How NOT to powder coat your engine

[WJP]

All I can say is don't do this at home, or anywhere else for that matter!

For anybody thinking of doing a refurbishment project for the first time, or if you like horror movies, I thought you may be interested in the few pictures of an engine I collected some time ago. While working on the PC looking for some old work photos, I come across the engine photos again and decided to put them in photobucket as it was more interesting than my current work project.

The engine will have been seen by many of you as it came from the show bike used for the charity Afghan Heros, it was a great show bike, but not a runner and was used at various fundraising events up and down the country in about 2010-12. When the charity was closed down in 2013, google if you want to learn the sad story behind that, the bike was broken and I picked up the engine and a few other bits.

Afghan-heroes.jpg (64.92 KiB) Viewed 2884 times

I did mention in reply to a new members post who was thinking of blasting and powder coating the engine as a whole, that it wasn't a good idea, but couldn't find the photos at the time, so here they are

http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/willp ... ne%20blast


The engine had been blasted as a complete lump and given two coats of powder, with a clear gloss speckled top coat.

I developed a technique with a hot air gun and craft knife to split the parts with minimal damage to the powder coat, but inevitably there is some. If I decide to rebuild it then its probably going to need blasting and new powder coat.

And if you haven't clicked on the above link, then this is what you can expect to see

Optimized-296 (2).JPG (122.43 KiB) Viewed 2884 times

Its took several hours with magnets, tweezers and the Sportax parts bath but its all cleaned up now. Just got to decide what to turn it into, 350 or 405?

Will let you know.

[MadStu]

405 all the way!

[MT Pocket]

Wow what a lovely pattern - shows the magnets are still ok!
405 if yer pockets aren't too deep and arms short

[Bonnielad]

Look at it this way Will: If you hadn't rescued it, the poor little puppy would have died by now

[WJP]

Steve, there is a good vet in Stanford in the Vale who encourages me to pick up these strays. I have a few now and some of them will be available for new homes soon. New owners have to remember they are for life, not just for Christmas! Although at times you do want to put them down after they piss oil all over the garage floor, chew chains and can be reluctant to go for walkies. They have been known to run away uncontrollably from the handler, roll over and get covered in mud.