The Cal-look Lounge

After glass beading.
I have some older but good cases on the shelf that are not very nice on the outside. I have glass beaded cases before, but I have never  found the "super solution" to preserve the surface afterwards, so that it stays reasonably nice at least for a year or two. I dont like painting them for several reasons, heat being one of them.
But what else to do?

Let me hear ya!!

Torben

my only idea is Cosmoline, the same goldish stuff the factory used to preserve cast parts.

Torben, i use Valvoline wax spray-cans, the stuff you use to preserve youre sheet metal on the inside of
your car. You simply wash it off with thinner and the case is brand new again. (WD40 evaporates and the
oxidation starts again). My 2 cts.

I have found a cheap way of stopping the oxidation of magnesiumcases that is easy to wash away. The swedish company Biltema sells a linseed based corossion spray that makes the case dark and unsensative to oxidation. It washes away in my 90degree parts cleaner.  You spry it on, wait for a day and wipe the case down with a dry cloth. I have about 50 cases that have been standing around for 5 years with no corrosion.

never tried before, but for work, we use CRC's Softseal to prevent downhole tools from corrosion.

dunno how it works in mg cases.

Dow No. 7 (MIL-M-3171A TypeIV) for magnesium.
Alodine 1201 (MIL-C-5541) for aluminum.
Both are chemical conversion coatings which can be applied by spray bottle and neutralized by cold water rinse.
Hope this helps. Aloha

Try this: http://www.sharkhide.com/mpinfo.html

Haven't tried it myself, but I asked and they said it gives good results.

TxT

OK.
Thank you all.
There are a couple of solutions to try out.
(I will have to check what can be bought locally.) The Biltema solution could turn out to be the easy way out.
T

Hi Torben,

You glass bead your cases?? I've always thought it was a bad idea even with a through cleaning afterwards.
So... am I just old fashioned, or have I been wrong all this time?
Thoughts please ;D

Thanks!
  DR

 

A couple years ago tony from wolfsburg west sent his stock 36 HP case out and had it recoated with some kind of gold colored plateing, Like original. Sorry I cant remember the name of the process. But it came out bitchen.

Aircraft Spruce sells Mag treatment in a kit form.  Regarding glass beading a case, did it once. Cold tanked the case first, plugged all the oil galleys
and an hour in an industrial ultrasonic tank after glass beading. Got lucky, but I don't think I'd do it again.

P.S. the process Danny is referring to is called "chrome pickle", if I'm not mistaken  :D

Not always. But around here the weather is pretty harsh on the cases. And sometimes I get a case or two, that holds specs, but are very attacked by surface erosion. Then I get them glass beaded. But I do prefer "just" to steam clean them. Dry ice cleaning is also very good, but the guys I know that do that dont ride the same day they saddle, and it is relatively expensive.
T

Got it!

Thanks for the reply. I must admit, I've used a few "ugly" cases that were otherwise good.
Additionally, I've never painted a case.

~DR.

I'd be really concerned with the "critical surfaces" such as the case parting line and oil pump bore when using abrasive media.  You could bolt it together to do the blasting I suppose?

I recall a local shop back in the 70's that started glass beading their rebuilt motors. They looked fantastic but as I recall most of them suffered bearing failures from the left over glass beads. If we're voting I vote bad idea! wayne

X2 on Bead blasting a case - bad idea = bearing failure!

The machine shop I use has a Hot water (scalding hot) parts washer. Cleans everything spotless.

I concur, I used machines like that for decades. But finish wise, cases come out as they went in...by design.

Returning a case to original finish is a different story, here's a 71 case I used an aluminum cleaner on...mistake!

I tried using a soda blaster...better, but still not original. Next I'll try the Mag treatment kit that Aircraft Spruce

sells, after that it's chrome pickle($$$).

Nice Chandelier! ^^^

Joe Ruiz knows how to do it, but won't tell :)

Is this chrome pickling?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=587241


(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/2000133.jpg)

If it is, it's one step past what I'd call normal.  It's pretty, but as a child I don't recall my fathers new 55 oval having a gold engine block. Or his 59 bus or his 65 beetle either.  Of course, as usual I may be mistaken.

 I think these guys can help...www.techplate.com/