There are numerous threads on this subject but nobody has made an actual techs post about it..so this will be it. And if I am leaving some tips or tricks out others can add on and then when someone asks how to do this we can refer them to this.
Before I start with procedure here is a before and after pic of my work.
Before
http://engine.fotopic.net/p2840430.htmlAfter
http://engine.fotopic.net/p2840433.htmlRemovalTo either paint or polish your valve cover the first thing that needs to be done is to take off the valve cover.
If you have a timing belt cover that will also need to come off..there are three 10mm bolts for the timing cover two are located on top and one is on the right side of it. If you have a spark plug wire cover that must come off, depending on which type of cover you have will depend on what type of bolts they are to take off, should be obvious. Once the plug and timing belt covers are off there should be a total of 12 more 10mm bolts to take the valve cover off, 3 in front, 1 on left side, 3 on back, and the rest are in the spark plug well. Once all the bolts are out you also need to remove the plug wires, just pop them out and move them aside, also using your hand or a flathead screwdriver remove the oil dump tube on the left hand side of the cover. The last thing to take off is the pcv valve..either you can take the pcv hose off the pcv valve and leave the valve connected to the cover, or you can unscrew the pcv valve off with a 15mm wrench (this is located on the top side).
Once all of these bolts and pieces are removed you need to take the valve cover off, sometimes the cover will seem almost glued off and sometimes it will just pop off easily. If it doesn't pop off easily you have a few ways of getting it off.
1. You could use a pry bar or a flathead screwdriver or a paint scraper (something thin and flat) and use a hammer to hit it underneath the gasket, being careful not to damage the gasket (if you plan on keeping it). Do this to different areas just trying to loosin the cover.
2. Use a rubber mallet and gently tap the cover in all areas.
3. Kick it, lol, hopefully it wont come to this.
Also before you start taking off the paint take out the gaskets so that you dont wreck them if you want to keep them, if you haven't changed gaskets in quite some time now would be a good time for new ones, from lordco with the bc dsm discount the set is around 50 bucks.
Paint removalThere are pretty much two ways to strip the paint off the cover:
1. Sanding
2. Paint stripper
I would suggest using paint stripper, as it will be more time saving and require alot less work.
I used "industrial formula paint stripper for aluminum" at can tire, was like 8 bucks a can. Aircraft paint stripper is also a good product, although in victoria i couldn't seem to locate it, I have heard that walmart carries it. Almost any paint stripper for aluminum will work, make sure its okay on aluminum or it can eat the cover.
Follow the directions on the can for stripping the paint off. Usually not all of the paint will come off, this is okay, sanding will get it.
If you are sanding to take the paint off, I suggest using anywhere between 120-220 grit paper to take it off, 220 will work just fine, and would be my choice.
SandingThis stage is the most important stage for both painting and polishing, more especially for polishing. It will take a few hrs at least for this stage. For polishing the cover you will need to take more time and care in sanding as it is more crucial, because any small scratch in the cover will show up with polish. For painting it is more crucial to just make sure that the cover is nice and even and smooth and that 95% of the paint is off.
Sanding is done in stages I started with 220 grit paper and went over the whole cover to take off any paint that the paint stripper left. After this sand with 400, then 600, 800, 1000, 1500. This is just the order that i used, for polishing i would suggest doing a 1500 and a 2000 grit wet sand aswell, or an oil sand.
The better the sanding job you do the better the cover will look in the end, just remember that.
PolishingOnce the cover is completely sanded through all the stages now the polishing begins. I suggest mothers mag and aluminum polish, can tire is like 8 bucks. You will want an electric buffer and a rotary tool (dremel) for inbetween the letters and the hard to get to areas. Basically you just load up the buffing wheel with polish and just let her rip. Just buff the hell outta the cover, just keep goin, never stop. This is basically it for polishing, although it seems like less steps than sanding it is alot more work, if you want the polished look, I would honestly suggest getting the cover chrome dipped instead. It will cost you more but will look alot nicer.
PaintingDepending on the color etc that you want to do depends on the supplies you will need for this. Dupi-color makes nice anodized paints, they come with a base silver anodized coat and then severeal diff colors gold, purple, green, blue, red, etc. Can tire sells these paints...You just spray bomp the cover evently with the ground coat first and then the desired colored paint afterwards.
White and black can't be anodized, so don't look for this company to sell those colors.
I did a gloss black look for my cover. Heres a pic.
http://engine.fotopic.net/p2840431.htmlFor this can tire sells gloss black engine enamel, the can has a pic of an engine on it, silver can, its like 8 bucks aswell. Same process as using any other spray bomb paint, even sweeping motion. You can pretty much do as many coats as you want, I found that 3 is sufficient.
Polished letters with painted coverSee my above pic for what this looks like. There are two ways to accomplish this look.
1. Paint the cover accordingly then sand off the paint on the top of the letters and repeat the process as you would be polishing the entire cover. I tried this method and failed, I scratched up the rest of the paint with the sand paper cause i kept slipping off of the letters. I wouldn't recommend this way.
2. This is my recommended way. Before you start painting the cover polish the tops of the letters as in the above method for polishing your valve cover. Use mothers mag and aluminum polish with a terry cloth on the letters and polish away, once they are nice and shiny tape them off. I used masking tape and put it all across the tops of the letters then used an exacto-knife to cut around the edges to make sure that only tape is on the top of the letters and there is no excess hanging around. I did this and it worked perfectly. Once the letters are taped off, paint away, then once the paint is dry rip off the tape and voila.
I dont have a picture of a polished valve cover but I have a picture of a polished bc dsm wire cover, its the same procedures, and most of the time the same result lol.
http://engine.fotopic.net/p2840432.htmlInstallationReverse of removal. I would suggest at this point getting a new gasket set and a new pcv valve before installing the cover.
Other things I did1. Painted my timing belt cover gloss black. For this sand it with 400 grit paper to take the clear coat off, then sand it with 600 or 800 to smooth it all out properly, I didn't smooth it out properly so its a bit gritty, I wish I did it the other better way. Then just use whichever color paint you choose, I chose the same gloss black engine enamel paint that I used on my cover.
2. Polished aluminum oil cap. It's an APC got it from lordco for 18 bucks, then I just polished it up using mothers mag and aluminum polish.
3. Polished BC DSM plug wire cover. Got it from ziggy, sanded it with 400, 600, 800 grit , then used oil and sanded with 1000 and 1500. Then polished by hand with a terry cloth and mothers mag and aluminum polish.
4. Stainless steel bolts. Couldn't do all that work and then throw on correded and rusted bolts. Picked up all new stainless bolts from can tire.
This is fairly detailed step by step information on these procedures, If anyone has anything to add, by all means. Hopefully all the links for pics worked out.[/b]
