In the past, I have had very good luck with using a clear butyrate dope airbrushed over the painted pilot (the method of choice for direct exposure to fuel or exhaust). In apinch i have used either gloss cote or dull cote lacquer to cover the enamel paint on pilots that were not directly exposed to fuel or exhaust. The advantage here is that it is available in a spray can if you are not into airbrushing.

If the shoulders are too wide and they are hidden under the canopy or cockpit sides, they can be trimmed on the hard plastic pilots. On the soft latex pilots, the shoulders can be tucked in a bit and then glued to the base