[Michael]

Kimball Midwest provides a very good high-solids aerosol paint. It’s Detroit Diesel Series-60 Blue, part number: 80-583.

[Archived]

You are looking for DE 1683.

[Dean]

Thanks, guys. I think both of you are referring to a blue paint, but my engine is mostly green, with a couple parts that are a grey/silver. Any idea what color(s) these are? I don’t think that I have any blue at all.

[Archived]

I took a chip of engine paint into Lowe’s and they used that to mix up an oil based paint that was close to the existing color of the engine. That was almost 2 years ago and it still looks good and is holding up well. It is not the original color but it is the color the coating morphs into after time.

Our engines, when repainted to what was once the original blue look out of place and unusual. So I opted to match the actual color at the time I painted it because I wanted to cover areas where the finish was gone or had rust. To repaint using the original color is going to require a lot of disassembly of some engine components and accessories to cover areas where the finish is good but just has had the color shift.

[Archived]

Mine was repainted green as well. My DD dealer said it is suppose to be blue and even showed me 6 new Series 60s.

[Davy]

Thanks, Gil and Jon.

I’ll see if I can’t pick off a paint chip. The only worry I have is that they give me a paint that isn’t suitable for the engine. All I care about is oil based?

[Archived]

Cat and Cummins assemble their engines and then paint the whole thing including clamps and hoses. Detroit Diesel painted each individual part of the Series 60 and then assembled it. They then clear coated the entire engine; it’s the clear coat that turns into the ugly green as it ages. Restore it back to original. Far be it for me to find a prettier blue; ‘cept the blue if my wife’s eyes. One of my pet peeves is dealers spraying on the wrong color. Panterra seems to do this on many of their resales.

[Archived]

The engine was originally powder coated. I know this because we have the finishing system that was used for that purpose in my former factory. If the color shift is as David says then for the amount of money they must have spent adding the clear coat which is a second coating they got screwed because as the engine ages the color really shifts from the original blue to a pukey green or whatever color that is.

Carl, A good oil based paint will do very well on the engine. The engine needs to be spotless, completely free of any oil or dirt. or loose rust. Running the engine will cure the paint.

I don’t know why the original engine finish does what it does because most powder coatings are cured around 375 to 400, with some using lower temps if the cycle time is long. Solvent based paints are usually cured at 300 but like powders the cure temp is determined by the cycle time in the oven. The point is our engines are going to max out at around 210 so why the original finish has such a color shift is beyond me.

[Bryan]

I am sure Jon would agree, it is about a two or three day project to complete. But the end results are well worth the effort.

Getting in there to the goodies is about the hardest part of it all. I used automotive engine paint (heat sensitive) and it has been on there a good while.

<>DS<>

[gary]

Actually my engine painting is a never ending process. It consists of a combination of things to do such as masking, some parts removal such as taking advantage of an oil filter change to get behind the filters, taking advantage of a coolant change to get some hoses off and out of the way, and pulling some stuff like the air intake pipes to get at places covered up.

In addition to masking some stuff I also use a stick taped to the paint brush to reach places too hard to get to other wise. Yes I said paint brush. The engine is a casting and has a rough surface anyway so if I leave brush strokes that’s OK. But I also use multiple colors and artists brushes to detail it. I use gray on the alternator and AC compressor. I use flat black on the bolt heads unless they were zinc or cad plated, and those I use silver.

I use a wire wheel to clean up some of the brass fittings, I clean the various hoses using Gunk or something similar.

If I can’t see it, or can’t reach it without major disassembly it doesn’t get painted. As Okie says there is probably 3 days involved in painting and detailing an engine, but after I get the big easy stuff done, I spend an hour here and an hour there doing spots I missed or spots I can get at because I have something apart. The job never ends because once you get the engine looking good then you have to do the chassis parts, all the brackets, the alternator, starter, AC comnpressor, plus the turbo and power steering pump need some attention. Those I just use a wire wheel.

Then you have to do the copper polishing, and finally you need a tiny brush to clean inbetween the fins on the radiator.

[Archived]

Boxcar, that’s just beautiful. Job well done!

Jon, if you try , you can probably remove the sprayed on clear to reveal the original powder coated blue, in its full splendor. (I was using the term “painted” loosely to also include powder coating). It really is the clear that turns pukey green, not the blue powder coating.

[DON]

Well I sure do not want to get in a show and tell with you guys, My engine has been touched up a couple times to keep it looking good but I have never thought about painting the whole thing ! Do you guys clean the treads on the tires when parked?

[Archived]

Actually I would guess the clear coat yellows and in first grade we learned what Detroit Diesel has not yet learned, that yellow and blue make green.

Why would they clear coat a powder coated engine? Blows my mind.

If they prep the engines properly (the system is a 5 stage so that should not be a problem) and coat them hot they can get a finish on the castings that will look like glass. It won’t need anything else.

[Archived]

I might be satisfied with a glass-like finish! 🙂

My guess is after assembly there’s still many bear metal surfaces and they want to protect those surfaces.

I’d still rather have puke-green to red or yellow!

[Archived]

well, a 3 day process is a lot more than the 6 hours I suspected. I’m going to make sure I have enough time before I start.