Repainting heads

[scheek]

My 93 Ultra heads have faded to a point to where they are about an aluminum color all over. I would like to repaint them black and then etch off the fins to reveal aluminum head again to highlight them.

Is there a technique to this (eg. special paint, paint gun, etc.) that I should use or anything I should avoid. Is there a youtube or directions somewhere?

Thanks

 

[TQuentin1]

My 93 Ultra heads have faded to a point to where they are about an aluminum color all over. I would like to repaint them black and then etch off the fins to reveal aluminum head again to highlight them.

Is there a technique to this (eg. special paint, paint gun, etc.) that I should use or anything I should avoid. Is there a youtube or directions somewhere?

Thanks

Your heads, especially around the exhaust ports are the hottest thing on your engine except for maybe the first foot of your exhaust pipes. Unlikely you will find any off-the-shelf stuff that will stand up. Having them powder-coated again is one option, or another is to have them coated with Teflon. If you go this way, you should have the rocker box/valve covers done and the jugs so they all match. Check out this bunch:

Performance coatings by Polydyn

The Teflon coating is extremely stout. Once on there, you have to remove the metal to get it off. On the edges of the fins, I am afraid that is a manual process with a Dremel and a grinding stone.

TQ

 

[CalgaryBikeBum]

I purchased the black powder coat paint from HD. I then carefully masked off the ports and holes, studs and flats that I didn't want painted. Make sure they are clean. You have to shake the can thoroughly. So ...when you think you have shook it enough do double or triple that. Lastly it doesn't like to come out the nozzle. I took several cans back until i realized the problem was thickness. So....I took a very small drill bit and cleaned out hole slightly larger. Stand back when you push the button now. It flys out. Make sure you have room for overspry without covering things you don't want painted. let each coat dry thoroughly before applying another coat. As noted above , after that I cleaned the edges with a dremmel and a little drum sanding disk . Worked very well. I did my complete motor cases with it and it looked perfect. Lastly when the engine runs it bakes that finish on. And once it does, its on there. Once its baked on you can't tell my work from factory finished cylinders.

Hope that helps.

 

[scheek]

Thanks. Were you able to do this with out removing heads or entire motor? I have a small powder coating gun that I purchased from Harbor Freight years ago and I have used it before with great success on other projects but nothing like this. Actually powder coating never entered my mind on this project. I'm not sure the areas will get hot enough (transmission casing) to make it bond though. I always had to bake ot about 400 degrees. The HD powder may do diffferent. Any ideas on this.

 

[TQuentin1]

Thanks. Were you able to do this with out removing heads or entire motor? I have a small powder coating gun that I purchased from Harbor Freight years ago and I have used it before with great success on other projects but nothing like this. Actually powder coating never entered my mind on this project. I'm not sure the areas will get hot enough (transmission casing) to make it bond though. I always had to bake ot about 400 degrees. The HD powder may do diffferent. Any ideas on this.

Sounds like CBB did, but I was rebuilding my bike in '99 when I did the Teflon, and had the engine disassembled down to the case. This is where I stopped then, so now I am gonna have to do the whole rebuild again but completely this time!

If you are doing powder coat, it will definitely work better if you strip the top end, have the heads stripped (valves removed for grinding) and then powder coat and bake the heads. On the jugs, get them off, cleaned thoroughly, powder coated, baked and then honed. New rings, valve job and back together, and your top end should be good to go for a decade or more.

TQ

 

[CalgaryBikeBum]

TQ's way would be the best but I had good success years ago with the powder finish paint so thought I would try again? Only real hassle is that the spray nozzle doesn't like the thick paint/coating. As I said I drilled/reamed it out slightly and it came out of there full bore. Some parts i removed and hung up to paint some I did in place. Once I had put my crankcase back together , I masked off what I didn't want painted and used some of my old beat up covers (cam, rocker box etc) and bolted them on for painting purposes. Turned out really well but probably not as durable as what TQ is doing? However I seem to be pulling things apart all the time so may not be a problem for me. HAHAHAH I bought the powerder coat black paint finish from the HD dealer. Stuff isn't cheap but worked well for me.