painting heads

[big dan]

The paint on my trucks heads is a yellow color that matches nothing else on my truck, not to mention most of it has peeled off so its patchy. I would really like to paint them another color but dont have the time to remove them for painting. would it hurt anything if I painted them while they were on the motor as long as I taped off everything that didnt need to be painted? what about just removing the paint and running them bare? would they rust like that or is it ok to run them without paint?
thanks

 

[76zimmer]

I see a snowball effect starting!

 

[garlicbreath]

They rust REAL quick if left bare. My block that I just got back from the machine shop started rusting before I could even blow all the water off!
One tip, use aluminum foil to mask off things, it's SO much easier than tape and paper.

Wait, did you say your heads are YELLOW!!!

 

[big dan]

yes they are yellow and I get plenty of laughs for it but thanks for the reply

 

[78Buford]

If you like the bare look, clean the old paint off with aircraft stripper, clean the heads with brake parts cleaner, and spray clear coat on the bare heads...I did that when my 460 was on the stand...after I put it in the truck, I ended up painting them blue to match everything else...but it looked kinda cool bare/clearcoated.

 

[vortec]

go for it. rust does not look cool. no way i'd pull the engine just to paint the heads. and garlic's suggestion is a good one. foil works great. you can form it around things and it holds shape, and paint won't soak through it. good luck

 

[BigBen]

Yes, aluminum foil is awesome for masking before painting!