Here it is all finished....
Mo, I wiped off the tanks and ends first. Then I used a scotchbrite to give the paint something to grab onto. I then sprayed everything but the fins with epoxy primer (Krylon, says it is good for aluminum), 2 thin coats, then I used 2 coats of satin black. It still kind of scratches off easy so I think the high heat paint may adhere better? Or maybe a 3rd coat of the primer.. Where it did scratch off I am sure I didn't hit with the scotchbrite, was close in to the fins. After that, I did a thin coat over the fins, just to give it a uniform color, don't put too much on the fins or you may block them up.
The complete setup is now about 6" deep, hoping that will give me enough room to slip a belt on between it and the waterpump pulley. I also had the waterpump shaft shaved down plus will be using thin headed hardware for the pulley. I'll get some pics up once it is in with the engine to show how much room there is. It will be a month or 2 at least.