I am in the process of painting my brake calipers. I have been web surfing trying to figure out the best way to do this.

I have found that there are two basic high temperature paints 500 degree and 1200 degree. The 500 degree is enamel (sp?) and the 1200 degree looks like it is pretty flat.

I would like to use the 500 degree, but I do not know how hot the brakes get.

So, can anyone answer my question? How hot do they get? Under normal driving? On the track?

Then...for those who have painted their calipers, what kind of paint did you use? Are you happy with the way they turned out? How long do they stay nice looking before they need to be redone?

Thanks in advance,

- Ray

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I believe that the 500 degree paint is ok. 1200 degree paint is more for headers and other high temperature items, etc. At a recent swap meet, a paint supplied said that engine pain was the same as caliper paint. So I think that the 500 is what you want. To be sure wait to someone else ackwoledges this as correct.

I used 1200 on mine and turned out decent would of tuned out better if I would of took my time but look good. A buddy of mine used 500 degree the first time on hi celica and he said it bubbled up or something like that so he told me to go 1200 degree. Hope this helps.

I tested out some 500degree engine paint on my Pathfinder Callipers. I didn't really prep them other then scrubbing them with some soap and water. That was last November and there’s no trace of paint left now. I think a two-stage paint would be better or it might even be worth the money to buy a small powder coater. I still havent figured out what I'm going to do, but for 80us powder coating looks like the way.

I've used the 500 degree and it seems to hold up fairly well. It hasn't burnt off. It seems to have gotten a little duller, but that might be because I've never pulled the wheels off and cleaned them. I have a can of Plasti-Coat Brake Caliper paint that says 900 degree, but I haven't used it yet.

I wouldn't use the 1200 degree stuff. It will come off on your hand like powder if it's not baked on per the instructions on the can. I wouldn't want to get a caliper that hot baking it.

I used the 1200 degree paint and it worked just fine. A year later it looks just like it did when I first painted it on. The paint that I used didn't say anything about baking it on.

By the way I used 500 degree on the rotors and it started flaking off almost immediately. Draw your own conclusions from that.

By the way these are 88 brakes so they are cast iron surface.

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If you find my advice useful, then please give me a positive rating, thanks...

Mine's an 88 too. I used the 1200 on the rotors... which is where I got the idea it wouldn't stay unless cured. Maybe it's the rotors and not the paint.

With jscott's proven success, I would probably go with the 1200. What brand was it?

I just went and looked an what I have is Dupli Color. The 500 degree says with ceramic. I also noticed the 1200 didn't say with ceramic although I have another newer can of 1200 that does. Come to think of it, there's no telling how old the 1200 I used was... maybe that's part of the problem.

I'd say save yourself some time and go straight to the powder coating, that is, if your checkbook allows you to.
Don't get me wrong here there are several good High temp paints out there, problem is after a while they all start to look dull.

So if it's shiny calipers your after, go with the powdercoat.
Just want them a different color, IMO
Brake Caliper Paint after lots and lots of prepping.

Tina

I used the Dupli-color 1200 degree high heat with ceramic engine paint. True it's not shiny, but it looks way better than brown rusty ole calipers. It goes on real thick and I doubt it's going to flake off any time soon. the 500 degree is like water color by comparison.

And if you notice I only painted the front half of the caliper, because I split it in half, then took the front half in the house and scrubbed it real good with lots of degreasers and soap and steel wool. That way I didn't have to touch th hydraulic line and bleed the brakes.

I used 900* high durability Brake Caliper paint (not that sig pic is before i did this, hence calpers are not blue there"

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--Adam--
1987 Blue GT 5-speed
IM AOL: FieroGT5speed
16 years old and already selling my stuff to pay for repairs to my Fiero...which i sold my stuff to buy in the first place

quote Originally posted by David Bartlett: I tested out some 500degree engine paint on my Pathfinder Callipers. I didn't really prep them other then scrubbing them with some soap and water. That was last November and there’s no trace of paint left now. I think a two-stage paint would be better or it might even be worth the money to buy a small powder coater. I still havent figured out what I'm going to do, but for 80us powder coating looks like the way.

Scrubbing metal with Soap & Water will not prep it properly for painting. You need to be able to get the grease off the metal prior to painting.

Powder Coating is another way to go, but I just had some Powder Coating done and I never realized how expensive it really was. I would like to paint them just to save myself a little money.

Thank you for your input. This is what I want to hear, so I can make the right decision. If powder is in fact the way to do this, I will do it. But if I can achieve my goal with paint, I will do that purely on a cost basis.

quote Originally posted by DRH: I just went and looked an what I have is Dupli Color. The 500 degree says with ceramic. I also noticed the 1200 didn't say with ceramic although I have another newer can of 1200 that does. Come to think of it, there's no telling how old the 1200 I used was... maybe that's part of the problem.

