Advice on painting brake calipers

[Alvis]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to paint my brake calipers and wanted to hear any advice you might have.

I've been doing a bit of research and I'm looking to paint them a gold colour - very similar to the EK Mugen Si JDM model (pic below).

http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/7751/htup090812z1997hondaciv.jpg
By civica (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/civica) at 2010-06-27

* Does anyone know what gold colour this is? After looking through the Honda Colour Codes I think it's the Corona Gold Pearl (Y62P)?

Now I've looked into trying to get some of those pressure pack caliper paints from Dupli-Color but they don't make the gold I'm after.... and last time I checked pretty sure Supercheap etc don't have the gold colour either - more your reds, blues, yellows, silvers etc

So... I went to my local powercoater and they don't have a bright enough gold (looks more like a mustard) and ended up at the local industrial paint shop (they do House of Kolor etc and seem know their stuff) and they said I could go with a 2 pac paint (could pick any colour from the thousands they had on show by manufacturer), but I'm a little worried as to the durability of 2 pac? They also said it 'could' eventually wear off...

Do you guys have any experience with using 2 pac on brake calipers?

Thanks,
Alvis

FYI: I would also buy the primer prior to painting and apply clear coat after painted.

[aaronng]

DIY here: http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?92872-DIY-Painting-brake-caliper&highlight=diy+caliper

You need high temperature paint. Even a 2-pack paint will eventually peel off due to the heat.

[Alvis]

Thanks for the DIY link :) I think I'd prefer to do the job 100% and take the calipers off to paint them tho... I'm pretty fussy lol...

Guess it depends what 'high temperature' means - 2 pac can go up to about 260 or so degrees C so I've been told - how hot do your brakes get on a car on a daily driver?

I don't do any track work and aren't hard on my brakes.. well most of the time anyway ;)

[EK1.6LCIV]

buy buy buy

dont think

buy

a clay bar kit if you have intentions of painting them whilst on the car :)

[Alvis]

yeh I had a bit more of a look around and it's not worth it for 2 pac if it's going to come off - they're asking $250+ for primer, 500ml of paint and clear... phoa

So had a look around and found a brand called VHT http://www.speco.com.au/vht_wheel.html which is specially made for calipers and goes up to 482 degree C! Once you paint them tho, you have to bake them in ur oven for about 20mins at 100 degrees to get the full curing...

And best part is they come in gold too lol :D + you can buy the primer and clear with it - from like Supercheap or Auto One.. so I think I'll be checking that out...

[dougie_504]

Your brakes will go well over 260 celsius. Also, 2-pac paint can be dangerous when inhaled - causes lung cancer I believe.

VHT is good :)

[Alvis]

Thanks dougie_504 - didn't get a chance today but i'll check it out the VHT stuff at my local auto shop next week :)

[lsvtec]

autobarn stock this paint

[EK1 Civic]

Did mine yesterday, went supercheap and got some 3m engine enamel, didn't have the 650 degree brake paint colour i wanted, so i got one tat was 300 or 350 degree. Works fine, brakes don't get that hot unless your using the brakes hard. Costs $15 bucks, paint will last ya forever. Did 6 coats on each caliper and still got 3/4 of the stuff left LOL. I didst bother using primer, just got rough side of sponge and degreaser and cleaned it all and rotor, once i removed my brake pads. Didnt bother with clear coat, figured its brakes, over time there gonna fade after the heat and debris/rain. Takes about 3 hrs to paint the calipers, with 20min intervals of drying/spraying so not gonna be a hassle to repaint in the future. Good luck though mate. Leave a p.m. if your stuck, its an easy job though. I'll post pics if you want them.

[Alvis]

Thanks EK1 Civic - sounds like you did a pretty thorough job with 6 coats lol ;)

What colour did you go for - did they come up pretty schmick? Pics would be great whenever/if you get a chance :)

Thanks mate!

[dougie_504]

Did mine yesterday, went supercheap and got some 3m engine enamel, didn't have the 650 degree brake paint colour i wanted, so i got one tat was 300 or 350 degree. Works fine, brakes don't get that hot unless your using the brakes hard. Costs $15 bucks, paint will last ya forever. Did 6 coats on each caliper and still got 3/4 of the stuff left LOL. I didst bother using primer, just got rough side of sponge and degreaser and cleaned it all and rotor, once i removed my brake pads. Didnt bother with clear coat, figured its brakes, over time there gonna fade after the heat and debris/rain. Takes about 3 hrs to paint the calipers, with 20min intervals of drying/spraying so not gonna be a hassle to repaint in the future. Good luck though mate. Leave a p.m. if your stuck, its an easy job though. I'll post pics if you want them.


Pics?

[EK1 Civic]

Rocket red, its like red with a tint of orange? i took pics with my fone, uploading em now.

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/1541/01082010006h.jpg (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/01082010006h.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Rim damage was from previous owner, not me xD, only tat rim basically looks damaged =/

Sorry about the delayed responce, was capped and got one of them plans where you pay extra per mb u go over. Couldn't use net for a week =[

[EK1 Civic]

Oh ye if you want a glossy caliper then do a few clear coats over em. TBH all i did was rock up to supercheap and looked at the colours and pictured my black car with the coloured paint. Not hard to imagine. The 3M products come with a strip of the paint colour on the bottle to help you decide.

Heres some tips i discovered when doing mine

After first coat use a brush to spread the paint around so you get it in all the nooks and crannys, do it for 2 coats. Then do 2 light coats just using can. Then 2 thick final coats.

Obviously you dont gotta do that many coats, but i was bored and had whole day so it kept me busy :D

Oh and use the brush to get rid of the dripping paint, paint trials if you overspray and go nuts with the can xD

[jdm_b16a]

1. Use the right paint - any of the Caliper paints or HiHeat paints will do
2. Cleaning thoroughly is your best defence against paint peeling later - use Wax & Grease Remover or BrakeKleen, and clean cloths
3. If you have access to a wire wheel, use it to clean up rough spots
4. Disassemble the calipers as much as possible, tape off the pistons area, the bleed nipple (or remove it)
5. In between light coats, use a heat gun to keep the caliper warm (but not over hot) - this will cause the paint to cure faster
6. Three coats is all that is needed if coverage is good - the more expensive paints have better pigmentation and better coverage
7. Allow to cure overnight
8. Assemble and enjoy

Peter

[sarquez]

Hey Alvis,

Got mine painted about 3 months ago on the same colour of my ride. I actually used the original paint used on the car, so this will last longer if you follow the steps on the link below:
http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showthread.php?t=188870

Hope this helps!

[Alvis]

Thanks for that sarquez - appreciate the link :)