1983 gs1100ED Blackout Engine paint

[posplayr]

I just bought one of these beasts and am in the process of doing an apperance upgrade. I have ordered the Por-15 paints as a base but plan on top coating with something as close as i can get to the stock sheen.

This is my bike ; the pict6ure looks like a irtyy flat back but in fact it has a semi-gloss shine to it. I'm not sure how much of it is original. :?

http://www.posplayr.100megsfree3.com/gs750/jims_1983_gs1100E.jpg

Using this bike as a reference the sheen on the motor is pretty shinney but not a full glossy paint job.

http://www.ronh.org/suz1100e_83_hr.htm

It looks good in a sorta semigloss. \\/

Anybody been through this an make a recommendation for a paint brand and part number? [-o<

TIA

Posplayr

 

[Steve]

When I painted my wife's 850L, I used Dupli-Color Engine Enamel. It is a nice shiny black that lasts a long time, in spite of minimal prep, in my case.

This is when it was newly painted, before it ever made it out of the garage.

Here it is, outside, in daylight.

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[posplayr]

Nice, that is what I'm doing; a cleanup and I'm split on whether to try and remove the tired old engine just to get some paint on it.

DE1613ENGINE ENAMEL WITH CERAMIC GLOSS BLACK $4.99





So I'm assuming you are using the glossy stuff? It must be the engine finish casting that is giving the appearance of a less than full gloss finish. I cant really tell on your wifes engine.

So how did you do the Fins? Mask the off?, repaint in silver? , Grind the paint off?

TIA

Posplayr

 

[Guest]

I used the duplicolor gloss black with ceramic, and duplicolor engine primer. Everything was scrubbed clean and properly prepped. All parts were also baked in an oven (just ask my wife). I hope it holds up well!

 

[posplayr]

Beautiful

Beautiful

That looks like you really went the extra mile on that one. I hope it holds up for you. I'm not looking to disassemble the engine at this point but I think I will use the high heat primer as you did. I have never used primer on a car engine but I guess the materials are better now than when I was knuckle busting on my 64 Chevelle SS in high school.

I'm still looking for the technique to leave the fin edges in silver. I experimented with sanding last night on a single side cover. It seemed to work but would need a clear coat.

Posplayr

 

[Guest]

I'm still looking for the technique to leave the fin edges in silver. I experimented with sanding last night on a single side cover. It seemed to work but would need a clear coat.

Posplayr

I would mask it off. If you go to an autobody paint supply house, they have different widths of tape, all the way down to slivers.
I would think that sanding or filing the edges of the fins might cause some cracking or flaking of the black paint. But, maybe not.

 

[n1elkyfan]

It would probably look better if you sanded on the edges with 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper

 

[79-GS550-L]

You guys have some beautiful paint jobs. I've stripped my engine down completely and I'm in the prep stage, looking to do the same thing. Have any of you noticed any raise in temperature? Especially with the primer and paint combo. I worry about using some of these engine paints on air-cooled engines. Especially the ceramic hi-temp ones, as they often seem to intentionally insulate for lower under-hood temperatures and higher exhaust gas velocity (painted on pipes).

I don't have a temp gauge on mine, so I don't think I would notice any heat problems until it was too late :shock:

 

[lecroy]

I'm in the same boat right now with a project. I was looking at having the parts powder coated but I don't like the 400F cure temps on these parts. So going back to chemical paint.

I have the cases fully tore down. Put them in the bath tub (just ask my wife) and scrubbed them with a tooth brush and dish soap. This cut most layers. Then hit them with some oven cleaner which got me another few layers. I had to take some 200 paper on a stick to get the rust off them. They look pretty good now. Plan to take them to the body shop and use some etching zinc primer on them and some crazy custom paint to match the rest of the bike. Keeping fingers crossed that they hold up to the tools, chemicals, heat, .......

 

[Steve]

So I'm assuming you are using the glossy stuff? ...
So how did you do the Fins? Mask the off?, repaint in silver? , Grind the paint off?

Yep, used the same glossy paint, DE1613.

The fins? After the paint was dry, I used a flat file. If I were to do it again, I would use either a file or sander on the fins first, then paint, then do the edges again.

Most of the fins had sharp edges from the casting, and it was a bit of work to get them to look good. I think I would rather do the heavy filing first, then clean the filings and paint. Touching up the edges should be easier with the edges already flat.


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[79-GS550-L]

I'm in the same boat right now with a project. I was looking at having the parts powder coated but I don't like the 400F cure temps on these parts. So going back to chemical paint.

I have the cases fully tore down. Put them in the bath tub (just ask my wife) and scrubbed them with a tooth brush and dish soap. This cut most layers. Then hit them with some oven cleaner which got me another few layers. I had to take some 200 paper on a stick to get the rust off them. They look pretty good now. Plan to take them to the body shop and use some etching zinc primer on them and some crazy custom paint to match the rest of the bike. Keeping fingers crossed that they hold up to the tools, chemicals, heat, .......

