I'm taking out my engine to put new jug gasket's and would like to repaint it any advise on making it hold up? I just want to make it look like it did before.

Thanks

 

I wouldn't "paint" the cyllinders as in the traditional sense. I'd try to find some type of baked on finish. I painted by cylinders once on my shovel and it held up a good a little bit but now its all come off. It looked shiity until it finally all did come off. Maybe theres some type of insiders trick or technique someone knows that makes it more permanent. I've heard of baking your painted parts in your oven. Don't know if thats true or an urban legend.

 

By far the best looking finish for your cylinders and heads is to heat the parts and apply wrinkle paint, but if you are not going to disassemble your whole engine, cases and all, I would recommend Harley texture paint. It looks like factory, and you do not have to heat the parts to get it to wrinkle.

 

OK, I really dont know, but I'll tell you what I was considering(if it will work).. I was going to have my jugs and heads media blasted and powder coated when the time comes around. Then I planned to find someone to dimond cut the fins.. I cant think of why the powder coat wouldnt work, but others here might.. Its a way's off for me, so I havent done much research into it.. No time like the present though..

 

If you are repainting to a natural finish, not black, HD has a sprayon paint that makes the jugs and other natural finish parts look brand new. I repainted the jugs on my Evo when I rebuilt the top end last year and they still look like new. It's a little exspensive but cheeper that powder coat or some of the other finishes. I can get you the PN when I get home (at work right now). Seems like it was $10.00 or $11.00 a can, but I think it was worth it.

 

Taking the engine apart and powdercoating the the parts is the best way. The factory powdercoats them and I've yet to see the powdercoat come off the way the old wrinkle paint does.

 

MP,

not wanting to sound like I'm doubting you but are you sure the factory powdercoats their motors? I don't think powdercoating gives off the wrinkle finish. I remember reading an article by Donny Peterson about powdercoating motor parts. He cautioned against it because he said that the powdercoat finish will liquify at the temperatures experienced by our beloved air cooled motors (and apparently he has seen this happen). Given this information, I would certainly be doing more research into melting point temperatures before I applied any powdercoat finish to any motor part.

Cheers.

 

The best way to deal with the "wrinkle paint in a can" is to apply it then use you OL's hair drier to evenly heat the part(s). Do it when she's at work.

 

Wouldnd you be better off to preheat it and return it to the oven for drying?

 

Oh yes, I re-read your post.........you are tearing down the parts.

BUT..............How are you going to get the smell out of the oven before your OL gets home? LOL