Painting B Engine Block

[jkmdg84]

My engine block for my B is coming back from the machine shop this week. Im assuming that after all the cleaning that the paint has been removed and will need a coat before being reinstalled on the tractor.

In the coming years I am looking to do a professional painting of the tractor after I have rebuilt everything, so I dont necessarily need a professional paint job on my block right now. I am thinking of maybe rattle can priming and spraying with 2150 paint. I am wondering what other people have done in this type of scenario? Is there some kind of rattle can topcoat to put over the 2150?

 

[rustred]

just use the 2150 on it nothing else. the block and head needs to expel its heat. you do not want thick paint on the engine. and yes if the engine was hot tanked there will be no paint left.

 

[used red MN]

I will say first I am no restoration or paint expert, I havent personally painted a tractor I am more of a run them in their ..work clothes.. type of guy. What I will say is that in my estimation the adhesion of the first coat you put on the bare block will be determine how well the ..pretty.. coats stay on. Hopefully someone will chime in with a recommendation. Secondly it is my opinion that unless you get carried away with a heavy epoxy paint and put on 2 primer coats and 3 finish coats I doubt your engine will be able to tell the difference between how the paint is affecting the ability of your engine to dissipate heat, that is what the cooling system is for. This may have been under slight consideration when they came from the factory and they knew they would be to performing work every use. For you I suspect it is more likely important that it looks pretty. In my day to day work I am looking at items with infrared determining their temperature and I have had quite a bit of training considering the transfer of heat from surfaces. If an individual is concerned with the dissipation of heat from their engine they should paint it with a light coat of white or silver. I am not sure what the traffic is on the ..Paint and Restoration.. section here might get a better answer there or ..Tractor Talk.. probably has the most viewing traffic.

 

[Red Dave]

If it was hot tanked, it will not have paint on it, but that does not mean that it is cleaned sufficiently for painting.

When my B Block came back, I used a cleaner that the paint supplier recommended on it. I don't remember what it was, but it came in a DuPont spray can and it got a lot of ugly looking grime off that "clean" block. It even removed things that chlorinated Brakleen left behind.

 

[fastfarmall]

Are you guys following just a few acres farm,he started painting the MD !

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I had to buy a new block for my Farmall M a few years ago. I bought it from the son of the maintenance supervisor at the IH dealer. The deal was that he would get it tanked and checked for cracks. It came back bright shiny like a new casting. All rattle cans. Red primer, a couple of coats then two or three coats of IH red. Bought the paint at Tractor Supply. This was in 2010 I think. The engine is the best looking part of the tractor and the paint has not flaked off anywhere. I did not do any extra cleaning of the casting. Ellis

 

[bc]

You might call them. My rebuild shop asked and I said IH red. They ordered a couple rattle cans for napa or oreillys I think or they may have went to tsc or orshelns. He said they were going to hot tank it and it was best to paint after hot tanking it. Asked about high temp paint and he said they never use it on any blocks as the regular stuff does just fine. I did use some high temp black grill rattle can paint on my manifold. Was thinking about what color to paint the fan and had some florescent orange left over from my hay hook that kept falling through the cracks of the hay trailer. Sprayed multiple coats so I'll see how it looks at night.

 

[used red MN]

Yep, havent watched that yet.

 

[rustred]

that is what i am saying , ordinary 2150 paint is as good as it gets. once you start praying coat after coat of that epoxy paint you will have heating problems. i know this because some guy painted his rebuilt 454 so it was just shining with that paint. the truck was always running hot. so he had to remove engine tear it down and hot tank it to get the paint off. after that no more problems. i dont just make this stuff up. how else is heat to dissipate. jusy saying dont get carried away painting an engine. they are not primed either.

 

[Ken Hansen]

My opinion, and it's worth every penny you pay for it, would be to assemble first then wash off with good soap and water then dry it good, maybe with a leaf blower then spray with what ever color you want and run it.

Too pretty just don't look right in my book! These are Farmalls not Ferraris we are talking about.

"Deleted possibly inappropriate comment!"

 

[gene bender]

Any I-H RED will work but i would be more worried about the inside of the block as they were painted to stop the cast from from getting small stuff in the oil they do have a paint for that