DIY CTR Valve Cover

[Excalibur]

This will start with everything to do once the valve cover is already off.

Parts Needed:
2" painter's tape
VHT wrinkle red high temp paint
320 grit sandpaper
600 grit sandpaper wet-dry
small sanding block
Exacto Knife
Tweezers
Isopropyl alcohol
dishwashing detergent
Piece of cardboard a little bigger than the diameters of the valve cover


I started by giving the valve cover a bath in dishwashing detergent and water to get the oil and such off. Let dry.
After it's dry, scuff the entire valve cover that is to be painted with the 320being sure to keep off of the things to remain polished. If you have a dremel tool, you can use it to get rid of the molding lines (I left them). Do a good job as to help the paint adhere. Once the sanding's done, blow it off. It should look like this:

Some would give it another bath in the detergent, but I don't b/c I do mine different. I'll cover that later.

It's now time to prep the areas not to be painted. Take your time so it looks nice later on. Put the tape over the areas and then use your exacto knife to make it just cover the areas needed. It is very important to do a good job around the lettering. It took me 30 mins, but the average person, it will probably take around an hour or more. It's important to pay attention to detail. When all the spots are covered, it should look like this:



Next, you will have to mask the bottom of the valve cover as to keep out overspray. Start with the difficult side with the slope. do as the pic shows.

Then, you will make some long tabs that are all connected. Do as the pic shows. Make them long enough to bend back to make a wall with them.

Then bend them back. If you did it right, you will have something that looks similar to this:

Continue by taping off the rest of the bottom of the valve cover, leaving tabs on each side as you go across. Should look like the pic.

Put it on the carboard where you want it and start taping the taps down. Make sure there's no play in the tape from before so that it keeps the tape off of the areas to be painted. Should go from this:

To this:

Do the rest of it the same way.



Now, take it to a well ventalated area where you will be painting it and wipe the entire product down with isopropyl alcohol. This is to remove debris and all oils from you hands and such. After this, do not touch the cover again. Once everything is to your satisfaction, follow the directions on the can and spray it. You should crosshatch the coats and only do around 4. Spray everything evenly. I used a whole can and wish I hadn't used so much. Make sure you're spraying in the temps recommended on the can. It will look see through if you're spraying it in the sun, but pay no mind to it and concentrate on getting even coverage. It will be plenty covered after you bake it.
Stick it in the oven and bake at 200 degrees F for 2 hours.



After the two hours take it out and sit it somewhere that it won't be disturbed for 24 hours..................
After the time is up, you can now touch the valve cover if you chose. You will need to take off the parts you masked off and remove the valve cover from the carboard. That is the final product. You may have to trim just a tad around the lettering. Make sure your exacto knife is really sharp.


I don't have pics on the car as of yet. They will be added later when I get the other things that I want to install it with. I prefer painting it as opposed to the ctr one b/c you have your holes to screw in the wires and such whereas the ctr you don't. I thought about powdercoating, but I talked to alot of the guys over on ephatch and they all said that they're had their's w/o any problems for around 5 years.

Now, if your lettering is scratched up at all, you can wetsand it with the sanding block and the 600 dry-wet sandpaper. Use a little water and sand in an up and down method as to keep the same look on the lettering as it came with. It should turn out nice. Keep it semi wet while sanding. Should turn out nice.

[jeremy0203]

not too bad, looks a lil thick in the center but that wrinkle paint looks nice..... ill be trying this soon with powdercoating

[Excalibur]

Originally Posted by jeremy0203

not too bad, looks a lil thick in the center but that wrinkle paint looks nice..... ill be trying this soon with powdercoating

Yeah, that's why I said in the diy not to put on as much as I did. I thought I was putting it on too thin, then when it came time to bake, it turned out I definitely had plenty.

[07Rredsi]

Looks really good! Very nice DIY!

[02SilverSiHB]

nice work man!

[Checoman]

Very well done !!!

[jeremy0203]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

Yeah, that's why I said in the diy not to put on as much as I did. I thought I was putting it on too thin, then when it came time to bake, it turned out I definitely had plenty.

yea ive learned that myself always looks like less at first. i didnt know that wrinkle paint looked so well. ive only seen black at the store near me. i have red and black wrinkle coming in powder so hopefully i dont f it up being this will bemy first time powdercoating

[jeremy0203]

Originally Posted by jeremy0203

yea ive learned that myself always looks like less at first, but hey that spot is covered by the spark plug cover anyways!!. i didnt know that wrinkle paint looked so well. ive only seen black at the store near me. i have red and black wrinkle coming in powder so hopefully i dont f it up being this will bemy first time powdercoating

[Si-aficionado]

Looks great! Post a pic once installed.

[Mabuz]

Pretty good job man...nice DIY.

[Xtreme Thunder]

Nice job and looks great.

[shutter13]

looks great man! good job

[black si for me]

good job!

[jeremy0203]

did you replace your gasket

[GreyK20]

^thanks thats what i was going to ask

[Bertelicious]

Nice, where do I send mine to have you do it. Way too much work for my lazy ass.

Nice Job!

[GlxyGry06Si]

Nice Socks!

[F-1 Si]

Great Job...

[chugiboi]

wrinkle red is nice.

[20civic07]

looks great, although i'd rather spend the $$ than spend all that time to mask off each individual part.