Diy valve cover desk lamp8/1/2023 ![]() ![]() If there is any logo on the cover you wish to make stand out, you can use the sand paper and piece of 2x4 to carefully sand off the paint so that what is left is polished aluminum, which is attractive to most people. The final step is also optional, but a lot of people like to do it for an added touch. Now your cover is completely painted and ready to be put back on the motor!Ībove is a cover that has been painted red and then given a good gloss coat to give it that reflective shine. This part should take less coats than the original paint, about 2-3 should be good. Just as when you painted before, shake the can and then paint with left and right motions holding the can 8-12 inches away. This will protect the paint as well as giving it a mirror shine. Once the cover has been allowed to dry or after it has been fire cured, it is time to add the gloss coat. Be careful while handling the extremely hot cover and be careful not to allow ash or debris to land on it. To cure it set it near a fire but not directly on it, about 2 feet away is good. Some people bake their painted covers in an oven, but this will ruin the oven and permanently make it unusable for food. This has the benefits of forming a strong bond between the paint and the cover, adding a glossy sheen to the paint, and making sure any water that may be remaining in the cover is cooked out, but this step is not necessary. When you’re done, give it another rinse and if there are any spots of paint leftover repeat the process again until its paint free.Ībove is pictured a valve cover that has been completely stripped of paint, leaving an unpolished aluminum surface.Īt this point you have the option of fire curing the cover. Once it’s all off you can take your grill brush and start scrubbing away any more paint that the stripper peeled or weakened. You don’t want to get any paint stripper on your hands, it burns the skin. When it’s ready, take the garden hose and spray off the paint stripper from the surface. Once it’s sprayed down wait a few minutes while it eats away the paint. When you have picked out a good spot, shake up the can and then begin spraying down the surface of the cover, being mindful to get all the corners and crevices. Make sure the cover is in a safe place preferably outside as you need good ventilation when using the paint stripper and you don’t want to accidently spray it on something important. Now it is time to prep the valve cover and get off all the old paint to leave it clean for you to paint it how you want. The valve cover gasket (a piece of rubber around the base of the cover) can be placed back on the motor until it’s time to put the cover back.Ībove is pictured a valve train, the internals of the motor head, after the valve cover has been removed. ![]() Now your valve cover is completely unattached carefully lift it straight off the motor and set it to the side on the paper towels. It is important you know which line went to which plug hole, or your car won’t run. ![]() Next unplug the spark plug lines by pulling them out one by one, carefully noting the order and which line went where and set them off to the side. Gather the bolts and grommets and put them in a safe place for when you put the cover back on, they are very important. There are usually 6 to 8 bolts in the corners and edges of the cover, each with rubber grommets under them. For this you need to get the socket set out and figure out what size the bolts are holding it to the motor. To start off you’re going to need to get the valve cover off the car so you can work on it. ![]()
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