Painting brand new tins?

[mcjweller]

Ok so I have brand new tins because the existing ones are in pretty rough shape. They come black, but I have no idea if this is an epoxy, or an E-coat or something else.

I see lots of information on painting tins, but all of it in context of restoring old/original tins. Aside for any aesthetic reasons, is it necessary on brand new tins? Will the black coating hold up? if not, do you scuff/prime/shoot, scuff/shoot, or strip to bare metal, prime and shoot? FWIW I am happy with the as-purchased coatings in colour and finish...I just don't want it peeling off in 6 months if it was intended to be top coated.

[Rob Combs]

They're really easy to scratch up.

I usually damage the finish to the extent that I end up having to paint them anyway, at least the ones visible under the decklid.

Since I don't have a paint booth and thousands of dollars in painting equipment, I use self-etching primer then topcoat with appliance enamel - it's a lot tougher than the original coating but takes a while to fully cure - like a week or more.

I hear they're a bit of a pain to fit up correctly too - getting ready to find out for myself in another week or so.

[bedlamite]

I usually use SS urethane paint. But if you're limited to spray cans they do make 2K clear coat and epoxy enamel.

[Murt]

Hi @ mcjweller
I grab OE tins whenever they crop up on eBlag or at shows. But never really have much luck with the front and rear tins for some reason, so have had to buy 'new' aftermarket.
Obviously they never fit as well as OE German, but some are OK. I invariably have to do some trimming, and when I'm sure they fit, I scratch them up all over to key the black transit paint they come in as, and pretty much do as
@Rob Combs

_________________
1966 VW Beetle ‘Jules’
1967 Kombi Splitscreen ‘Barney’
2018 VW Caddy Maxi R Line
2017 Golf GTD saloon
2008 VW EOS 2.0 TFSi

[Bobs67vwagen]

Some of the current parts producers put a coat of rust preventing paint that is not meant to be permanent. Hard to say if that's what you have. Maybe the retailer might know? If no answer is found I would scuff them with 320 to 400 grit, clean well, and paint them with either krylon or rustoleum. I have always had good luck with those and the cost is low.

[Rob Combs]

While we're kinda on subject - OP:

If we're talking about the tins that go over the cylinders and become the side mounting point for the fan shroud, please know that some if not all aftermarket tins do not have the V-shaped air deflector just under the fan shroud near the spark plug holes. My understanding is that this deflector is pretty important.

You can get just the deflectors from Awesome Powdercoat, or if you have the originals handy you can probably either drill out the welds and transfer them over or cut and bend your own out of sheet metal.

(Since I don't have a welder or a good place to put one, I just pop riveted mine into place. Not as pretty that way but function over form on cooling systems!)

[Bobs67vwagen]

Hey as long as it helps the cooling whatever method works for you is the way to go. No one will be able to see that once the engine is together anyway. I am a little surprised that the availability of good original tin is drying up. There was so much of this stuff made that I always thought the supply would outlast me. Oh well.

[Zed999]

Really, have a trial fit and make any adjustments before you paint repro tins.
I'd have them blasted and powder coated if it was me.

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

The coating is fine on cheap tins as a base scuff and shoot. Dish soap hot water and a Scotch-Brite pad. Rinse, dry and paint with Rustoleum. I've never had any paint adhesion issues with just soap and water the spray can even tells you to do it that way.

[mcjweller]

Thanks everyone

Rob Combs...I don't know the deflector you're speaking of, do you have a pic? Yeah - all my tin is aftermarket and getting ready to mock it all up for fit. I went to some expense to buy the bits that make the cooling vents functional again, including the thermostat on my '74 shroud, so it would be a real miss to leave out something in the tins if it needs to be there.

And while we're at it...does it matter if the deflector tins that go under the jugs above the pushrod tubes are fitted on top of the jugs, or slotted under the top fin? I think I managed to put them under the top fin, then saw some fitted where the mounting tabs go above the top fin not under it. Does it matter?

[Rob Combs]

Stand by.

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

[Rob Combs]

[Rob Combs]

Like I said above, I don't have a welder so pop rivets it is. New Scat upper tins that will be affixed to lower Empi tins

Glutton for punishment I guess.

But whatever works, works.

[Rob Combs]

Not sure I'm following you on the second question.

Your turn to post up some pics!


You're doing the right thing by taking the time and making the effort to get your cooling tins right.

After owning 5 air cooled VWs, I never knew just how important this was until I went to the trouble to get it right this time on the engine that's in the car now. What you're seeing above will go on the engine I'm in the process of building.

[Murt]

Hi @mcjweller
Looks like you're putting some good work into getting the tins all installed correctly.
That is a good question, and I too have seen the under barrel deflector tins installed with the top tabs over the top fin, a have also seen them installed just under the top fin. I'm not sure which is correct, the only thing I do know is that you definitely have to have them and the worst part is when you install your heads and pushrod tubes, step back to admire your work and suddenly realise you forgot to put them on !!!! ask me how I know
I'm sure someone on here will know how VW did them originally
Also hopefully you have got these Cylinder Head front Deflector Tins as well, I have seen a lot of engines where these where not fitted, including the engine I just recently removed from my Bus.

_________________
1966 VW Beetle ‘Jules’
1967 Kombi Splitscreen ‘Barney’
2018 VW Caddy Maxi R Line
2017 Golf GTD saloon
2008 VW EOS 2.0 TFSi

[mcjweller]

Ok.

So my tins do not have these little deflectors. I fitted them on and can't see the purpose for them - what I mean is they have a specific shape obviously for a reason, I don't see any mating parts on the motor for that shape. Perhaps it has more to do with the underside of the fan shroud than the cylinders?

Anyway, looks like I will need to fab up some. I don't have one to use as a reference, has anyone made a pattern so they can make their own and could share?

As for the under-cylinder deflectors, here is a pic. You will see the tabs that fit around the head studs just under the cylinder head. I slid those tabs under the top fin of each cylinder, afterward I saw several where they sit on top of that top fin, and I wonder if it makes any difference.

[Murt]

I’m a bit confused by the photo ? Is that a Type 3 cool tin ? No can I think I see it now and I think it’s ok
_________________
1966 VW Beetle ‘Jules’
1967 Kombi Splitscreen ‘Barney’
2018 VW Caddy Maxi R Line
2017 Golf GTD saloon
2008 VW EOS 2.0 TFSi

[mcjweller]

Type 1 tin, these are the pieces that everyone forgets to put in before they bolt down the heads onto the pushrod tubes.

[mcjweller]

A little update, I took a good look at the under cylinder tins, and decided that it probably does matter if the mounting tabs are on top of the top cylinder fins, or under the top one. I realized using a flashlight that if the tabs are not on top of the fins, then the top fin of the cylinders gets no air flow directed around it...and that's the hottest part of the head. So I quickly pulled the heads, repositioned them so that the mounting tabs are above the top fins, not under. Yeah, it leaves a gap at the case end, but that's already the coolest part of the cylinder.