rating, raving and a question too.

[red devils dude]

Well I spent all day sunday working on pulling the head never did get it off,
found out I cant get a 7/8 box end on the drivers side head nuts
But I was thinking about have my wheels powder coated when I check the tubes and replace the
axle seals, so any thoughts advice.

 

[Monster Man]

there is a special head bolt removal tool, and I wish now I got it when I saw it on eBay. Ran $25.

Should be simple enough to make, if I'm not mistaken it's like a crow's foot, you just take a wrench and heat and bend it into a U shape?

Powder coating would be sweet, bulletproof, and super easy on maintenance. But, expensive. If you're going single I might think about it.

 

[Monster Man]

ah yes, here's the tool I was referring to:


http://saturnsurplus.com/m35/headboltwrench.jpg

 

[red devils dude]

I just ordered one.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Powder coating is dirt cheap if there is a job shop nearby. Better yet, look around the phone book for an E-coat job shop. If you blast your wheels, then spray a little oil on them to keep them from rusting, you can usually get them done for about .25/lb. That gets a zinc phosphate coating, and a cathodic epoxy e-coat. This is the best corrosion inhibiting coating you can get, good for over 1000 hrs salt spray. Of course it will probably be semi gloss black, but you would want to topcoat with a good enamel anyway. Epoxies have tremendous corrosion resistance, but UV rays eat them up fairly guickly.

I can get wheels done for $10 each, which I consider quite reasonable.

At Yamaha, we e-coated, then put on a modified polyester powdercoat on the 4 wheelers and golf cart frames. Our test panels were cut with a big "X" all the way to the metal, then went in a salt spray cabinet. I had some panels go over 4000 hrs before the rust crept 2 mm. Waaaay beyond MilSpec, which is only 336 hrs.

 

[Loose Deuce]

How do you break the head bolts loose with that tool? Whats the torque on the head bolts? Do you just break them with something else and use that tool to unscrew them easier?

 

[red devils dude]

the tool is a 1/2inch drive you just use a socket wrench to turn it.

 

[Monster Man]

I can get wheels done for $10 each, which I consider quite reasonable.




[/quote]
no kidding? :freaked: Man, I've been getting the wrong quotes or something. I remember I got quoted about $200 to do four 15" wheels and a small (t-bucket) frame with just four tubes. Went with Krylon instead

 

[rdixiemiller]

I have a lot of contacts in the painting business. I can get a lot of parts done almost free, just drop them off and pick them up. Of course, it works both ways. I have sent many a motorcycle helmet down my line in the past.

 

[SixBuy]

RDM,
Interesting info on painting! I've had excellent results on steel exposed to the weather by cleaning real good and applying 3-M Metal Treat, which I believe is basically phosphoric acid dilute. Primer is optional . A topcoat of plain old X-O Rust enamel has survived almost 20 years of outdoor exposure! Of course, that is in the shade. Probably UV exposure would shorten the life. I've suspected the changes in paint solvents and bases have left paint more vulnerable to the elements. Any thoughts?

 

[rdixiemiller]

The reason you are getting good life from your paint is the pre-treat you used. The phosphatizing liquids are great for reducing corrosion, and really help paint adhesion.
Solvent changes don't affect paint life in any way. Taking out the chromium that used to be in paints (lead, years ago) did reduce the paints inhibiting ability a good deal. Modern developments in resin technologies have pretty much made up for that.
A good rust removal process, followed by a good phosphatizing (Ospho, Metal Prep) a good 2K primer (I am partial to PPG) and a good 2K or alkyd enamel topcoat is hard to beat. All the major players in the paint business have excellent products.
Military colors also help. The greens are good for UV, the high solids/pigment concentrations help prevent resin oxidation. Properly done, you should get 10 good years on an MV paint job.
I am partial to the old semi gloss Army and Marine Corps colors. The flat 383 green shows limb scrapes. They all look good, except I am not partial to the desert tans. Give me green any day!