Engine Paint

So the VHT engine paint I used requires some, fairly, specific heat cycles to cure it. I started the bike to do this and within seconds the header paint bubbled and in plaves started to turn a gold colour. I stopped the engine and once cooled the header paint cracked and lifted off of the pipe, sigh.

The exhaust is painted in flameproof flat aluminium rated to over 1000c and the engine is painted in engine enamel rated to 288c and fuel/oil resistant.

Also when starting one carb slightly leaked and as I wiped the fuel off the starter motor, the engine enamel clear coat came with it, WTF. You can see highlighted in the photos below where the clear coat has smeared as the fuel dissolved it.

I’ve contacted VHT to try and understand what’s happened, as the entire engine is painted with their paints which are supposed to be heat and fuel proof.

I’m hoping you need to complete the heat cycles to cure the engine enamel and before that happens it can be affected by fuel, so you have to be really careful and I was unlucky with carbs leaking on to the starter motor, which is easily removed and repainted.