This was my issue. I went and looked at the two paints. There was enough of a difference between the two types (made by Duplicolor) to push me to post this question in the first place.

My thoughts are.... If I choose to paint is to bead blast the calipers, then paint them. I think doing it this way will give me the cleanest surfest I can hope to achieve without buying extra chemicals.

Thanks to all for what you have given me so far.

By the way, since we are talking about powder coating, here is a sneak preview of my latest project. What do you think??

powder coating is best although I used regular PPG auto paint on mine & it's been two years now with regular auto-xing & daily driving and never had any problems

quote Originally posted by GTFiero1: I used 900* high durability Brake Caliper paint (not that sig pic is before i did this, hence calpers are not blue there"

..And where would one locate that???

I have not seen anything specifically for calipers. Then again, I haven't been out searching.

Well this will through you a curve, I used a special paint that is used in the sign industry (lead base) so it will hold up to heat but I'm now running Porterfield Racing/Street pads all the way around and they will not get hot so that may help with the heat issue.. and to draw you own conclusions this is what kind of heat it has withstood so far.. In order to brake in the pads I was told by to good sources to drag the brake for a little while, then to get on them really hard to seat them in.. So I said OK... and did just that... well the Corvette rotors got so hot it BURNT of the powdercoating on the outter edge of the rotor but the calibers still look great... here's a pic of the finished job before break-in

and this is after the brake in...

I did mine in two different colors, Black for the back of the calipers and red for the front.. This was cheaper than powdercoating if it continues to hold up and if not "then" I will go that route.. but I used this on the engine in my truck and it has held up there too .. "One Shot-Lettering Enamel" This is usually only sold to those in the industry but if your friends with someone who owns a paint store you may be able to try it yourself..

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quote Originally posted by Kameo Kid: well the Corvette rotors got ...

What did you need to do to get the Corvette Rotors to adapt to the Fiero?

quote Originally posted by RDosdorian: What did you need to do to get the Corvette Rotors to adapt to the Fiero?

bought the kit from West Coast Fiero, included were the extension brackets that moved the caliber out from center and in toward A-arms, with bolts and the rotors too drilled to the 5x100m bolt pattern. Also got their SS brake lines..

[This message has been edited by Kameo Kid (edited 05-03-2003).]

The last time I spoke to Chris, he said the kit wasn't available for the 88's. Is yours on an 88? If so, they must be available.

I painted the calipers on my '88 Formula using VHT brand 900 degree "Hi-Temp Brake Paint." VHT has been making high-temperature specialty paints for over 35 years and I've had good results with them in other applications. See www.pjhbrands.com/vht/. I bought the brake paint from Jegs Racing (www.jegs.com), but I have since seen it at AutoZone for about the same price. This paint requires mild oven curing ... 250 F for at least 30 minutes. Oven curing is good.

As you can see in the pic above, I split the caliper assemblies and painted just the cast steel bridges, leaving the caliper bodies natural aluminum. The bridges are about all you can see when the wheels are mounted anyway.

I used gloss red on the caliper bridges and gloss black on the rotor hats. I know you normally can't see the rotor hats, but I painted them inside and out mainly as a rust-preventive measure. Besides, my wife and I have a saying: "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing!"

As with most painting projects, good results depend more on good preparation than just about anything else. I cleaned and lightly bead blasted all parts before painting, although you could obtain similar results with a ScotchBrite pad if you don't have access to a bead blast cabinet. I also masked off the mating surfaces where the bridge meets the caliper body, as well as the pad bearing surfaces, before painting.

The black paint covered well with one coat and was easy to apply, but the red took three coats and was a lot harder to work with. It's possible that I was being too cautious with the red, but there just didn't seem to be as much pigment in the paint as I expected. As usual, several thin coats applied at 20 minute intervals are better than one thick coat. I allowed the parts to air dry overnight, oven cured them the next morning at 250 F for 30 minutes per VHT's instructions, and didn't install them until they had slowly cooled back down to room temperature. ALWAYS use a torque wrench (74 ft-lbs) on the two large bolts when you reassemble the bridge to the caliper body!!!

Overall, I'm pleased with the results ... but only time will tell how the paint will hold up in service.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 05-04-2003).]

quote Originally posted by RDosdorian: The last time I spoke to Chris, he said the kit wasn't available for the 88's. Is yours on an 88? If so, they must be available.

yeah it's an 88GT and as far as I know it's only for the 88's

I just clean them good with soap and water, wire brush and scotchbrites. I just use auto paint if i want them to match the car (like Fiero Lisas). My other cars I just used Krylon spray can, not a high temp. I painted all rotor hats/hubs and the calipers. Ferraro, Lisas GT and Corvettes been done a couple years, Raptor about 6 months and they all still look fine.

I used a fast-dry enamel by Valspar. Doesn't show a temp rating but I did my calips last week and it's holding up good:

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