Powdercoating entire engine

[vfost]

So i have decided i want to make an old school chopper out of my bike and i have ordered a hardtail kit from travis. I want to go completely flat black on everything i can on the bike which brings me to my question. I want to get the entire engine powdercoated but im not sure if i need to take it apart for this or not? Do i need to take the cylinders off of the crankcase and take the crankcase apart and give a powdercoat shop all of the parts? or could they just spray the whole thing as is?

 

[Shaun Chandler]

You will need to take it right apart and clean it. My powder coat guy preheats all the parts first to burn off any contamination left on the parts after a quick blasting. You will have all kinds of oil coming out onto the powder. Not to mention you will be effectively shrink wraping your engine by painting it in one piece. Powder coating uses elctrostatic to bond the particles of paint and it won't bond to certain areas like gaskets.

So in short yup you have to strip it right down.

Good luck I'm powder coating my engine aswell. Have it taken right down just haven't got it painted yet.

Shaun

 

[drewpy]

don't powder the barrels and head, they'll act as an insulation and overheat the bike!

 

[vfost]

don't powder the barrels and head, they'll act as an insulation and overheat the bike!

Alright now you have my attention drewpy. Is it just because of how thick a normal powdercoat is? could i get away with just using a high temperature paint on those parts instead? The only real reason i wanted to go with powdercoat is durrability.

 

[Shaun Chandler]

Your really not supposed to coat the juggs on the heads. I've heard of guys that chrome them then have overheating problems (more of a harley issue I don't like chrome).

The paint just holds the heat in. I guess you could paint them just don't stop moving

I was doing to whole bottom end on mine and the valve cover. Though I would shine up or soda blast the juggs.

 

[drewpy]

the VHT paint in matt or satin has the best heat leaching properties. so go with either of those!

 

[vfost]

Alright thanks for the info guys...you probably saved me cooking my engine down the road.

 

[tritowns]

I use to race a short dirt track stock car when I worked for a GM dealer... I can't remember where I read it but it was recommended to me to paint the engine flat black to help keep it cool...

 

[Arclight88]

I use to race a short dirt track stock car when I worked for a GM dealer... I can't remember where I read it but it was recommended to me to paint the engine flat black to help keep it cool...

I am crossing that same bridge soon. I am fixing up my '81 and the cylinder jugs appear to have been painted black (although most of that paint is worn off). The heads do not appear to have been painted.

I intend to repaint just jugs with VHT and polish all other parts.

 

[OleDoc]

the VHT paint in matt or satin has the best heat leaching properties. so go with either of those!

I painted my vulcan engine with vht and had no problems.but that is also water cooled so i don't know if that makes a difference