I'm in the process of taking the Hillman engine apart, cleaning and painting parts, and then putting it all back together with new gaskets.  I'm wondering what I should do with the inlet and exhaust manifolds.  They are very rusty.  I looked at some manifold paint at the local car parts store and it says you have to bake it in an oven after application (and not to use an oven that is used for cooking).
As that is not an option should I just wire brush them as much as possible or can I paint with engine enamel?  If I do paint with engine enamel will it burn off or just discolour?  Is it a fire hazard to use engine enamel on manifolds?

Thanks,

Alan M.

Bud

58 Hillman Mins
61 Hillman Estate Wagon

Clean them up and get them powdercoated.  Same finish as Jaguar used on their exhausts.
Check the little flap thing in the exhaust that alters the heat going to the "hot spot".  They often are seized up.  I just put them in the position that prevents too much heat getting to the inlet manifold.  They were not one of Lord Rootes better ideas.

  ... (snip) ...

Keith

No it won't, regular engine enamel copes with the kind of temps your block water (and oil) cooled block reaches, maybe 200 C at the most.  Exhaust system paints need to cope with much hotter temperatures – up to 1500C.

This is the kind of stuff you want.  VHT seems to be sold around the world.
http://www.nfauto.co.uk/vht_exhaust.htm
http://www.racenet.net/exh/vht-high-temp.php

Cheers, Vic