DIY: Type-R style red rocker cover

[Rivic]

heres my rocker cover beofore and after images don't have in pics of when i was doing it tho i will write up my steps tho.. mind u i am a spray painter so alot of equipment u might have to get will cost a bit, easly done for around the $50 mark :)

before:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2999/dscf5618oi1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot with FinePix F410 (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=FinePix+F410&make=FUJIFILM) at 2007-07-11

after:
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5194/dscf6238gp2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot with FinePix F410 (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=FinePix+F410&make=FUJIFILM) at 2007-07-11

TOOLS EQUIPMENT: 1 can of crinkle Red paint or any colour preferance (availyble from auto barn, repco, supercheap etc)
Paint stripper, brush, gloves, mask etc
Scotch bright pads X2
Prepsol (wax and grease remover)
1K metal base primer (also availible in pressure pack can)
heater or oven;
prob an option as i said i worked in a pint shop so had the oven availible to me, i read a DIY article on this ages ago where i think the bloke put his in the oven? unsure weather to do this if u do make sure its on low temp, and be patient as mine took 2 days to fully dry, try not to touch after finishing it as it leave finger marks in the paint and chips off VERY easilly!

STEP 1:
first of all i did was pull the rocker covoer off, easy, coupla bolts and nuts and done, don't forget when u have it off to cover ur head on the engine with a towel or plastic or something to stop dirt and dust etc getting in..

STEP 2:
second off i got my cam gear cover section cut out but a mate who is a fitter and turner machienest, so didn't cost me anyhitng, maybe not a nesesiry to some ppl but was wot i wanted as im gettin a coloured timming belt.

STEP 3:
go to your local paint supplier prob repco super cheap etc, and get some paint stripper, (remeber to wear necesarry safter equop for this mask, GLOVES etc) my cover was already yellow as u can see from the pics which had just been painted straight over the factory crinkle finish black as most of yours would prob be,
simply cover thoroughly, don't be shy on this coat it on, and cover with plastic, i left mine over night prob a good hour os so should do it, becuase of mine being panted twice i gave it to coats of stripper,

STEP 4:
grab your self a paint scraper and go to work, getting off as much off as u can, nest i used a red scotch bright pad and water (running hose) to get rid off all the excess, (this is inprotant to make sure all the stripper and any bits of paint flake are all gone, at my work i put it in a hot wash to ensure this, most prob owuldn't have this wo all i can sugest is maybe soak in in a sink of hot water or with a high pressure hose.

STEP 5:
ok now heres the first stage off your painting prep work, all was left now was a bare metal cover, i then used a 1K base metal primer which u should again be able to get from your local paint shop, coverd that, not fully just a cover coat, then let that dry..

Step 6: now time for your paint, red wrinkle coat pressure pack,
on the back it had directions as to how to do it so thats all i followed (i was also doing this in a propper spray oven so drying time between coats etc were cut, simply spray one coat diagonally, ur next will be horrozontaly, and third verticaly etc jsut following directions on the can..
it is important to make sure u let the cover 'tak off' or go sticky between coats, in the oven i waited atleast 10min between each coats and even then was taking ages to dry,

as ur applying your coats your prob goin to find it is pink at first, when u come to your second it will be more red then when ur finished will be the full effect, also there isn't any reall crinkle effect untill FULLY dry,

also u will find there are spots uve missed and will just touch up certain bits, would strongly suggest agains it as now mine is finished some spots ahave a more crinckled effect in areas to others, just make sure u give good even coats each time..

STEP 6:
now as for drying time at work i baked mine 3 times even under infer red lights and still took all that to dry, it says on the can to leave for 48 hours to fully dry which i htink is the best idea..

SPARK PLUG CENTER PIECE COVER:
STEP 1:
for this its a must to Prepsol (WAX AND GREASE REMOVER) the cover off as i found i got alot of wax and solvent boil through my first coats because of this,
i used a scotch bright pad (which u probbly will already have) and prepsol givving it a good scrub, then dry it off and go over with a dry scotch pad to get any shiney bits u may have missed,
nect shoose you colour u want for the centre piece i used a 2K silver with a blue pearl, if at home jsut agrab a silver spray can, will do the job ;)

and there u have it, ur new type-r rocker cover, u may want to clear it i havne't as yet and am still unsure weather to or not jsut personall preffernace as i don't like the shiney look..

cheers guyz, any questions PM me ;)

-Jase

[Phuong1987]

Did u use the whole can?

