Basically, prep for me involved removing EVERYTHING but the engine block. I started with the carb, intake, distributor & heads. I then removed the radiator, header tank, and alternator. Next was the brake booster, starter solenoid, and voltage regulator. If that wasn't enough - I also removed the brake & clutch master cylinders, and the brake line that went along the fire-wall and fender. ( I found it necessary to remove the line splitter as well )  Lastly I removed the wires from each inner fender & pulled out the harness. ( make sure to label what wires you detach & cut ) Since I'm planning on replacing all the grommets with a kit offered from Sunbeam Specialties , I removed them too. 

Then simply mask off the engine compartment with plastic sheeting and you are now ready to start making a mess. Its a good idea to lay some plastic under the engine as well - the stripper will damage concrete.

*WARNING - Paint remover is a NASTY chemical! It will burn & cause severe pain to anything that it comes in contact with. ( including your eyes! ) Please be CAREFUL... Also realize that the paint remover  can & will eventually melt through the plastic sheeting so pay close attention when applying it. Make sure to closely monitor any over-spray & have a hose close by. ( for obvious reasons )

You have been warned...

Materials & Tools:

Safety Glasses

Rubber Gloves

Long Sleeve Shirt

Aircraft Coating Remover

Various size brushes

Putty Knife

Wire Wheel Attachments

Electric Drill

Plastic Sheeting ( the thicker the better )

 

Here's the engine bay after the first coat of paint remover. I kept things from getting out of hand by concentrating on one section at a time. Just liberally spray on the remover, wait approximately 15 min, then when the paint starts to bubble - you can begin your scraping and brushing. I started with the passengers side, followed by the drivers, & ended with the fire wall:

I found the key to the paint remover was to NOT let it dry-out to much. Temperature is going to affect your dry time so kind of just keep your eye on it... Average time I waited before brushing & scraping was  around 15 min. What your left with is a TERRIBLE mess! Try not to get discouraged though.

Here's the results after the second coat:

As you can see - It's starting to look better already. I did a third & final coat of the stripper followed by spot treating what was left over. When I was satisfied I cleaned & scrubbed everything with a degreaser & rinsed with water.

Not too bad, ehh?

At this time I broke out the electric drill & with the help of various size wire-wheel attachments the remaining paint came off pretty easily - there were however a few hard to reach areas, & of course the ever-present stubborn spots as well.

*Remember - The prep work that you do will basically mirror the final finish that you obtain. Spend extra time here and in the end you will be rewarded with a job that you can be proud of...

This is what was achieved after the wire-wheeling. Most all of the paint was removed along with any surface rust. I finished by prepping the bare metal with Eastwood's - Metal Wash to prevent any rust from flashing prior to spraying on the primer.

To get to this point I invested a solid 16 hrs. If the engine had been removed entirely it would have significantly reduced the work time. I also believe that had sandblasting been an option for me it would have also greatly shortened the duration of this project - & probably provided better results.

Be that as it may - I was satisfied with my results & happily moved on to the next stage.

For the priming I chose again to do business with Eastwood Co. & used their Rust Encapsulator product. I read several good reviews of POR-15 but chose the Encapsulator because it was offered in an aerosol can. ( I didn't want any brush strokes after doing all this work )

-To be continued...