The other side of the debate about powder coating is that because it is a durable and somewhat flexible/tough finish it might hide cracks that could otherwise be seen visually with a painted mount before they become critical. I can't say I've seen a study proving this idea, but I chose to play it safe and go with paint. My mount was painted black, and I'm not sure if that was from the factory (1977) or if it was done at the first overhaul (1991 at Lycoming), but it held up fairly well with only a few areas worn away to bare steel and a light coating of surface rust in those areas. That is good enough service IMO.
Beautifying a Lycoming IO-360...
- Thread starter KSMooniac
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tmyers
En-Route
Never thought about that.
Clark1961
Touchdown! Greaser!
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When I had mine rebuilt, the shop coated it with a light grey paint with the explanation that light grey would show cracks better than black. The paint has held up well. I assume it's epoxy but didn't ask.
bnt83
Final Approach
Soft coatings like enamels hide cracks better than stiffer/brittle coatings like epoxy, polyurethane and powder coat IMHO.
Paint hiding cracks is a moot argument. Experience leads to better maintenance. We have found a Lear 35 aileron fitting with a very tiny crack in the paint finish that looked like regular shrinking/cracking you see with age, only to find the fitting cracked after buffing off the paint with a scotchbrite wheel.