Paint removal from engine pad

[Don W.]

I have '69 427 that was rebuilt, hot tanked and painted back in the 80's. The block was painted Chevy orange including the number pad. I wanted to get the paint off and see if it looks original. My thought was to tape off the pad area with masking tape and then use q-tips with paint thinner.

Any other thoughts or ideas?

Don

[Wayne K.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

Don,

I wouldn't mess with the Q tips. Just pull a clean rag over your pointer finger and dampen it will lacquer thinner and wipe away changing the rag as needed. Fingernail polish remover will probably do the job too although I've never used it myself.

Wayne

[Duke W.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

Paint thinner won't dissolve lacquer or enamel, even though it's what you use to thin liquid enamel. Once enamel "dries" (It actually cross links with oxygen or cross links with itself in the case of "catalyzed enamels".) paint thinner won't dissolve it. Nor will paint thinner attack lacquer to any great degree. That's why paint thinner is a safe degreasing solvent on most paint finishes. One exception is the "asphalt based paint" used on Corvette frames. Paint thinner will dissolve it.

Typical spray can engine paints are lacquer based, so try lacquer thinner. Lacquer remains soluable to lacquer thinner even long after it has "dryed" because there is no chemical cross linking - just evaporation of the solvents (lacquer thinner) that dissolve it. It remains soluable forever.

If lacquer thinner won't quicky dissolve the paint, it's probably enamel, so use acetone or a commercial enamel remover, but be VERY CAREFUL not to get either of these chemicals on any other painted surface as they will immediately begin attacking them, and lacquer thinner will attach original type acrylic lacquer body paint.

Duke

[Mike M.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

if the oragne paint is enamel or lacquer, lacquer thinner will do the job. if the orange paint is a catalyzed paint, i've found captain lee's paint remover to eventually remove it. i just saturate a paper towel with capt lee and re-saturate it every couple hours till the catalyzed paint is soft enough to wipe away. don't use any abrasives(sand paper, pitty knife or grinding wheel ) or you'll disfigure the original broach marks you hope are present under the chevy engine orange. good luck, mike

[Tom H.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

I've always used paint stripper on a small paint brush. Brush it on the pad, let it sit for 5 minutes and the paint all wrinkles up, and you then simply wipe it clean. Works perfect !

[Lawrence S.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

I have had good luck with stripeze paint stripper or lacquer thinner. Stripeze may be faster.

Good Luck

[Randy G.]

Re: Paint removal from engine pad

Berryman's Chemtool.