Topic: Glass Bead Assembled Engine

[excellrec]

I've searched here and found information that alludes to but does not quite directly answer this question. I have my 1977 cb750f2's motor out of the bike and cleaned up. I love the look of glass beaded aluminum and would like to bead it and clear it. I know the glass gets everywhere and can destroy the motor. My motor is good and runs great so I don't want to pull it apart and start replacing gaskets, bearings.. and so forth, it's unnecessary.  My question is this-

Is it reasonably possible to glass bead a motor while still together and assembled (carefully plugging up all the holes, screwing in the screws, bolting in the bolts in the threaded areas.. making plugs for the intake and exhaust.. so on and so forth) and not have to at any point disassemble it? If so, how?

[dave500]

err.it could be plugged up ok,but the glass bead guy has to manouver this big lump in a case etc.

[excellrec]

It will be done by me... outside.

[dave500]

oh ok,just plug everything up really good then.

[Blackhorse]

Don't glass bead it use baking soda. HF sells the large crystal type used for blasting. It will give a nice clean finish and not remove any metal. You still want plug up as much as you can but, if it gets into anything plain water will remove it. You can then apply a clear or color if you so desire.

[MCRider]

Yeah its possible I suppose. But if any one single masking point got blown off by the blaster, like an exhaust port, with a lightly open exhaust valve. you're sunk.

Soda could be better, but may not leave the finish you desire.  Soda may not remove the paint, just clean it. I just bot a soda blaster and will reort back if it will remove paint.

Remember you're using at least 100psi to blast, probably more. Can your masking hold up to that? I'd do some testing without the media first.  The cases still have paint on them and you want to take it off? Needs a lot of psi.

I wouldn't do it. Simple green the paint, and wait till you rebuild it.

[co425]

+ one on the soda. I don't care what you do. Glass beads will find a way in. Also you might want to test out a bead blasted piece cleared. They look totaly different after you clear them more like a dull silver instead of a bright silver.

[Steve F]

Glass beads, no matter how careful you are WILL get in the most unwanted places.  I wouldn't consider glass beading anything that's assembled. I like the look, but hate the decontamination process afterward. Soda blasting will remove the paint and such but won't give you the "frosty" appearance that glass beads give you.
I did the valve cover off the bike, even while I was careful to not blast the holes where the tach drive bolts to, it STILL got glass beads in there. 

[Toxic]

It can be done, but I probably spent a couple of hours sealing up the motor.
Go buy drain plugs from Home Depot's plumbing section and plug the intake and exhaust ports. You need two different sizes but I can't remember the sizes.

While at the depot buy the corrct size corks for the oil in and out ports.  If you just tape them off, they will blow off with the blaster.

I didn't know about soda blasting at the time, guess which one I'd use now if I were to do it again

[excellrec]

Soda Blasting would be alright if I was going to paint afterward and I will keep that in mind.  I glass bead blasted some parts off the bike and they look so fantastic.  My idea was to black out everything on the bike and leave the motor glass beaded aluminum with a clear and then use a mother of pearl for the tank and rear part of the seat.  I could still just soda blast everything and blackout the bike minus a couple aluminum pieces here and there glass beaded and then just use the mother of pearl still on the tank and rear of seat.  I know the glass bead can and probably will get everywhere but it's only like 12 holes we're talking here. I could make metal plates and rubber gaskets to seal this thing up if I have to. Obviously I wouldn't just masking tape the motor up. I would at least use corks and plugs with rubber seals.  With all that precaution is it still just impossible though?

[MCRider]

What Steve F said.

[JLeather]

I would never blast an assembled engine.  Hell, I'm always nervous just doing it to cases and cleaning them afterward.  Doesn't matter what you use and how careful you are, you'll get it somewhere it don't belong.  Glass beads are a definite no-no.  Even for soda blasting, I wouldn't do the whole motor assembled like that.

[Nikkisixx]

Yeah man, any media (soda or silica) is sneaky and will get where you don't want it.  Like others have said, wait until you need to do a complete teardown and rebuild then blast the parts.  Just my 2 cents 

[Gregorymoto]

Arlen Ness was big on that look 30 years ago. If i was you i would blast it and use a high temp clear or i would have it clear powder coated.

[camelman]

I just spent a bunch of time soda blasting my assembled 350F engine.  It worked pretty well, but I finally decided to use paint stripper.  It was much easier than I was expecting, and was super easy to clean up.  Just plug up your holes and spray with low volume, high pressure water.

I really recommend getting a pair of forceps (you can get them at most fishing stores) and a paint prep pad.  Tear off strips of the paint prep pad, clamp them in the forceps (one at a time), and just run it back and forth between the fins, in the spark plug recesses (with the plugs installed), and everywhere else you find.  The stipper cleans up much faster than bead/soda/sand blasting.

A plastic bristle scrub brush and a flat head screwdriver are also great tools to remove the stubborn paint.

Camelman