Hey Folks!..I never got a chance to go by the paint store this week to seek the answer, so I'll ask here..maybe get a discussion going.

I've spent the last couple of winter months priming body panels and the cab of my old truck using Diamont/RM epoxy primer. While glancing through tech sheets on mix ratios and flash times, ..I kept seeing notes on "except when priming aluminum" ...Didn"t see any special primer in the book for aluminum though.I"m not a professional painter, and I think if I searched long enough I could find which primer to use, but a little insight and experience would be great...
The project I"m preparing to paint is an aftermarket steering column ,all steel tube, but with a cast aluminum coller with the column shift lever sticking out..typical GM looking piece. If I need to do some special prep( sanding, etching of some type??..),special primer??...I would like to do this job only "once" if at all possiable...the final color,BC/CC, will be either black or silver..
Any takers? Any and all info/Tips is greatly appreciated in advance

 

Zinc Chromate is the prefered primer for aluminum parts. Unfortuanately, it is difficult to find because of health concerns. Suggest that you contact one of the aviation suppliers such as Wag-Aero or Chief Aircraft Parts. Price will not be that outrageous; you will not find this at the hardware stores.

 

Aircraft primer is what is needed. No you shouldnt have to contact an aviation supply to get it. Any decent autobody supply store will either have it in stock or can get it next day.
But I also think PPG and DuPont (and their lower tier companies) have self ecthing primers that are also approved for aluminum. On PPG site under Nexa Autocolor they have a product called Long Life Etch that says for all metal. Its a 2 part paint.

 

Aircraft primer...Sounds like I remember something like Zinc chromate. I"ll see if the local supplier has some this week..hopefully in a rattlecan.Going thru RM tech sheets this weekend, apparently EP689 will work ok on aluminum,some of the otherproducts required an etching primer.Regardless, I want to do this"once"..so the hunt is on ...
Thanks for the advice and insight!