[[RSX 03]]

wow, that turned out pretty nice!

[Mrkrooz]

one of the best DIY VC's ive seen nice werk :thumbsup:

[Rivic]

thanx guys, nah reackon i could just about squeez 3 covers in lol got half a can left..

[Phuong1987]

That lookz hot man

[kyobibi]

Excellent write up! :)
Might try it out sometime.

You said your spark cover is painted as well?
Got any pics of that?

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

how do you detail all the stubborn old paint that gets into the small areas, like arround the spark plug holes. they are such a bastard to get to.

[Drew]

It takes ages because its an enamel based paint...

The colder it is; the longer it takes to dry, with wrinkle paints the wrinkles will also be further apart

[Rivic]

thanx guys, hit us up with some trade rattings (if ya can?) :p

Excellent write up! :)
Might try it out sometime.

You said your spark cover is painted as well?
Got any pics of that?

yeah the spark plug covers the silver bit in the middle of the cover in the pic lol



how do you detail all the stubborn old paint that gets into the small areas, like arround the spark plug holes. they are such a bastard to get to.

how du get the paint off u mean? when u use the paint stripper gotta use a brush to, to get into all the hard to reach places, should also mention not to use it on the plastic spark plug cover other wise will eat into it..

[Phuong1987]

You sure the primer can handle the temperature?

[preludacris]

did you mask tape up the letters, or just put on some grease.?

[ACTI0NMAN-1]

you paint the whole rocker cover, then use a block and sandpaper over the letters. for the honda part at the bottom you put some masking arround the raised area.

[misteR_bilzz]

has this been fitted on ur car yet? if so how did your primer hold up in the heat?

[Rivic]

haven't fitted it yet no, shouldn't have any problems with primer, and the colour is designed for rocker covers so will handle the heat..

[misteR_bilzz]

yeah the colour is but the primer i dont think is. generic metal primer can only withstand 50 degrees, which is why i ask...

[Rivic]

oh well the stuff i used at work is prob diff to ussuall autobarn can shit.. we've used it on rocker covers many a time.

[IZY-10]

with the letters i found that you can just scrap it off with a screw driver

[Rivic]

yeah leaves some deep scratches tho, best idea is like posted hard flat block and sand paper start with something coarse then come down to a finer grit papper

[misteR_bilzz]

would it be better to just sand em down then cover them with paper sticky tape before u spray? or isnt the paint that hard to take off once its wrinkled?

[Rivic]

nope, paints eas as to scrap off but make sure its dry other wise yes becomes a lil herder; clogging up ur sand papper..u can tape em up etc do if u want to cut out around each letter induvidually lol then ur still gonna get bits of paint on the letters or bits uve missed etc..

[lukecivic]

thanks for the great right up, i started doing this late today.

Good idea about the letters, i wasnt sure what i was going to do about them :p

[DNYALL]

well i sstripped mine back today, came out sweet as, All i gotta do now is work out wat colour to spray it, nice write up by the way :thumbsup:

[DOHCTR Coopz!]

post pics when u're done mikey!!

good work with the DIY..

[VTC-8OY]

das awesome man! goodstuff

[Limbo]

hey mate what's the torque setting for the bolts?

[EKVTIR-T]

hey mate what's the torque setting for the bolts?

here ya go http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=953151

[95civic]

Delicious!

[sendok]

looking hot.. type r ftw!

[Jord]

when r u doin mine jase? im saving atm for my colour code :) should be in about a month!

[connorling]

.....

[CRXDEL501]

i did this the other day to my spare cover.
just thought i would add some input. i used similar steps.
stripped the paint, gave it a sand, and then decided not to use primer the second time i did it.

i found the primer i bought from autobarn didnt take the heat well, so started again, and used blue engine enamel, without a layer of primer. i was a bit iffy about the paint sticking and taking the heat but its worked well for me.
i did about three coats, and then just sanded the letters, and this is my finished product. this photo was taken before i had sanded the honda down the bottom. :thumbsup:
i just used masking tape to cover the middle as i didnt worry about painting that bit as the cover will cover it, but personal preference.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6900/65882000.jpg

rep points if worth it :D:thumbsup:.. just wanted to provide what i did, and what i thought worked well.. since i tried primer then paint, and then just paint. oh and i decided to do blue not red.. sorry.