Haha that's EXACTLY what I did. My wife didn't like it much either. Rub some Gojo hand cleaner into the tub, that'll get it looking pretty clean again.

Haven't tried oven cleaner yet, but I tried almost every other chemical on the planet. Gasket remover works pretty well, as long as you let it sit for a bit then scrub it. Lectromotive (electrical contact cleaner) works pretty well on the road grime. I like to spray it on and then use a 3m pad or some 800 grit paper.

 

[Guest]

I worry about using some of these engine paints on air-cooled engines. Especially the ceramic hi-temp ones, as they often seem to intentionally insulate for lower under-hood temperatures and higher exhaust gas velocity (painted on pipes).

I don't have a temp gauge on mine, so I don't think I would notice any heat problems until it was too late :shock:

There have been debates on whether the black paint causes more heat. I think the consensus was that it does not add heat, but instead runs cooler. I know my black 1150 engine has no problems with overheating, but it does have an oil cooler on it, as will the engine I painted. This new engine will also have a temp guage, so maybe I can compare it to my stock 1000 once it's running. But then again, the black engine is modified, which means it will normally run a little hotter than a stock one.

Time will tell.....

I sell temp gauges for the bikes that don't have them if you're interested.

 

[posplayr]

Steve

Steve

So you would:
a.) cleanup the edges with a flat file (or other means)
b.) paint glossy black
c.) surface removal of the paint
d.) Clear coat the bare aluminum edges??

I used a hand sanding block and some 250 to put edges on one of cam covers( after heating the cover on a halogen shop light; temp?? but pretty hot), worked well but I would be concerned with the condition of fins as they need to have a pretty squate and straight line for the sanding/filing to work.

I do like the idea of doing to rough metal work before the painting though.

Posplayr

 

[Steve]

So you would:
a.) cleanup the edges with a flat file (or other means) Yup. A coarse file works quicker, then use a finer file to leave a brushed finish.
a+) clean all the junk off the engine. I used spray engine degreaser, brake cleaner, and brass-bristled scrub brushes
b.) paint glossy black after removing or masking what you don't want painted. I had carbs and pipes installed, so maksed them off. Cam end covers, stator, starter, shifter, 'points' and clutch covers were removed because they were already polished.
c.) surface removal of the paint - just the edges of the head fins, not the cylinder fins.
d.) Clear coat the bare aluminum edges?? No, I did not bother with clear coat. There is no shine to the edges of the fins, so I did not think it would matter. It hasn't.

Now for some white letters to fool the counter.
8-[

 

[posplayr]

Steve Machined fins confirmed.

Steve Machined fins confirmed.

I just checked after the last post and see that the blacked out motor (1983 GS1100E) upper fins are machined as opposed to the lower fins. I compared the upper fins on my 1981GS750EX and they are sharp like the lower ins. So the factory probably painted the cylinders and then did the quick machine work to create the flat aluminum surface. A little spray of clear would stop any corrosin but probably a little wax would do the same.

Posplayr

 

[79-GS550-L]

wait, why can't the cylinder fin edges be unpainted too? Is it just because they are not squared-off? Neither my cylinder block fins nor head fins are squared off, I was thinking of squaring them myself with a file or sanding block.

 

[posplayr]

Edges

Edges

I think that the machined fin edges just give a cleaner line for the contrasting blackout and aluminum. It would be much harder to get a clean line with an untrimmed fin.

 

[79-GS550-L]

I think that the machined fin edges just give a cleaner line for the contrasting blackout and aluminum. It would be much harder to get a clean line with an untrimmed fin.

Ah, ok. Then I'll just have to be really careful when I "machine" it all myself (by hand). I was even thinking of doing some of the little nubby fins on the crankcase. I think I will start with the fins on the bottom of the crankcase, around the oil pan. Those will be practically invisible when on the bike, so if they end up looking awful I'll just put a bit more black on them and leave it at that.


Another question, a little less on-topic, does anyone know whether the etching engine primer/engine paints can be used over body filler? I have some road rash on the alternator cover, and was thinking of using high temp body filler (lab-metal, pyro putty etc).

 

[Guest]

Suzuki probably had some fancy machine to grind the sides of the fins.

 

[posplayr]

Por-15

Por-15

This high heat kit with two part expoxy filler works on exhaust so the filler will most certainly handle the engine covers temp (good for 2000 degF). The filler is compatable with all Por products at least. I'm going to redo my exhaust pipes in the factory manifold color as a slight contrast to the glossy engine blackout.

http://www.por15.com/prodinfo.asp?grp=MRK&dept=11

In the catalog you get from them it looks great. I'm doing the sandblasting tommorow and will coat with the Por 15 with Por 20/filler on order.

Posplayr