Need tips on painting my supercharger

[Mark63Avanti]

I'm thinking about repainting my supercharger from black (and chipped) to orange.  If I remove the supercharger it would be a great time to change the fluid as well.  I was wondering what the best way to strip the old paint off.  I have the rattle can of orange paint and a new Paxton sticker.  The plan once it's clean is to shoot it with some etching primer and then the orange paint.  Also, what is the recommended fluid for the supercharger,  is there anything to be on the lookout for when it's removed and any tricks to re-installing and setting the tension on the belts?

[mfg]

36 minutes ago, Mark63Avanti said:

I'm thinking about repainting my supercharger from black (and chipped) to orange.  If I remove the supercharger it would be a great time to change the fluid as well.  I was wondering what the best way to strip the old paint off.  I have the rattle can of orange paint and a new Paxton sticker.  The plan once it's clean is to shoot it with some etching primer and then the orange paint.  Also, what is the recommended fluid for the supercharger,  is there anything to be on the lookout for when it's removed and any tricks to re-installing and setting the tension on the belts?

Your supercharger has probably been painted more than once over the years… Although black is ‘factory’, I agree they ‘POP’ much better painted the typical Chevy orange (mine is orange)….

I think I’d seal all openings into the blower with duct tape, and then simply coat it with paint remover and let the chemical do the stripping… much easier than trying to sand all the paint off…….

When the supercharger is back to bare aluminum, I’d wash it thoroughly with water, let it dry, then scuff it with 320 sandpaper.. Then, as you say, use the self etching primer, then finish off with the Chevy orange aerosol paint.

(I use Ford type ‘F’ fluid … it is less slippery than some other types, which is better for the ball drive.)

The supercharger belts are self adjusting due to the tensioner spring.

 

 

Edited February 5 by mfg
Added text

[Mark63Avanti]

Thank you for your insight!  When you say "Chevy orange" is that the same as the orange engine paint sold by Studebaker International?

[mfg]

1 hour ago, Mark63Avanti said:

Thank you for your insight!  When you say "Chevy orange" is that the same as the orange engine paint sold by Studebaker International?

Probably very close….and available to you locally…If you do decide to order from SI, make sure they don’t send the ‘R3’ supercharger paint… which is more of a red color.

[ronmanfredi]

Be different, paint it to match the car color !!!

[mfg]

2 hours ago, ronmanfredi said:

Be different, paint it to match the car color !!!

I purchased a Paxton several years ago painted white from factory… It actually just might look nice in a ‘Avanti White’ Stude Avanti!!

[mfg]

It’s probably a lot of work… and I’ve never attempted it.. but these Paxton Superchargers look AWESOME when they are left bare aluminum, and then buffed & polished!!

[Mark63Avanti]

"Paint it body color!", "Paint it white!", "Buff the aluminum to a shine!", suddenly I don't feel so venturous painting it an alternate factory color.  In my mind, there's something about seeing the orange on the fan blades and the supercharger in a sea of black with the chrome of the valve covers to accentuate.  It paints a beautiful picture.

[mfg]

10 minutes ago, Mark63Avanti said:

"Paint it body color!", "Paint it white!", "Buff the aluminum to a shine!", suddenly I don't feel so venturous painting it an alternate factory color.  In my mind, there's something about seeing the orange on the fan blades and the supercharger in a sea of black with the chrome of the valve covers to accentuate.  It paints a beautiful picture.

Yep!… that’s exactly what my R2 looks like!

( well, my engine fan is chrome plated)

[Dwight FitzSimons]

Rogers Protofab makes a nice tool (arm/lever) for removing & reinstalling the supercharger belts.

--Dwight

[Mark63Avanti]

Dwight, thank you! That was going to be my next question.