[CRXDEL501]

got a spare one?.... do it :thumbsup:

[VT-11-RR]

how long did it take to dry up????
what primer did you use???
and what paint??

thanks

[CRXDEL501]

how long did it take to dry up????
what primer did you use???
and what paint??

thanks

i let it dry outside in the shade for a couple of days.
i didnt use primer. like i said i found the firsty time i did it the primer didnnt take the heat too good.
the paint i used was just blue engine enamel from super cheap
can also get it from autobarn.
the hardest part is stripping the paint.
any more questions ill be glad to help

[VT-11-RR]

i let it dry outside in the shade for a couple of days.
i didnt use primer. like i said i found the firsty time i did it the primer didnnt take the heat too good.
the paint i used was just blue engine enamel from super cheap
can also get it from autobarn.
the hardest part is stripping the paint.
any more questions ill be glad to help

thanks man

dam it takes forever to dry. i dont have a spare one but i want to paint mine, so hmmm couple of days my car will be off the road!!!!

[CRXDEL501]

yeah in that situation, might be a bit hard.
its best to leave it dry as long as u can.
if u can run ur finger along and still pick up bits of dry paint, then it obviously needs more, even tho u may think its dry.

[503asy]

that looks really good man

[beeza]

It looks soooo sexy.

[illuzi0nz]

did you have to change the gasket when you removed the valve cover?

[beeza]

If it hasn't been changed in a few years it's worth doing as it may be hard and cracked.

After you remove it,inspect it and decide.For $40 or so,it's worth doing.

You will need to use a gasket sealant like 'ultra grey'.Just use it in the corners.

[CRXDEL501]

na mate i didnt change mine.
but yeah like beeza said, it is a good idea.

[NA15BS]

thats almost look like the original type r red cover, thanks for the info, il try to do it this weekend..................

[infurNOS]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b279/vlturbz/IMG_0429.jpg

im getting there!

[beeza]

Lookin' good!

[CRXDEL501]

looks exactly like mine did.
i didnt worry so much about the middle since i have the cover over it.
show us the finished product! :thumbsup:

[infurNOS]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b279/vlturbz/IMG_0430.jpg

i just masked the letters took for ages!
and yea cbf doing the middle since i am leaving it black, scraping the paint off took so long and i hope the paint comes out alright, i will post up my finished product

[beeza]

I haven't done it but I reckon just sanding the paint off the letters with a flat block of wood and sandpaper after you've sprayed it all would be easier...

[SiReal]

beez, u are 100% correct in that regard. sanding the letters off.

strip it, spray it, sand it.

much like oreos - twist it, dip it, lick it, eat it.

[beeza]

ahaha Cheers Jeff :)

Now I feel like oreo's Mmmmmm Yummy!!

[delsol9000rpms]

If your too scared to damage the paint by sanding the letters after you paint (which you wont) you can always sand the letters before you paint and then apply PVA gluee over the letters with a paint brush in a mildly thick coat. Once you have painted the glue will just peel straight off!

[CRXDEL501]

you wont damage the letters.
just use a really light sand paper.

[infurNOS]

The paint can ****ed up on me and left splogdes so i had to sand a bit of it back

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b279/vlturbz/IMG_0432copy.jpg

until i get more time to spray it again i will have to leave it like this for a while.
Just going to spray above DOHC and below the honda, the face is perfect and the silver border i did looks cool lol

[CRXDEL501]

still looks good champ!
what paint did you end up using?

[beeza]

That looks great! A rustic type look,very cool man!

[infurNOS]

still looks good champ!
what paint did you end up using?

just used VHT black wrinkle paint

[infurNOS]

here it is in the engine bay
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b279/vlturbz/IMG_0433.jpg

jsut need to fix it under HONDA and it should look good i think

[beeza]

Blends great!

[CRXDEL501]

looks good mate.
i didnt end up using wrinkle paint.
just a little touch up, and its sweet.
i like it how it is actually.

[infurNOS]

hey guys i decided to re do it because i wanted it darker because the first time round the coats were too thin:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b279/vlturbz/IMG_0446.jpg

i cbf doing that edge shit anymore lol
sorry for all the posts
Anyone want any tips just let me know :)
more then happy to help

[beeza]

Definately more Pretty :)

[jetdc2R]

lol looks good but cant be bothered reading the steps lol looks awesome

[VT-11-RR]

bump..

