Aluminum help - paint or 2K clear?

[iblyles]

Gents, I need some help deciding what to use to protect and seal my aluminum Tuned Port Injection system and intake as well as a GM serpentine accessory drive system. Lots of aluminum parts that will oxidize and hold dirt and grunge without some kind of protection. I do not want the expense and hassle of powder coating all of these parts. But I also want to avoid all of this stuff turning powdery white of grungy after a year or two under the hood. I have looked at a few kinds of 2K clear from Eastwood but most don’t have a very heat tolerance and might not stand up to any spilled fuel. At this point I am leaning toward the VHT engine enamel in universal aluminum (SP127).

What has worked well for you guys? What do you recommend (besides just put it on and drive it ).
Thanks!

Photos attached for interest. The serpentine bracket on the right is used and as received. On the left is after glass bead blasting.

 

[6872xtc]

I used VHT on my accessory brackets. However, I didn't put anything on my aluminum heads or the intake and there hasn't really been any change on any of it. The lack of humidity here and the fact that I don't drive the truck lots probably help the most. It does sit outside all of the time, though.
The clear darkens the aluminum some, of course. But so far it seems to clean off easily.

 

[iblyles]

I used VHT on my accessory brackets. However, I didn't put anything on my aluminum heads or the intake and there hasn't really been any change on any of it. The lack of humidity here and the fact that I don't drive the truck lots probably help the most. It does sit outside all of the time, though.
The clear darkens the aluminum some, of course. But so far it seems to clean off easily.

thanks! Did you bake on the VHT to cure it or just spray it on and let it dry? I have had good luck with curing VHT painted parts (small ones in the oven when the wife is out of the house) except for a few times when some of the coating flowed off the parts and onto the pan.

 

[6872xtc]

I have just let them dry, typically.
I did try to bake it on so e exhaust pipes with a heat gun, but it was only the weld joints, and I don't know if I got it right or helped it at all. No oven at work.

 

[wasted wages]

PPG 2K clear ( Diamond coat ? ) ... I run nitro powered R/C boats and this is what I have used in the past to seal the wood and cover paint jobs.
(Basically krylon or something in a rattle can.)
I have sprayed aluminum parts on the boats too and they still look good.

PPG is crystal clear ( some epoxy clears tend to yellow ) and it withstands 65% Nitromethane
fuel, so it will just laugh at gasoline.

It might be a little costly, but it works.. and shelf life ( unmixed ) is at least 3 years... I bought a couple of quarts about 5 years ago, and if I opened it right now and it was not jelled, I wouldn't be afraid of using it today.

might check Amazon, it may be sold there..

 

[bp71k5]

I’ve used the 2k clear rattle can from Eastwood and it’s good stuff. I don’t see how the VHT paint could hold up to anything that’s 2K. I haven’t tried baking vht though so maybe that’s more durable.