SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Refinishing question
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1431089951

Message started by jman on 05/08/15 at 05:59:11

Title: Refinishing question
Post by jman on 05/08/15 at 05:59:11

I want to refinish my wife's 95 Savage.

What is the best thing to do with the aluminum crankcase/cylinder if I want to take it from it's current corroded (formerly) polished aluminum to gloss black?

What if I want to get the polished aluminum look back?

Help would be appreciated.

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 05/08/15 at 06:22:25

Polished look - break out the 400/600/800/1000 wet sand paper and get to work.

For the gloss black look I would recommend powder coating. It's durable and cost effective. But for the items you are looking to have black (crankcase & cylinder) you'll need to disassemble the bike and the engine. You can try engine paint, which will yield a good immediate result, but over time as it wears and chips you'll start to hate it.

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by jman on 05/08/15 at 06:26:27

I understand polishing would probably be easier and cheaper, but my question is how to polish in between the cooling fins so they look as good as the rest of the engine?

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 05/08/15 at 07:06:51

I have no direct experience with polishing between the fins...it seems like a nightmare. But if someone put a gun to my head and forced me to do it, I'd use a Dremel tool.

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by Dave on 05/08/15 at 07:13:19

All of the cylinders were originally painted, along with the cylinder head and center cases....silver or black. None of them have ever been just plain aluminum.

So.....clean it up as best you can, and paint it silver or black.

The outer cases (clutch and magneto) are somewhat polished with a shiny brushed finish and then clear coated at the factory- the clear coat doesn't seem to be very durable and it allows water to get beneath the clear and corrode the aluminum. Strip the clear coat and the outer cases (wheel hubs, fork yokes, etc. ) can be cleaned up nicely. I have been trying a lot of polishes to see which one is the most durable against corrosion - so far the Griot's Garage polish provides the best protection.....although I don't know why as it doesn't claim to provide protection. (I have an old pulley hub I polished up and leave setting outside in the driveway.....and the Griot's has kept the hub looking better longer than any other products I have tried).

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/heavy-duty+metal+polish.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by verslagen1 on 05/08/15 at 07:27:47

4A4D414E200 wrote:

I understand polishing would probably be easier and cheaper, but my question is how to polish in between the cooling fins so they look as good as the rest of the engine?

would be a labor of love... you know how painful that can be.

I'd just get it sand blasted, and spend a little time removing the flashing with a grinder.

Title: Re: Refinishing question
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 05/08/15 at 07:39:11

Palm orbital with the 3m scrubby pads cutto size. Spray bottle of water. Keep it damp. Pads clog.
Fold the pads over a paint paddle, berween fins.
Just the shiny parts will wear you out, unless the fins Re horrid, youll walk away.