with the engine paint so I will post up pics of that once it is done.

**bpoweredhatch** · 07-05-2009, 06:51 PM

good job on the vc i ve done a few this way

**JJSPEC Racing** · 07-05-2009, 06:58 PM

Looks good!

**FasTech** · 07-05-2009, 09:54 PM

I actually wasn't expecting it to look that good, man. Looks very good though.

**boostedb16** · 07-05-2009, 10:09 PM

so if you used wrinkle paint, why did you put it in the oven? was that just to bake it on or did the heat cause it to wrinkle more? i tried so kind of wrinkle paint before and it looked nothing like your's.

**dtmcnamara** · 07-05-2009, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by boostedb16

so if you used wrinkle paint, why did you put it in the oven? was that just to bake it on or did the heat cause it to wrinkle more? i tried so kind of wrinkle paint before and it looked nothing like your's.

the bake in the oven was to cure the paint. it was either an hour in the over or 48 hours in the air.

**boostedb16** · 07-05-2009, 11:18 PM

ok that makes since.

**JDMEG6HATCH** · 07-06-2009, 12:09 AM

damn that shit looks hot!!!....shouldn't have done the spark plug cover though..just my 2 cents....
where do you get that paint??..planning to paint my h22 valve cover red

**dtmcnamara** · 07-06-2009, 06:20 AM

auto zone and advanced both carry it along with a bunch of other parts store.

I wasnt going to do the spark plug cover but then it was going to be a different shade of black. I plan on stripping the Honda symbol and the DOHC and VTEC like it was OEM, just havent done it yet

**JDMEG6HATCH** · 07-06-2009, 01:24 PM

cool, thanks man...i'm already stripping my valve cover.....do you know where to get the wrinkle red paint??

**Jepetto** · 07-06-2009, 02:34 PM

I did mine about a year ago and its still holding up. However I didnt bother stripping the paint. I just sanded it.

**Arm&hammer** · 07-06-2009, 03:57 PM

looks hella nice man.

**JDMEG6HATCH** · 07-06-2009, 10:24 PM

i've been looking for red wrinkle paint...anybody know where i can get it?...i checked advance auto...pep boys..walmart...

**Jepetto** · 07-07-2009, 08:17 AM

Summit has it and I believe pep boys does too

**ap1tuner** · 07-07-2009, 12:54 PM

bad ass job man. that looks really clean!

**khaxnguyen** · 07-17-2009, 05:13 PM

hey good shit. + for the oven. =P

**aaronfelipe** · 07-17-2009, 05:29 PM

Cute.

**thinkskater** · 07-18-2009, 09:52 AM

very nice reps

**DamnDisLaOsBoY** · 07-20-2009, 02:02 PM

nice shit david. looks pretty good all black!

**koukis14** · 07-20-2009, 08:12 PM

Looks good

**lude66** · 07-20-2009, 10:06 PM

mine is getting baked pic's up soon reps for write up

**lude66** · 07-21-2009, 07:42 PM

**.blank cd** · 08-02-2009, 10:49 PM

Someone carries blue spray as well. I think Krylon does

**ej1boy95** · 08-03-2009, 02:29 PM

just wondering where can u get some wrinkle paint and about how much will it cost ?

**dtmcnamara** · 08-03-2009, 04:15 PM

it was around $14 at autozone and/or advance auto parts

**lude66** · 08-05-2009, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by dtmcnamara

it was around $14 at autozone and/or advance auto parts

x2

**mezzies96teg** · 08-09-2009, 01:18 AM

what temp do u put it on in the oven to bake?

**ty1854** · 08-11-2009, 09:14 PM

Looks good and nice write up by the way!

**99' LuDe** · 08-11-2009, 09:39 PM

used the wrinkle red on my mugen vc turned out nice

**dtmcnamara** · 08-11-2009, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by mezzies96teg

what temp do u put it on in the oven to bake?

200

**.blank cd** · 08-12-2009, 01:10 AM

So are you just putting it in the oven to crinkle it more? Or do the directions require this? Just saying cause I cook alot and Id rather not have my NY Strip with a peppercorn and garlic crust taste like essence of Krylon

**ty1854** · 08-12-2009, 09:13 AM

It does leave a residue inside the oven! We clean our curing oven walls every week and you wont believe the crap that is on there. But just one valve cover wont be to bad but I still don't suggest doing it in the kitchen oven. Make sure you get all the oil out of the valve cover or it will really stink up the house and oven. Also if you have a wife make sure she does not find out

.

**Schugg** · 08-12-2009, 03:29 PM

i like the all black, may have to do that to my valve cover, thanks for posting this

**jdm eg99** · 08-22-2009, 05:39 AM

nice i did mine :-p

**98blackcivic** · 09-01-2009, 10:23 AM

i actually do not like it like that...it should have been left with that metallic look...polish it shiny....it would look really nice...

its just me..i like chrome valve covers next to the stock look

**cpearson** · 09-01-2009, 01:47 PM

awesome job man, looks real good.

**Sammich** · 09-01-2009, 03:13 PM

hmm so it IS ok to put it in the same oven that you cook in?

**dtmcnamara** · 09-07-2009, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Sammich

hmm so it IS ok to put it in the same oven that you cook in?

no mutations here yet...lol

Just wipe the oven down after use. you will get most of the resin out of it.

**Rol-N-GUy** · 09-15-2009, 09:20 AM

that came out great

**Sammich** · 09-15-2009, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by dtmcnamara

no mutations here yet...lol

Just wipe the oven down after use. you will get most of the resin out of it.

COOL

Thread: Valve cover clean up

Thread Tools

Display

Valve cover clean up

Posting Permissions

About us

Announcement