RKC
Member
383 Engine Air Cleaner Restoration: I plan to paint the outside gloss black. What are the recommendations for painting the inside of the air cleaner?
I think that they dipped the air cleaners to paint them. I know they did that with other parts and brackets. Basically, they just dunk the part in a big vat of paint and let it drip off.383 Engine Air Cleaner Restoration: I plan to paint the outside gloss black. What are the recommendations for painting the inside of the air cleaner?
The inside looks like bare metal without any paint. I think that is the way they came from the factory.I think that they dipped the air cleaners to paint them. I know they did that with other parts and brackets. Basically, they just dunk the part in a big vat of paint and let it drip off.
So, IMHO, the inside should match the outside. Even if it was sprayed, they would use the same paint.
What the correct outside color is always up for discussion... From what I've read, it was gloss paint to begin with but aged fast into a semi-gloss appearance. I don't think the factory was that fussy. If it was black, that was good enough.
I have seen them both ways, but thinking about it, the larger ones are probably sprayed, so bare metal is probably correct. Since they don't rust a lot on the inside, I'll bet they are dipped in some sort of acid etch, like a phosphate. So you could do a bare metal type spray or even just use some Ospho to etch and keep from rusting. That wouldn't flake like paint might.The inside looks like bare metal without any paint. I think that is the way they came from the factory.
Yea, you are probably correct, but it seems to me I've seen smaller air cleaners that look like they are dipped.Yes, all of mine have been sprayed with bare metal innards. OTHER parts were dipped into a vat/bucket of paint floating on water, which also had runs in them, but air cleaners were sprayed form what I've seen.
CBODY67
I remember now where I've seen the inside of the air cleaners being black and looking like they are dipped. The bases of the unsilenced air cleaners!Yes, all of mine have been sprayed with bare metal innards. OTHER parts were dipped into a vat/bucket of paint floating on water, which also had runs in them, but air cleaners were sprayed form what I've seen.
CBODY67