[JTurner]

I for one do not like paint stripper! (My Opinion) especially on fiberglass, but on the supercharger, it is small, use 180 grit or 120 grit, WET or Dry sandpaper with a couple drops of soap. Sand it down until you're happy, then go over it with 220 wet or dry. Wash it with formula 409 to remove any traces of oil or grease, then etch prime it, them primer, sanding with 400 grit wet or dry before you paint it. As stated before being sure to tape off all openings. he Chevy Orange in a rattle can will be fine.

 

Jim

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I use paint remover (including on fiberglass).  Sandpaper can easily round off edges and remove detail.  Paint remover won't.   I once saw a 1930s Packard that was ruined by stripping the paint with a disc sander.  Perhaps that has prejudiced me.

Different people use different methods and neither is necessarily wrong.

I stripped my supercharger years ago with paint remover and was happy with the results (painted it orange).  One of the regrets I will carry with me the rest of my life was having my supercharger painted black on my red engine (because I thought orange would look funny next to a red engine).  (The paint is good on that blower and I will soon paint it orange.  I'll just scuff it with 400 and/or gray Scotchbrite and paint it directly with orange enamel.)

Supercharger fluid:  This was discussed thoroughly a while ago either on this site or the SDC Forum.  I can't find that discussion, but maybe you can.  My takeaway was to use B&M Trick Shift, non-synthetic, blue ATF.

--Dwight 

[mfg]

25 minutes ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

I use paint remover (including on fiberglass).  Sandpaper can easily round off edges and remove detail.  Paint remover won't.   I once saw a 1930s Packard that was ruined by stripping the paint with a disc sander.  Perhaps that has prejudiced me.

Different people use different methods and neither is necessarily wrong.

I stripped my supercharger years ago with paint remover and was happy with the results (painted it orange).  One of the regrets I will carry with me the rest of my life was having my supercharger painted black on my red engine (because I thought orange would look funny next to a red engine).  (The paint is good on that blower and I will soon paint it orange.  I'll just scuff it with 400 and/or gray Scotchbrite and paint it directly with orange enamel.)

Supercharger fluid:  This was discussed thoroughly a while ago either on this site or the SDC Forum.  I can't find that discussion, but maybe you can.  My takeaway was to use B&M Trick Shift, non-synthetic, blue ATF.

--Dwight 

Agree on use of a quality paint stripper. Besides possibly rounding off edges that should be ‘sharp’, there are several ‘tight’ areas on a Paxton Supercharger that would be tough to access by hand or machine sanding……

For example… try and remove all the old paint from the back plate (scroll  cover) of a Paxton by using sandpaper… GOOD LUCK!!

[Gunslinger]

Be careful with the fluid you use in the blower.  Paxtons require a fluid that has at least some friction.  Too slick fluid allows the planetary balls to skid rather than roll smoothly which can create heat spots and cause early failure.  Original fill was Type A Suffix A which was made from whale oil and is no longer available…that’s why Ford Type F or equivalent is recommended today.  
 

Andy Granatelli in his book They Call Me Mister 500 said they used some STP in the blower as it helped keep blower oil temps down…but Andy was a master promoter and that was his product.  Besides…how many drive at Salt Flats speeds?  

[Dwight FitzSimons]

2 hours ago, Gunslinger said:

Be careful with the fluid you use in the blower.  Paxtons require a fluid that has at least some friction.  Too slick fluid allows the planetary balls to skid rather than roll smoothly which can create heat spots and cause early failure.  Original fill was Type A Suffix A which was made from whale oil and is no longer available…that’s why Ford Type F or equivalent is recommended today.  
 

Andy Granatelli in his book They Call Me Mister 500 said they used some STP in the blower as it helped keep blower oil temps down…but Andy was a master promoter and that was his product.  Besides…how many drive at Salt Flats speeds?  

That's why I mentioned non-synthetic ATF for a blower.  B&M makes synthetic as well, but I'll use non-synthetic when I change the fluid in my supercharger.  I use synthetic ATF in my Borg-Warner automatic transmissions.

--Dwight

[Mark63Avanti]

I suppose I could use this.  Came with the car.  Whale oil sounds more natural......