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Painting Engine Cover

3K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Bobcat06 
#1 · (Edited)
I took my engine cover off today to paint and do some maintenance so I thought I'd post some pics. Here are the steps involved along with the tools required.

3/8" Drive Ratchet
10mm Socket
6" Extension
Flat Head Screwdriver
Paint

1. Take a flat head screwdriver and undo the band clamp holding the intake elbow to the engine cover.

2. Take a flat head screwdriver to remove the wiring leading to the air intake temperature sensor. This is located at the front of the engine cover.

3. Remove the rubber inlet leading to the engine cover. This is located on the right side of the engine cover.

4. Remove the two 10mm bolts holding the engine cover on. Pull the engine cover out and up to remove it. This is a good time for you to check all the wiring, clean the inside of the engine cover, clean the throttle body and check the PCV valve. The first pic shows how dirty and greasy my throttle body was.

5. Remove the PCV valve and inspect it. Just turn it counter clockwise until it no longer moves and then pull it up. The second pic shows you where the PCV valve is located. The third pic shows how dirty and clogged mine was. I bought a new one from the Chrysler dealership. I decided to go with OEM rather than a cheap aftermarket one. And boy was this b***h expensive. $50 for a damn PCV valve! The fourth pic shows the old one and new one side by side.

6. Remove the air intake temperature sensor from the engine cover. Just turn it counter clockwise and pull it out. Do not lose this! Now take some gentle degreaser and clean the entire engine cover. Mine had lots of grease on the inside so I cleaned the inside as well. The fifth pic shows how clean it looks after degreaser removes all the crud.

7. Lightly sand all the areas you are going to paint. You can go with a fine scuff pad or 1200 grit wet use sandpaper. Then take some prep solvent like PPG DX330 and lightly go over all the areas you need to paint. Let this stuff dry, and then take an autobody cheese cloth over the entire surface. You can also take a blowgun hooked up to a compressor to blow off any debris. The sixth pic shows how I masked stuff off using painter's tape. I didn't have any fineline plastic tape so this would have to do.

8. Spray in even overlaps, light to medium coats are better than heavy coats.
You can use non-metal primer if you like, but I didn't find it necessary. I went with a high temperature paint with flex agent built right in so I wouldn't have to worry about it cracking or chipping in the future.

9. Before you put the engine cover back on, be sure to clean the throttle body. You can spray throttle body cleaner, but don't overdo it and don't spray any down into the intake manifold. I just used degreaser and a rag. I didn't get it immaculate but that was as good as I could get it without taking it apart and cleaning it piece by piece. You can see the difference in the seventh pic.

10. By the time you're done cleaning the throttle body the paint should be fully cured. Put everything back together the same way it went on and you're done. The eight and ninth pic show the finished product.
 

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#5 ·
I would have done more but it was going to rain so time was a big issue. Unfortunately I don't have a garage. Thanks for the compliments though. I think it looks all right, but I'm a perfectionist so I like everything perfect. It would've turned out nicer if I had a spray booth. :)
 
#7 ·
:rep: Great job man. Looks great and awsome pics and step by step.:smileup:
 
#9 ·
:thk: Was it easy to get the throttle body cover/hemi hat off. I see on mine it looks like only 2 screws holding it on.:4-dontknow:
 
#14 ·
:smileup: Im planning on doing mine soon. I hope i can connect the rest of my 4 inch tubing to the throttle body and afixing the cover to the new pipe..hope,hope.:smileup:
 
#16 ·
Looks good, If it were me I would have taped off only the letters and painted all around it, make the words really pop out, but that would have taken quite a bit more time to just tape off the words. This should be in the DIY subforum though. But you'll get some rep points from me for this.
 
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