[illuzi0nz]

can someone please tell me where i can find wrinkle red paint in vic? ive tried chaddy autobarn and they didnt have it. thanks

[infurNOS]

can someone please tell me where i can find wrinkle red paint in vic? ive tried chaddy autobarn and they didnt have it. thanks

repco?

[hondaEK4]

How did you keep the VTEC sign and stuff from being coated?

[infurNOS]

How did you keep the VTEC sign and stuff from being coated?

i masked it with masking tape

[mooshie]

If your too scared to damage the paint by sanding the letters after you paint (which you wont) you can always sand the letters before you paint and then apply PVA gluee over the letters with a paint brush in a mildly thick coat. Once you have painted the glue will just peel straight off!

This is the easiest way to leave the lettering unpainted. dont have to sand letters off after painting and then scratch the paint or whatever.

The Aqadhere glue (PVA) has a strong surface tension so does not flow all over the place but goes right to the edges of the metal lettering giving the cleanest possible lines. apply with a matchstick wait to dry, paint and peel off (that is the fun part cos if you are careful you can keep the coloured letters...)

[Chriskoss]

How did you keep the VTEC sign and stuff from being coated?

Been covered heaps.. you can just spray it.. then after use a sanding block and fine grit sand paper to sand off the paint from the letters as they are elevated from the cover itself.. thats the easiest way IMO

[jords]

This is my effort. The DIY instructions worked a treat.

It needs a little bit more of a tidy up, but Im pleased with the result.

Before..
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_0448.jpg

After...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1342.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1329.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1335.jpg

Jords. :thumbsup:

[Rivic]

^^ Looks good mate, hope ur happy with it, certainly cleans it up!

[hectic_filo]

This is my effort. The DIY instructions worked a treat.

It needs a little bit more of a tidy up, but Im pleased with the result.

Before..
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_0448.jpg

After...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1342.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1329.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/Jords888/IMG_1335.jpg

Jords. :thumbsup:

which paint did u used mate? is it the VHT sp240?

how did u dry this one?? out in the sun or u oven it? also the letters?? sanded it?? taped it or pva glued it??

cheerz

looking hot bro!!

[dougie_504]

which paint did u used mate? is it the VHT sp240?

how did u dry this one?? out in the sun or u oven it? also the letters?? sanded it?? taped it or pva glued it??

cheerz

looking hot bro!!


Very hot. Love it...

[jords]

which paint did u used mate? is it the VHT sp240?

how did u dry this one?? out in the sun or u oven it? also the letters?? sanded it?? taped it or pva glued it??

cheerz

looking hot bro!!

Yep got my VHT from autobarn. Gave the original paint a light scuff, dont bother stripping it back, then mask it up.

I let it air dry in the shade, gave it 2 coats and let it dry for 2-3 days. sanded the letters with a block, the sanding is the most teadiest part of the job.

Looks better than the original IMO.

Jords.

[markismaximus]

Its not a DOHC but here mine is...
Fortunately there was no original paint for me to remove..
Its not really necessary to oven bake the cover after you've painted it. It'll get baked in your engine bay. On a previous cover I've done I left the logos for 2 weeks to harden before sanding them off.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/EH%20Civic/Week6-003.jpg

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/EH%20Civic/Week6-005.jpg

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/ED%20Civic/EDSwapWeek4-008.jpg

[hectic_filo]

Its not a DOHC but here mine is...
Fortunately there was no original paint for me to remove..
Its not really necessary to oven bake the cover after you've painted it. It'll get baked in your engine bay. On a previous cover I've done I left the logos for 2 weeks to harden before sanding them off.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/EH%20Civic/Week6-003.jpg

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/EH%20Civic/Week6-005.jpg

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd121/mx83cressida/ED%20Civic/EDSwapWeek4-008.jpg

nice work dude:thumbsup: looks hot.. mines is not a DOHC either but its a VTEC-E planning to paint mine red, so you painted it.. how long it took u to put the cover back after spray?

