Engine mount paint

I ordered my engine mount before installing my center section spar. This was so that I could install the aluminum extrusions exactly where they needed to be.

A little info on engine mount types:

There are 3 engine mount configurations: dynafocal type 1, dynafocal type 2, and conical. It all comes down to what engine will be mounted to it. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as saying "I will go with an IO-320... so what engine mount do I need?" since it also depends on the engine model type (O-320-A or O-320-D or O-320-F, etc)

I am nowhere near ready to purchase my engine, so I decided to pick the "most common" type for an O-320 - dynafocal type 1. A phone call to the Cozy Girls and my order was in.

When I received it, the engine mount was in perfect condition. I used it to install the center section spar and aluminum extrusions, and placed it on my shelf to collect cob webs and dust. A few weeks later, I noticed it started to rust. This was troubling me. I thought the primer that it came with would have protected it from rust. I called up the Cozy Girls and explained what happened, they advised me that it was just surface rust, remove the old primer / rust, re-prime and paint. So following doctors orders...

Also, while researching what type of primer and paint to use, I learned that powder-coating an engine mount is a bad idea, as this can hide cracks later during inspections.

Here are a few pics of the surface rust....

I picked up some 400-grit sand paper and got to work. This was super easy.. only took 30 min or so to remove all of the old primer and rust...

Down to the bare metal... shiny! I then cleaned it up with a clean rag and mineral spirits...

I hung it up using my hangar door and some string. CAUTION: spray paint goes EVERYWHERE! I had my cell phone sitting on a shelf about 20 feet away inside the hangar and I managed to get a nice paint film on it. Case and point, don't spray paint next to things you don't want spray paint on... like a nice shiny black truck! (luckily, no paint got on my truck!)

Ready for primer!

I used rustoleum self-etching primer... 

First coat of primer...

Waited a few minutes (per the instructions on the can) and applied a second coat of primer...

I went really slow, and applied a very light thin layer at a time to avoid any runs... 

I then applied the first coat of gray paint...

I let cure for 24 hours... and then applied a second coat of gray paint. This is the final result:

Ooooooo.... ahhhhhhhhh...!!