I'm new to powder coating... talk to me

[goneape]

Not sure if this should be here or in DIY... DIY looked very property related.

I want to get some engine parts powder coated. Mrs A said I can't spend any more money making the car faster, but nothing about prettier.

Here's the list:

Intake manifold
Throttle body
Rocker cover
Strut brace
A few small brackets

I've had various quotes from £100 to £300+ for the lot. I'm aware of the "Buy cheap, buy twice" mantra but £300 up seems steep to me.

Last night I visited a mid-price coater to look at their colour range and ask a few questions. The guy I spoke to said powder coat wouldn't work on the manifold, because it would be too hot. I know many people have coated manifolds with no problem, at least over a reasonable time span say 3 years or so. No amount of telling the guy I was asking about the intake, not the exhaust would sway him.

So my questions, what's required for manifolds and rocket covers? Any special precautions or products? What sort of heat resistance do I need, the guy said their products were good up to 350 F (back of fag packet - I make this about 170C, seems OK for engine work to me). The car's a VAG 1.8T with a stage 1 map, nothing exotic.

Also, what's a sensible price for the list above?

Cheers for the help/abuse etc.

[Crafty_]

£100 sounds cheap to me for that.

I don't think powder coating an intake would be much of a problem.

[Lloydie33]

Just make sure there is no partial powder coat accidentally applied to the inside of the rocker cover...there is a chap who wrecked his Evo engine with particles of semi bonded powder coat getting where it shouldn't (iirc)

[B'stard Child]

Crafty_ said:

£100 sounds cheap to me for that.

I don't think powder coating an intake would be much of a problem.

it is........

and rocker covers too

been there done that

[Crafty_]

I'll bow to your experience, ceramic coating then ?

[B'stard Child]

Crafty_ said:

I'll bow to your experience, ceramic coating then ?

Or wet paint which is what I would recommend

I was posting from a phone so hard to write a decent explanation

Problem with powder coating is it tends to be a bit thicker than wet paint and under bonnet temperatures are enough to soften the coating and then as it cools it crazes/cracks

I had an inlet manifold, intermediate fuel rail manifold and rocker cover done and all of them looked fantastic just after being done but 2 years later they all looked awful

[Pan Pan]

I used to be a fan of powder coating, but now not so sure. Powder coating does indeed seem to crack,
craze, depending on the conditions it is subjected to, which then lets moisture creep along the component underneath the coating. All `looks' well until it gets a bit of a nudge, when large sections of it then fall off, revealing corrosion which has crept along the component underneath the coating. So I would endorse comments above about not using it where large sections of it can fall off and get where it shouldn't.
I generally just prepare and paint components etc where the powder coat has com off, and that seems to be the best long term fix for the problem.

[goneape]

Thanks for those tips. I too thought 100 was too cheap. Sounds like I can expect to be spending some time touching it up in a year or so. I can live with that. Out of interest what liquid products would PH recommend? I've used japlac snd foliatec in the past and haven't been blown away by either. I also worry about brush marks.

[goneape]

Thanks for those tips. I too thought 100 was too cheap. Sounds like I can expect to be spending some time touching it up in a year or so. I can live with that. Out of interest what liquid products would PH recommend? I've used japlac snd foliatec in the past and haven't been blown away by either. I also worry about brush marks.

[B'stard Child]

goneape said:

Thanks for those tips. I too thought 100 was too cheap. Sounds like I can expect to be spending some time touching it up in a year or so. I can live with that. Out of interest what liquid products would PH recommend? I've used japlac snd foliatec in the past and haven't been blown away by either. I also worry about brush marks.

Right I am a great fan of powder coating but selected components/Areas

This was a boot full of parts for the front end of my "non enviromental vehicle" it's green



This was some of the parts when done



Then I started on the back end (no before pics sorry)



Various prepations done in the pics above

SB = Shotblasted
PC = Powder coated
HZG = Hot Zinc Galvanised

Springs (SB & PC)
Shocks (SB and HZG as the seals don't like the oven involved in PC process)
Subframe - I already had one ready done (5yrs ago) but I did the one I removed
Roll Bar (SB & PC)
Suspension top hat and plate (SB and PC)
Roll Bar rubber mounts (SB & PC)
Engine mount stop (SB & PC)
Lifting Eye (SB and PC)

The biggest reason I get stuff shot blasted and powder coated is time (mine) and cost

Compare

2 x zip wheels at £10 a throw (troubles with them is they just polish surfaces and that's not the best finish to get paint to stick to it)

1 x Can rust eater £8
1 x Tin decent primer say £10 a tin
1 x Tin of POR 15 for a top coat £20

Then you factor in your time to prep and paint

So the money I spent getting all that done was good value cos I could get on with other stuff