Triumphrat

Canucks_Fan · 05-04-2008

My aluminum isn't scratched, but the laquer or whatever they use to coat the engine with is starting to look like crap (from riding through scrub) and it's starting to like like I put the bike down. Does anyone know what they use at the factory to coat the engine with? Or if not what the factory uses, has anyone else come up with an alternative solution?

McBike · 05-04-2008

Back in the day we used a product called semichrome (excuse the spelling) on aluminum. I had my cases on my TR6 looking so good that people thought that they were chromed. A lot of work though.

Mike

Leeroy · 05-04-2008

My guess is they use a high heat clear paint. I've used it on valve covers I've brush polished to hold the finish, and retard oxidation, several paint manufacturers make it.

BlueThrux · 05-04-2008

It might be a good time to get the Chrome ones

Personally I like the stock brushed look. You may be able to have them wet sanded and then re-cleared useing a high temp clear.

JCMoTo · 05-04-2008

Polishing paste and stuff do very little for Alum with coatings or clear laq.
It may even be a clear anodized piece.
A couple of choices to make it nice again.
A bit of work intensive and can cost a few dollars.
Have the coating polished out and have it recoated or anodized
Have the piece dipped/stripped (lye bath) and have it anodized clear.

With a polishing wheel you can do much of the stripping/polishing yourself.

If the piece is clear aluminum there is a product called "Bom's Away"
Workd very nicely.

JC

mjshaul · 05-04-2008

My brushed aluminum engine covers were scratched up pretty good (lacquer messed up, etc.) after a low-speed spill on a dirt/gravel road. I removed the lacquer using paint stripper (used gel kind and just brushed it on carefully, protecting surrounding parts of bike with tape), then wet sanded with 300, then 400, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000. Then spread some Blue Magic polish on it with my finger, used a firm cloth buffer on my hand drill, then again with a soft cotton buffer on hand drill, and the thing looks GREAT -- kind of makes other parts look shabby in comparison. There are some other posts on this board that helped me do the above -- lots of elbow grease, but I was really pleased with result.
I did all this with the engine covers still on the bike -- saves a lot of work and doable if you go carefully.

CAPTDON · 05-04-2008

All of which take a lot of elbo grease to put it mildly!! @ least it isnt the normal metal corrosion!! Must not be close to salt air?? Thats a PIA!!

Canucks_Fan · 05-05-2008

Lightly sanded and sprayed on some VHT HI-Temp clear paint. Looks like a pretty close match to the factory stuff. I took it out for about an hour today, so it got nice and hot- no discoloration from the paint at all.

http://www.powersportsuperstore.com/...534&click=8322

10 minutes labor and $9.59 total cost = much better looking engine case.