Does anyone know how I can paint my engine up and make the paint stick without worrying about it flacking off?

powdercoat!

Clean every thing good and get the Hot Paint. *they have paint that resists temps up to 1500 degrees F.

Swaintech at www.swaintech.com has a black bond emitter
for jugs and heads. It's commonly used on fan cooled
machines to help reduce the operating temp. They also of
course do pipes, piston domes, Moly coat piston skirts and
coat exhaust ports among other things. Might be something to
look in to. I've often wondered how the coating would work
for a L/C machine because black jugs and a chrome (cyramic)
finish on the pipes would look nice and functional too, not
just cosmetic.

Prep it right and use PJ1 paint. No problems, looks super.

Toydoc, where do I find PJ1 paint?

Also, what would be the right way to prep it?

The trick to painting aluminum is in the etching prior to paint. When you are satisfied that the areas you intend to paint are clean, VERY clean, you might try wiping on some household vinegar. It's a very mild acid, has worked many times for me. Wipe it on with a sponge, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse it off and dry. There are many other products that will do the same thing, and maybe better, but none are any simpler. Anything that will etch the aluminum will work. Toilet bowl cleaner (muratic) comes to mind also, if it wasn't left on too long... * * Just make sure anything to be painted is clean.

AL