[dougie_504]

I'm planning to do both my B16A and D16Y1 when I get back from Europe...I love my SOHC D :)

[markismaximus]

nice work dude:thumbsup: looks hot.. mines is not a DOHC either but its a VTEC-E planning to paint mine red, so you painted it.. how it took u to put the cover back after spray?

maybe 30 minutes to put back on, taking your time obviously. I cleaned all sealing edges and the bolt seals, applied gasket silicon to prevent any future oil leaks. If you just put it straight back on it would take about 5 mins

[MRK20CRX]

This what is did, just sanded it back to a nice smooth surface and hit it with primer, i got a spare one which was stripped. :)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/080120102341.jpg

I originally wanted to go for gold, i got a few coats on but then the can decided to crap itself and shoot paint all over the place and bacme blotchy
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/080120102342.jpg

so i sanded it back a bit and hit it with a sexy red
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/080120102344-1.jpg

Ripped off the old one, replaced all rocker cover bolts, nuts, gasket and seals to brand new and torqued them to spec
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/120120102345.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/120120102346.jpg

Presto, applied a few coats of matte clear, sanded back the letters very carefully, turned out well, was baking on monday in the 43 degree heat.
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/120120102347.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/120120102348.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/120120102349.jpg

Then the day after i had to strip all the paint off the other one, i was aiming to paint it spoon yellow, i didn't have paint stripper laying around, just my luck
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102351.jpg

Used a little blade to get the stubborn paint off, and different varietys of fine and rough grit sandpaper, It only took me about 4 hours
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102352.jpg

Primed her up
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102360.jpg

First coat was yellow, but i wasn't really happy with it, the paint quality was awesome but it think it would stand out way too much in the bay, so i decided to mix it up a little
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102361.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102362.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102363.jpg

Brother and sister
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/Manolo90/130120102367.jpg

So now that my rocker cover is red, i now have an extra 25kw at the wheels :p

[hectic_filo]

maybe 30 minutes to put back on, taking your time obviously. I cleaned all sealing edges and the bolt seals, applied gasket silicon to prevent any future oil leaks. If you just put it straight back on it would take about 5 mins

i mean.. how long it took you to wait to dry the paint before you can put back the cover back to the engine?

[jords]

i mean.. how long it took you to wait to dry the paint before you can put back the cover back to the engine?

wait at least 2- 3 days

[EG5]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/YonasLiu/DSC05015.jpg?t=1265633175

My K series rocker cover in wrinkle black

[jks24]

they look good, i should motivate myself and paint mine

[EG5]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4119334426_2825613e66_o.jpg
Polished Nuts.
New polished grommet gasket
Painted spark plug wire cover.
OEM Type R oil cap.

[Timmy_B]

did this to My K20 rocker cover...
didn't want to do the Type R wrincle red so i did a gloss bright red.

BEFORE:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt217/DC-05-NA/IMG_1826.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt217/DC-05-NA/IMG_1827.jpg

AFTER:
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt217/DC-05-NA/IMG_1843.jpg
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt217/DC-05-NA/IMG_1842.jpg

[munkaii]

Just a quick question for those of you who've sanded off the letters. Was there any buildup on it? Do you need to go and sand it down once in a while to retain the shine. Might do it to my K20 rocker cover

[JamesEK1]

Did mine last night with night with so far minimal success (with the paint).

I had some halogen work lights set up to act as heat lamps (as suggested by AutoBarn man) - but it seems that heat wasnt consistant enough over the cover. Wrinkles were in different sizes, shape, and areas of the cover.

I read some other paint forums were people recommend using a hair dryer - Im a bit reluctant to use this as im worried of missing spots (which people say they do).

I applied the paint at night (around 14degrees) then moving the cover straight into my room (about 20 degrees with heater on)

Just now i have sanded it back smooth and applied 3 med-heavy coats with 10 minute interval inbetween them (as recommeded on the can and forums)

Im not going to apply any heat - just going to let it sit in the room. Hopefully over night ill have some somewhat even wrinkles. If it fails i guess ill just have to sand it back and use a flat paint. Soon it would have been cheaper for me to buy a OEM EK9 cover lol.

If the wrinkles are consistant ill let it sit for 48-72 hours and give it some heat to cure the paint a bit quicker.

[JamesEK1]

^ further to this post.

Some wrinkles have come up now. They appear to be even in size - however hasnt covered all of the cover yet. I assume will take some time for them all to show.

[Dubstein]

Heres mine!

Before..
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h460/Yoshi_Castellana/IMG_1771-1.jpg

And after..
http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h460/Yoshi_Castellana/IMG_1873-1.jpg

[_OnEvIa_]

awesome DIY!!....with great results!!...thanks guys

[WATAJK]

has anyone applied clear coat on theres curiously?

[BOV]

i did mine with a layer of clear coat, wasn't that good. may be someone else has better luck?

[snk99999]

Can you post the code of the colour you use on the cover?

[dangerjbl]

So after all the talk about primer which had the best results concerning heat and finish?