Question about painting/restoring

[tiger9297]

I have a B7100 that I'm thinking of repainting, new decals, etc. I have done painting and such on different things before, but never on a tractor. Painting the hood and fenders (all the orange stuff) is no problem. My question is this: Once you get the orange stuff off the tractor, how do you paint all the gray stuff and make it look right? It's not like painting a smooth surface like the hood. There are brake pedals, hydraulic lines, the engine, etc. It seems like it would be nearly impossible to get a good coat on everything, short of disassembling the entire tractor, which is definitely not an option. It seems there would also be some parts, or at least the back side, left unpainted because you simply can't get the spray to it. I know some people have done this, so I would love any input. There is also the issue of getting everything properly cleaned and prepped in those hard-to-reach places, which is usually where the grease and oil accumulates.

Thanks in advance.

 

[beemer530]

I think you more or less answered your own question. The best way to clean, prep, and paint parts is to remove them. That is what the professional auto restorers do, It is up to you how much time and effort you want to spend. In order to paint parts that you don't want to remove or would be very difficult to remove, you do the best you can with degreasers and brushes, hand sanding, and masking things you don't want painted. Then you just start painting from the least accessible to most accessible area. If the blue/grey paint is just faded you may be able to get by with a gloss clear coat like the auto detailers do to engine compartments. It makes everything shiny including wires and hoses. My B8200 is apart for an engine rebuild and I plan to do some painting before it goes back in. I have made no decision yet as to how much more I will take apart for painting. Maybe others have useful tips for you.

beemer

 

[beemer530]

I forgot to mention there is a great article here on OTT about painting.

beemer

 

[gurn]

What worked great for me was engine degreeser and a powerwasher then just a wire brush and paint. The blue was easy, the orange hood and finders are the hard part.