Valve Cover refinishing

[Justin727]

Well I decided to do something productive at work today as we are super slow.

So I refinished my front valve cover. Sorry the pictures are not the greatest but heres a before and after. Using camera phone.

Before:



After:



Can't really tell but I used some rolo disk to give it a somewhat cleaner look and if I wanted to follow up with a mirror polishing after some more sand grits and some rouge.
But I didnt want to take it that far. Just repainting the lines, letters, and center section.

[TBayToyotaBoy]

That's looking pretty freakin' good! Can you post a quick step-by-step on what you've done? For one thing, I'm not familiar with your crazy "rolo disc" terminology...

And are you brush-painting the lettering, or are you taping and spraying? I'm curious because this is what both of my engines' valve covers look like:


Not so pretty, huh? Stupid salt belt...

[Justin727]

Rolo disc lol. They go onto the end of an air grinder..
http://www.levineautoparts.com/clicherfor3m.html

I didn't have any sand paper with all the grits as need to do what I needed to do by hand like I would on the supra or anything else...

Of course I took it out to the detailing department spray some degreaser and some acid on the cover to get it clean and free of oils.

Took a pressure washer to it for a bit. Then allowed it to dry..

Took my rolo disc to it. Medium, then fine and then went to town.

I did tape off things cut out the letters and sprayed them. I didnt like the finished look so then I went in the parts dept. grabbed some touch up paint with brushes and went to work.

Actually used some metallic maroon paint for the lines that matched the color of the car well. lol The V6 normally would be red but I figured to paint it black too because it looked good.

For the center section the auto parts store sent me VHT ceramic high heat paint. Its a flat black but matched nicely I believe.

Now if you want the nitty gritty on polishing to a mirror finish I can post up how to do that if ya want just let me know.

edit: btw the rolo disc leaves almost a brushed aluminum look just not so brushed. Doesn't look to bad imo but could be better.
I almost decided to put right as it ridges down in the front a new chrome 2.5 emblem on it but didnt want to look too busy on the valve cover.

[TBayToyotaBoy]

That's good advice, thanks for posting it up. One of these days (ie: when I've finally finished swapping the engine and tranny on my the Corolla I bought for my elderly father), I'll get under the hood on the 2VZ and do this...I hate the look of corrosion, it's like watching cancer spread.

[MR2Jedi]

Wow, great job. Gonna try it on my MR2 valve cover..
Thanks for sharing

[Justin727]

What would be also great is if you actually polished the top where the lines and words are to a mirror finish and paint the lines and words of course.

Keep in mind only keeping that the top flat part polished.. Tape it off and get some wrinkle finish black or a semi gloss black and paint the rest of the valve cover black. Grab yourself a cheap chrome oil cap off of ebay and wala. IMO it would look good!


But its not a problem guys I'll usually share anything I do! Although I would mind having myself a lexus valve cover.