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Painting the Atomic 4
After getting the ignition, reversing gear and cooling system up to scratch, I was able to turn my
attention
to the deplorable shape of the engine's paint. There may well have been more rust than paint on the
engine. I wanted to fix that for two reasons. The first is that it looks purely awful. The second, and more
important reason, is that fluid leaks are much easier to spot on clean paint.
I painted the engine in the boat and it was ridiculously easy. The hardest part was covering and taping
the
areas I did not want painted green. To start, I removed as much rust as possible with a number of wire
wheels on a cordless drill, a wire brush and sandpaper. Prior to painting, I cleaned the engine with soap
and water.
I pulled the coil and placed it out of the way. I also covered the distributor and ignition wires in a plastic
bag
and taped the bag secure. I pulled out the good spark plugs and inserted the ones I had recently
replaced.
I also covered all of the carburetor and full system components.
I chose spray paint as it would be the only way to get to all of the myriad nooks and crannies on an
assembled and installed engine. To prime the motor I used the Rustoleum Heavy Rust Primer shown in
the photo above. I sprayed three coats of primer over the course of about an hour.
To do the final coats, I used John Deere Green Tractor Paint. I also sprayed three coats of topcoat.
This little project was incredibly simple and incredibly cheap. The total cost was less than $30, which
included the paint, paper, tape, and a new wire wheel. Someone recently quipped that it is an "engine
rebuild kit in a can." While that is, obviously, a stretch, a new paint job will go a long way towards
improving the appearance of the engine and the boat as a whole.
attention
to the deplorable shape of the engine's paint. There may well have been more rust than paint on the
engine. I wanted to fix that for two reasons. The first is that it looks purely awful. The second, and more
important reason, is that fluid leaks are much easier to spot on clean paint.
I painted the engine in the boat and it was ridiculously easy. The hardest part was covering and taping
the
areas I did not want painted green. To start, I removed as much rust as possible with a number of wire
wheels on a cordless drill, a wire brush and sandpaper. Prior to painting, I cleaned the engine with soap
and water.
I pulled the coil and placed it out of the way. I also covered the distributor and ignition wires in a plastic
bag
and taped the bag secure. I pulled out the good spark plugs and inserted the ones I had recently
replaced.
I also covered all of the carburetor and full system components.
I chose spray paint as it would be the only way to get to all of the myriad nooks and crannies on an
assembled and installed engine. To prime the motor I used the Rustoleum Heavy Rust Primer shown in
the photo above. I sprayed three coats of primer over the course of about an hour.
To do the final coats, I used John Deere Green Tractor Paint. I also sprayed three coats of topcoat.
This little project was incredibly simple and incredibly cheap. The total cost was less than $30, which
included the paint, paper, tape, and a new wire wheel. Someone recently quipped that it is an "engine
rebuild kit in a can." While that is, obviously, a stretch, a new paint job will go a long way towards
improving the appearance of the engine and the boat as a whole.
