Topic: Want to paint cylinders/head - need some quick info

[Tim.]

Hi all - my CB550F is in the shop awaiting the arrival of 4 spanky new 0.5mm over pistons.  The head and cylinders are sitting loose, begging to be cleaned and perhaps given a fresh paint.

I only have a few days before the pistons arrive and the cylinders will be sent to the machine shop for boring and reassembly.  So, I figured I'd swing by the shop, nab the bits, and clean/paint.

QUICK!  I need some links/pointers on doing this.  Never done it before.  How to clean / prep the pieces, what paint to use for a good color match and application process.

I don't have a lot of time to do the research, so if anyone knows straight out how to do this well, let me know.

THANKS!!!

[Lumbee]

as far as the paint goes...I'v heard folks just use regular ole cheapo paint...heads and cylinder are air cooled...so don't get to hot...

[CTCStrela]

I'd recommend a high-temperature engine enamel, as there are hotspots on aircooled motors that do get pretty hot...

[kghost]

Use the high temp or it will flake off

[Tim.]

Ok - got the hi-temp bit.  Any hints on prep work and specific brands/colors to use?  I'm only painting the cylinders and head, so they need to match the bottom end as closely as possible.

[Terry in Australia]

When I restored my CB750F2 I didn't want to get the head and cylinder block bead blasted (too much cleaning to remove every last bit of engine destroying grit)) so I bought a 5 gallon bucket of Auto spray paint gun cleaner, and dunked them in that stuff overnight.

It's a lot more potent than any thinner, but doesn't contain caustic so won't hurt the alloy surfaces like paint stripper, or make 'em go black like oven cleaner either. This stuff just washes all the paint, grease, tar and dead bugs off, so all you need is a paint brush to move the paint offa the bare alloy. Good stuff, just make sure you remove any rubber components before dunking, or you'll be sorry! (although it doesn't effect the anti-vibration rubbers between the fins on the head) Cheers, Terry.

[Bill Vaughan]

If you do go the paint route, I've had good luck (both color match and durability-wise) with Duplicolor Hi-Temp Aluminum (DE1615).  Just clean the pieces with a household grease remover, rinse well, let dry and spray away.

A bit of advice:  Do not paint the cylinder jugs unitl AFTER the machining process.  The best shops use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove debris after machining and it will destroy your fine paint job.  I learned this the hard way and ended up repainting the cylinders.  No fun the second time around.

[Tim.]

Excellent advice - I'm going to have a good look at everything to confirm painting is worthwhile.  Frankly, once the machining is completed, both me and the mechanic working on the bike are going to want it out of his shop asap, so there will be no time to paint them unless I insist on it.

[kghost]

I suppose it depends on what your cases look like.

Nice clean shiny cylinder and head will get really annoying on dirty flaked cases.

BEWARE. This is how it starts. Next thing, you turn around and there are parts all over the garage. Your watching E-Bay for that one piece of unobtainium.

Its a slippery slope friend, as many here will tell you............

[Terry in Australia]

I suppose it depends on what your cases look like.
Nice clean shiny cylinder and head will get really annoying on dirty flaked cases.
BEWARE. This is how it starts. Next thing, you turn around and there are parts all over the garage. Your watching E-Bay for that one piece of unobtainium. Its a slippery slope friend, as many here will tell you............

True story Kasper, I agree entirely. My Visa card statement is a constant reminder of how things can get away on you when "A quick clean up" becomes a total ground up "last nut and bolt" resto, boo hoo! (and I still can't get the f!@#$%g rotor off!) Cheers, Terry.

[SteveD CB500F]

The 500 shown in my avatar had red head and black barrels. I used Gunk to clean them (this was 1977 don't forget) and Sperex VHT (1200 degree) paint from an aerosol.  Baked in the oven per the instructions.

It was very durable and still looked good when I traded the bike for a 550 in '79.

[057 adnoh]

  harley davidson makes a great silver paint, its high heat and really easy to use this paint also looks better after a few heat cycles!

[Tim.]

Trust me - I know all about the slippery slope of restoration.  I have so many Honda parts wrappers from the new genuine spares I've ordered for this bike, many with no real reason.

For example, I got a brand-new brown vinyl seat for $50 on eBay (got very lucky).  I saved the rubber cusions from my old seat which I sold (for $75 .  But, I decided, well, I'd better order brand-new rubber cushions for my brand new seat - nothing wrong with the old ones, just that they were old.  So, I'll have nice new rubber cushions sitting under my seat where I can't see them.

I also replaced all the bolts in my light lenses, including those very long skinny ones on the tail light with stainless allen heads.  Not just the engine cases for me man, every bolt I could reach and source a replacement for has been replaced with stainless hex heads.

My Honda dealer loves me needless to say.  Just waiting for my new cam chain, cam guide, cam slipper, oil seal for the tach drive (so that's where all the oil was coming from!) etc. to arrive at the dealer.

[Bobby]

TinTin, I just sprayed my SOHC using Duplicolor Hi-Temp Aluminum DE1615 and Duplicolor Hi-Temp Satin Black (jugs and head) and it turned out sweeeet.  I spent a ton of time and elbow grease prepping the darn thing but it looks finger lickin' good now.  Just gotta remember where the heck I put the dang mounting hardware...

-Bobby

[Tim.]

TinTin, I just sprayed my SOHC using Duplicolor Hi-Temp Aluminum DE1615 and Duplicolor Hi-Temp Satin Black (jugs and head) and it turned out sweeeet.  I spent a ton of time and elbow grease prepping the darn thing but it looks finger lickin' good now.  Just gotta remember where the heck I put the dang mounting hardware...

-Bobby

Yeah - it's the prep work I'm really curious about (now that I have some brand/color referrals).  What did you do to prep it?  Just a de-greasing, or something a little more intense like stripping/bead blasting etc.?

[Lumbee]

...looks good Bobby...where'd u get u'r paint from?

[cb750_chris]

The Dupli color works much better than other high temp paints that I have used. 

I got some 1000* paint with flames on the can.  The crap came off like powder just from toughing it.  I don't remember any instrucitons about baking it.  I think it's just junk. 

[nigel1114]

has anybody just said to heck with the paint and polished the engine? if so, how hard was it?

[Chrisboden]

Could you have the whole thing Chromed? Anyone done this?

[SteveD CB500F]

If you polish your engine it will take a load of work and re-oxidise immediately - you'll have to laquer it anyway.

What would chrome do to the heat dissipation qualities??

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

has anyone Had a polished engine clear powder coated?

[cben750f0]

mate i just polished my engine covers, and that was bad enough... wouldnt even onside doing the engine cases... unless i was rich , and found someone else to do them!!!..peace

[kghost]

I powdrecoated my cases black, not clear. I think polishing them would look cool but might just drive one mad. Its a "heart of darkness" thing

[Jonesy]

I read somewhere that matte black cylinders are the best for emitting heat. After my heat transfer lab back in college, it proved to be better than polished aluminum.

[Terry in Australia]

The early Yoshimura Suzuki and Kawasaki race bike engine's cylinder and head fins were first vertically bored, then sandblasted with very coarse grit, (the ensuing pitting increased the surface area by about double aiding cooling) then the engines were painted with a high temp "flat" or "satin" black.

I'm sure that if there was any advantage in polishing cases, the factory teams would have done it, but seeing they haven't, I have to assume that there can be little or no advantage in polishing an engine, apart from it looking nice. Cheers, Terry.