When painting the engine bay with epoxy paint...is it recommended to clear coat the engine compartment?

 

Epoxy should be be a primer only--then paint and clear.

 

so u do recommend clearcoating the engine bay

 

I recommend you prime then paint. I dont understand what "epoxy" paint is unless you are painting a boat or something industrial. For automotive applications you want to prime-base-clear.

 

isn't any paint u mix with a hardener or activator considered an epoxy?

 

yes rx7guy you are on the right track. a catalized product is typically considered an epoxy.

And to answer your original question YES clear coat the engine bay. If you don't leaking or spilled fluids will stain your paint and make the bay look like ass.

 

actually most base coats can be mixed with a hardener so that it is not permeated by lights solvents so you don't have to clear it immediately. but you would have to scuff it after a certain amount of time.

 

Wrong!!! Epoxy is a totally different animal than base or clear with totally diferent catalyst. Urethane and enamals use a hardner but nothing at all like an epoxy.

 

When I used to work with epoxy it was a very messy set up. You have the expoxy paint and the activator. You have to mix it with the correct amount or it will either take way to long to harden, or it wont harden at all. and make sure you clean up your gun A.S.A.P either with a Xylene paint thiner, or a Laqour thinner (SPelling?) to clean it. You could use a mineral oil, or a ace tone but it doesnt work as good as xylene or laquor thinner. If you don't clean your gone a.s.a.p it could start the hardening process and say good bye to your gun. Trust me I lost prob 4-5 guns this way. Was in a rush to leave when the bell rang to go home. HEH. I had another one called Vm&p cleaner or something to that. Forgot the actual name but it wasnt that good.

P.S I used industrial type and commercial type paint. Not sure if the epoxy I used would be differn't then car paint. But this is how our epoxy paint was.

Or use whatever cleaner/solvent you have to clean paint. Those were the ones I had access to so I used them


Sorry for my spelling.

<-- Used to be a painter at leslie controls and CPC cryolabs for 4 years. 02 - 06