EXUPDEL Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 Can someone talk to me about engine crankcases. I am dicking about with a CBR600 steelie atm. It came with a couple of engines. One in the frame that had a broken engine mount and another where the casting around the front sprocket was all smashed up. I have picked up an engine for it for £25 cases all good no broken castings. It needs a clutch from one of the other engines dropping in it and also the water pump. I perfectly happy doing a top end refurbishment. I strip the cylinder head from the engine and get it water blasted to get rid of all the corrosion and then rebuild lapping the valves and fitting new stem seals. My question is what are peoples experiences and advice regarding re-painting or coating the engine cases. In a bid to save costs Honda didn't paint or lacquer the engine cases or the cylinder head choosing to paint the clutch cover, generator cover and the cam chain cover only as these are the only bits visible when the fairing is on. after 25 or so years the casings are in a right state. So as I see it I have a few options. Strip all the bits I can without splitting the cases, Send them off for water blasting and then leaving as is or possibly rattle canning them with high temp engine paint. Wire brush the unsplit cases cases with a pistol drill to get rid of as much of the corrosion as possible and then either leaving it as is or also rattle canning the outside of the cases. Another option is to split the cases strip the engine completely and get all the castings water blasted, then either rattle can the external faces of all the parts or leave them as is. Final option is to split the cases strip the engine get them blasted and then get a cerakote applied. Has anyone done this and got a rough cost for this? So If I split the cases can I just rebuild it back together using the original seals and bearings? Is it good practise to replace the seals? Will I need to fit new main bearing shells? or is it best not to split the cases at all, If it aint broke..... If I send all the parts for Cerakote will I need to do all the masking? what do I mask with? similarly is powder coating an option? Anything Else I need to consider? Please set aside any consideration for costs / value of the bike. yes it only cost me 500 quid, but unfortunately I was brought up being told if a jobs worth doing its worth doing right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLRS Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 What do you want from the bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EXUPDEL Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 5 hours ago, TLRS said: What do you want from the bike? In all honesty the experience. Inspired by years of buying Practical Sportsbike in the last couple of years I have rebuilt a VFR, A firestorm and now the CBR. Each time getting more adventurous with what I am tackling. Both the CBR and the Firestorm have had a top end rebuilds instigated by needing to take the heads off to drill out sheared exhaust studs. I will use the CBR as an everyday bike. It irritates me that the cases are not painted and look a right state after a winter. I can get the cases water blasted to clean them up and have bought an old frame tent to use as a temporary spray booth. Its to cold atm to do any spraying but I am worried that if I spray the parts myself that after a couple of years use they will look rough again and I will be wishing I had got them coated professionally in the first place. I have seen a couple of rebuilds that have had Cerakote used on the cases and it looks spot on. I rebuilt the CBR last autumn and have ridden it a fair bit this winter, Mainly to see what it was like. I have been through a steep learning curve in setting up the carbs. But on the whole its a great little bike. So I am considering stripping it and doing a full resto on it, Plating all the fixings and parts, getting the frame and swing arm powder coated etc etc. painting / coating the cases would just be part of that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLRS Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 Can’t really figure out your top priority.. But I think if you want to put effort into the engine, you want it reliable. Meaning it’s best all done to a high standard as little things can screw everything up. Downside is that for it to do right, you need experience. Which comes from effing things up..? You could figure out something in between. Like a cover that you treat and test for a while, then go from there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkati Posted January 25, 2021 Report Share Posted January 25, 2021 As a cheepo way of keeping an engine reasonably smart I opted for a couple of tech 21 high temp rattle cans. Cleaned, for example, the clutch cover as best as possible and then over a couple of weeks added 5 layers of paint. Each time I bunged it into the oven & baked it a bit. Now it's not a beautiful finish but compared to the 30+year old peeled lacquer finish it looks damn good and more to the point after a couple of years commuting it still looks good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr V. Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 When Moto Rapido had my 998 lump apart, they had the cases vapour blasted and coated and they look a magnificent still but in fairness it doesn't get used in shitty conditions any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbolt Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 @toosmooth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.