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DIY painting valve cover

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I will be showing you guys how I painted my valve cover. I would like to stress that the prep is a key part to any type of painting. You need to make sure the surface is clean and free from dirt, oil, and grease. My valve cover was in decent shape. But if yours is in rough condition and has some rough spots you would like to remove this would be the time do do it. You can sand it and get them out that way.

The first step is to clean it. I sprayed it with brake cleaner and scrubbed it a bunch. You can use rougher pads as long as they wont scratch. I also let it soak overnight in degreaser and scrubbed it and let it soak for another day. I know in this picture it still looks dirty but trust me it was as clean as it will get.

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Now you will want to make sure it is 100% dry. You can let it sit for a few days to be safe or let it sit in the sun. At this point you will want to tape off what you dont want paint on. I tapped off the threads on my AN fittings. And put tape where there are threads like the PCV and the bolt holes. I also taped off the oil cap.

Depending on the paints you use, you will want to follow directions as far as dry time and temperature ratings. I chose the VHT flameproof for my paints. Also I think it is best to use the same brand paints, primer and clear coat.

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Next you can apply your primer. I did 1 coat and let it dry and did 4 other coats on top. It is very important you let the 1st coat dry before you apply other coats. This lets it bond to the metal. After you apply the other coats you want it to fully cure at this point. I know everyone will be anxious to get the project done but patience is key. I let it cure overnight. It is very important that is is dry.

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Next you will want to tape off letters and numbers if you want that a different color. This is where my patience tend to fail.
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I chose to paint the letters and numbers red. The reason I did not focus on taping in this step was because the other paint was black and would cover up the excess red. This is all preference but I did not care. Just like the primer I did one coat and let it cure. Then did the other 4 coats. You will again want this to fully dry and cure before moving on. I will be taping over the letters to spray my next color. Letting this fully cure will make sure when you remove the tape you wont bring the paint with you.

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Now you will tape off the letters to spray the black. I am not very good with patience or taping but this is where the detail counts. You will want to take your time on this step. You can see where the excess red is showing. The black coat will cover that up well. If I were spraying a lighter color then I would not want to spray over red as it might show.

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Now you can spray you black coat. Again I did 1 coat and let it fully cure. Then went ahead and did the other 4 coats. You have to let this all dry before you peel off the tape. Again this will prevent the paint coming with it.

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I know this isn't perfect but It did turn out how I figured. I liked the flat black and that was my end goal. Now I did clear coat it to protect the paint and that took away from the flat black look.


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This is the finished product. Hope this helps you guys.
 
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