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Painting baffles

ClarkieSr

Active Member
I'd like to see to paint my engine baffling. Does a anyone have an suggestions as to what kind of paint to use.

Tom Clark
N646LC
 
I used a hi-temp, so-called engine enamel from the local O'Reilly Auto Parts. Color was white, same as the inside of the cowling, which is recommended by many to make drips easier to spot.

However, once I was done with the red RTV sealing up all the airleaks, the pristine white baffles were much besmirched.

Unless you're really into looks, leaving the baffles unpainted probably makes no difference in cooling performance and lifetime.
 
PPG single stage urethane paint over PPG epoxy primer. The same paint I use for the interior and panel (just different colors). Very durable. The baffles on the first plane look like the day they got painted 15 years ago.

Carl
 
Flame Proof?

Do you have a concern in regard to fire resistance of the painted baffles? I was thinking of just going my my interior primer, Akzo 463-12-8. Not sure if it would be totally fire retardant. Wrote to Akzo. No response yet.
 
Do you have a concern in regard to fire resistance of the painted baffles? I was thinking of just going my my interior primer, Akzo 463-12-8. Not sure if it would be totally fire retardant. Wrote to Akzo. No response yet.

Baffle paint fire resistance would be #1053 on my list of 3 issues I'd worry about. If the fire is that bad, the cowl will be consumed long before the baffle paint.

Use a good primer and a good single stage top coat. The easiest way is to use the same paint and process as you will with the interior. Painted baffles is a simple thing to do and looks a lot better years down the road as compared to corroded bare aluminum.

Carl
 
Do you have a concern in regard to fire resistance of the painted baffles? I was thinking of just going my my interior primer, Akzo 463-12-8. Not sure if it would be totally fire retardant. Wrote to Akzo. No response yet.

Ever get any word from AkzoNobel on this? I'm at the baffle paint stage, and did the inner of my james in Akzo to seal up pin holes last year. Pretty much going to go with the Akzo on baffles, but just checking here. The stuff is bullet proof so I dont see any need for a top coat of anything, and I like the green anyway.......

Usually I paint every part and then rivet, but thinking thats overkill for the baffles - rivet then paint instead.....

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
ACF-50

I installed and removed my baffles countless times, and if I had painted them early, I can only imagine how bad the paint would look now. I thought I would paint them in the end, but once they were on for the "last time", I don't really want to take them off to paint them.

I left mine "natural" and will "paint" them with ACF-50. I've fallen in love with that stuff!
 
I guess I am different. I used rattle can Bbq grill paint and so far I am glad I did, they have been on and off many times and this is easy to fix if it gets scratched. High temp and does not show dirt bad.
 
When I changed engines on my non-RV, I powder-coated the baffles. It took 600 hours but there is now some paint delamination.

At least bad and more annoying, is that the white powder coat sucks up dirt amazingly. It's almost as aggressive at getting dirty as Fiberfrax.

On my RV-3B, I absolutely will NOT do that again!

That leaves open the question of what will I do for the baffles. I'm thinking of leaving them bare, but haven't decided. Ain't gonna powder coat them, though, that's for sure.

Dave
 
I guess I am different. I used rattle can Bbq grill paint and so far I am glad I did, they have been on and off many times and this is easy to fix if it gets scratched. High temp and does not show dirt bad.

I did the just about the same.

Self-etching primer in a rattle can followed by some automotive high-temp silver paint. Both baked on in with a few hours in the AZ sun.

Seems pretty good after a year and was easy to do. :)
 
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