Powder coat Barrels?

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DogT

DogT

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My powder coater said he could do the barrels in hi-temp p/c. Good idea or not? He also said the regular P/C is good to something over 200 deg F. I assume the barrels get hotter than that? The hi-temp colors are not as nice as the regular.

Dave
69S
 
I'd be really concerned about the powder fusing in the bolt holes or oil way. You'd have to mask all of the cam tunnel and aperatures off really firm to avoid that stuff clogging up the works. I've never tried PC on barrells and always found a quality Hi Temp auto engine spray can to be easy to apply and last long as well as being easy to touch up some years later on.

Mick
 
I had phil at fair spares do mine in PC while boreing the barrels etc w/ high temp - came out beautiful and look great a year afterward -
 
mikegray660 said:
I had phil at fair spares do mine in PC while boreing the barrels etc w/ high temp - came out beautiful and look great a year afterward -
Click to expand...

What is the cost breakdown for the powder coating and the boring?
Is there any concern on heat dissapation? Did i spell that right?
Kurt
 
kwb210 said:
mikegray660 said:
I had phil at fair spares do mine in PC while boreing the barrels etc w/ high temp - came out beautiful and look great a year afterward -
Click to expand...

What is the cost breakdown for the powder coating and the boring?
Is there any concern on heat dissapation? Did i spell that right?
Kurt
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where the debate on heat dissipation has fallen. I personally wouldn't wrap an air cooled barrel with a thick plastic but I could mistaken.
 
I wondered about the cooling effects of particular paints also on a similar thread a while back. Someone chimed in with specs on the cooling properties of certain paints and it looked good, like it might even be helpful in cooling the barrels. Trouble is I can't remember what the paint was we were discussing.

Try searching "painting barrels"
 
Rotax used a thick laquer on the air-cooled barrels of its competition machines and found out the hard way that it reduced heat dissipation. Also, as you may have read on this forum, powder coat can bubble and flake off if the surface underneath rusts. If that happens, just imagine how unsightly it would be and how difficult it would be to remove. At least with enamel you can touch it up. Maybe others have found it to be OK in practice, but I wouldn't do it.
 
The guy was going to blast the barrel to remove the rust, put some sort of Phosphate treatment on it and then P/C. I am reticent about it though. Regular high temp paint is much easier to live with later.

Dave
69S
 
I had Jim Comstock ceramic coat one for me. It looks really good and the coating doesn't look any thicker than a conventional paint job, so I don't expect any issues with heat dissipation. It's just a spare motor so I haven't tried it out yet. It's still sitting on the bench waiting to be assembled. Maybe I'll have to buy another basket case bike to use it in! :)

One nice thing about doing this is the coverage appears more even than when you use a spray can. With the rattle can it's difficult to get coverage at the base of the fins and the block always ends up rusting in those areas. I hate that!

Debby
 
Yes, I saw those other threads but they really didn't address P/C. I think in a past live I did use some sort of hi-temp black paint on the barrels in the early 70's, but now they are a bit rusty and in need of care. I remember baking them in the oven, stank up the house. I'm tending again towards the VHT type black paint at this point, but I still need to get the rust off, and that will probably involve some sand blasting. I have always been a believer in painting hot things flat black, they radiate more heat and thus tend to run cooler, despite the original was some sort of silver color.

Powder coat Barrels?


Dave
69S
 
I seem to remember a post in the last few months where someone remarked that Mick Hemmings had told them that he sprays the barrels with something then sprays VHT black on a rag and wipes it on so as to avoid too thick a coat. Wish I could remember the topic or who posted it, seems that like it was one of our British colleagues. Maybe the poster will remember (if he reads this).
Dave, hope things are starting to melt in NOVA now, Tucson is great! :D
 
I cannot find anything with a search even at BritBike. It was 55 here yesterday, top was down on the Miata.

Dave
 
I had my barrels powder coated a long time ago. A very expensive mistake.
Engine overheated running in and partially seized.
Not only was there the cost of another rebore but getting the powder off was extremely difficult.
The stuff was applied really thick. I think because its applied electrostatically it builds at the fin tips and doesn't penetrate to the root very well.

IMHO its a completely inappropriate finish for air cooled barrels.

PJ1 fast black out of a can is really good and can, with some careful masking, be blown over on the bike if it starts to look a bit tatty.
 
There is a 2 page thread at BritBike about powdercoating cylinders and a lot of people seem to have good luck with it.

http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthrea ... 403&page=1

However, I think I will paint mine since if it is trouble, it is a PITA to get off, haven't decided on the color yet, I know the orig was silver.

Dave
69S
 
I think a barrel would be easier to maintain if it were just painted.

I know a local guy who built a hotrod T140 with a big bore kit. I don't know where he got his barrel from, but it is a nicely finished alloy overbore with liners. The company said painting it would void any warranty - the paint reduces the thermal efficiency of the fins on their barrel.
 
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