Engine Color Schemes! Post em' up!

Mikloangelo · Feb 2, 2026

Currently dissecting my engine apart, and already thinking about cleaning and painting the engine. I want to see everyone's color scheme they went with.

xdmtoter · Feb 2, 2026

I painted the new water pump I put in the '95 Tahoe. Does that count?

I just grabbed the first can of red high-heat engine enamel I saw at the local parts store. It doesn't match the body color red, but you can't really see it anyway.

stutaeng · Feb 3, 2026

I did a black rustoleum for my 06 Suburban LQ4 refresh job:

And black again for the other engine I built. Gen IV 6.0:

So black for me

Mikloangelo · Feb 3, 2026

stutaeng said:
I did a black rustoleum for my 06 Suburban LQ4 refresh job:
View attachment 5286
View attachment 5287

And black again for the other engine I built. Gen IV 6.0:
View attachment 5288

So black for me

I was thinking the same. Black block with silver heads and accessories. I also want to be able to see any leaks easily, so I was thinking a different color combo hence the post.

ORVietVet · Feb 3, 2026

How much heat will the paint hold in?

99Sierra2500 · Feb 3, 2026

I usually go chevy engine orange when rebuilding an engine, like when it comes back bare, otherwise, black.

stutaeng · Feb 3, 2026

Mikloangelo said:
I was thinking the same. Black block with silver heads and accessories. I also want to be able to see any leaks easily, so I was thinking a different color combo hence the post.

Oh, I see. How about Orange Chevy?

Kinda like this:

I like the aluminum covers left mill-finish looking, with the valve covers matching the block as an option. Looks very refined and classy to me.

I've seen where EVERTHING get's painted and that just looks horrible to me. Looks too "industrial" to me eyes: like some generator engine running on the West Texas oilfields.

But this is America and everyone does what they want.

99Sierra2500 · Feb 3, 2026

Paint sticks poorly to aluminum, I usually leave that bare. It can be powder coated.

Mikloangelo · Feb 3, 2026

stutaeng said:
Oh, I see. How about Orange Chevy?

Kinda like this:
View attachment 5289

I like the aluminum covers left mill-finish looking, with the valve covers matching the block as an option. Looks very refined and classy to me.

I've seen where EVERTHING get's painted and that just looks horrible to me. Looks too "industrial" to me eyes.

View attachment 5290

But this is America and everyone does what they want.

I agree. Everything a solid color is terrible. I do like the raw mill look on the heads. Unfortunately mine were already painted silver.
I'm not a Chevy orange fan myself but I may make the exception if it's just the block.

stutaeng · Feb 3, 2026

Also, this video shows an easy way to do it:

That's basically what I did. @ORVietVet The technical data sheets for the regular oil-alkyd stuff sold everywhere shows the temperature rating of 200F. "Technically," one should be using the "high temperature" paint versions meant for these applications, but this stuff seems to work just fine.

Also, the high temperature with ceramics and stuff like that have the tradeoff of not being resistant to scuffs and abrasions. They are kinda fragile. I use VHT high temperature paint on transmission cases and I would agree. I recently painted an air compressor head I rebuilt with Rustoleum high temperature paint, and it too seemed kinda fragile. But that compressor head does get really hot. It was this one: https://www.rustoleum.com/product-c...uto/specialty-paints/600-degree-engine-enamel