I built the engine over the winter of 2007-08, and it's got maybe 5000 miles since then. It runs great but the engine compartment is starting to get a little funky. Paint is peeling/ cracking. Road grime every where. I figured this winter would be a good time to pull the engine, clean it up, re-paint it and put it back. I'll also clean up and re-paint the whole engine bay. Hopefully, I don't get a case of the "might as wells" while I've got it apart!

I'm happy to see the American economy is recovering, but now the Canadian$ loses value to the US$. So, buying new parts costs A LOT more than it did a year ago! Here's a couple pictures. I'll post more when I've got it all apart.



Hood off, ready to get started.

 

Fun!

Here's a thread a while back for some potential ideas and guidelines: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ml#post9618191

Post #5 is hilarious.

 

That's a great thread, I'm sure I'll be referencing it several times. My plan is to do the firewall, inner fenders, frame, etc. in satin black. Any suggestions on a good paint?

 

For an exact match to Ford Semi-gloss Black, in a spray bomb, this is what I use. O'Reilly's carries it.

 

Really! Is it pretty close? I can get that paint easy! Not that I doubt you, but anybody else have a second opinion?

 

Concur with the use of engine enamels. My preference is Rustoleum... I use it on everything - crossmembers, brackets, etc. .. Semi-gloss black #248936. Regular Krylon #1613 is also decent for non-heated applications.

I find that spray paints from auto stores cost alot more than say Home Depot or Lowes (they carry engine enamels too). I usually get six-packs from Summit en masse given how much I use. In a pinch, I'll head to HD or Lowes.

Some guys in the Dent forum powdercoated their inner fenders hammered grey/silver. It looks sharp. My idea of the engine compartment is that opening the hood should be like opening a jewelry box.

Btw, if you have or are thinking of convoluted tubing, 90s GM products use the clips pictured below to terminate the ends securely. They are waaaay better than using electrical tape because over time they unravel due to engine compartment heat cycles. They also use the pictured plug wire clips.

 

IMO, Rustoleum Professional is the best paint available in a spray can.
IMO, Painless Powerbraid is the dope in loom wrap.

 

I'm not sure if I can get the Rustoleum products as easily as the Dupli-Colour paint. Heck, I already have some in my paint supply. I just didn't know that it was a good match to the original Ford underhood paint. It'll make touch-ups super easy.

I ordered the Painless wiring harness (P/N10117) for our trucks today, should get it in a couple weeks. Painless has a promotion going on right now where you also get a $200 powerbraid loom kit for FREE! The offer is only till the end of December I think. Mine is on the way.

 

Tell me about it. For the first time in a long time, I'm buying locally again since I'm hardly spending anymore than I would ordering out of the States.

15% USD > CAD conversion
12% Duty

An instant 27% extra when I buy something doesn't save me much money.

Yep! It's what I'll be getting. It really tidies things up.

It's called Tremclad up here. Home Depot has it.

 

The semi-gloss black I mentioned isn't a close match. It's an exact match to the Ford Semi-Gloss Black.

 

EXACTLY!!! 27% makes big difference when you're buying parts! As far as Tremclad goes, yes it's easy to get, I'm just not a big fan. I like the paint but lately their spray nozzles have been junk. I've seen Rustoleum on store shelves, just not a big selection of it. I checked at Canadian Tire today, they had Gloss black and Flat black, no semi-gloss.

 

68murc, sorry to change the subject but what headers are you using? I have a '68 CS with a 460 also.

 

No problem, they are Sanderson headers. Part #FF461-ceramic coated. I bought them 10 years ago. I made my own engine mounts to get the 460 in my truck, so I couldn't buy a "made to fit" set of headers. These headers do fit but the drivers side is very close to the oil pan, like 1/2".

 

Thanks. I also made my engine mounts as you couldn't buy them in '81 when I installed the 460. How did you know they fit?

 

Deleted double post...see my next.