Air cooled engine - repaint or not?

[m312]

Hi,

This is an area I am very unfamiliar with. I have noticed the rocker covers black paint gradually deteriorating over the last year or two, and have been planning to get them chromed. I can manage that - remove them, send them off, get them back and replace using new chromed bolts. Easy.

http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/541/l1fo.jpg

Now though, the engine cooling fins are losing their paint covering, mostly at the front where the rain and wind do most of the blatting, and I am now becoming displeased with their appearance.

http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/28/9ydx.jpg

The area where the clutch and gearbox meet the drive shaft is also becoming tatty in places

http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/855/13g0.jpg

My questions are, assuming I can remove the engine with help, is it a big expensive job to have these repainted, and also am I being too nitpicky?

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[Tango]

Get the old paint off with a wire brush and put some new stuff on there........heatproof paint obviously.....can't remember the stuff I used on the barrels of my old Bonneville....but it came up a treat.......

Finish is only as good as the preparation mate.....so take time to get all the loose stuff off and clean it well with white spirit or the like before applying the high temp paint........

[eastanglianbiker]

its always worth doing as long as its done right

[m312]

I assumed that to do the job properly, all the old paint, good and bad, would have to be blasted off, meaning engine out strip down etc.

I think you're saying that I just have to remove the loose and flaking paint, and then paint straight over what's left?

I probably appear thick, but I'm just inexperienced......

[eastanglianbiker]

you will need to remove all flaky paint and all paint that has lifted and bubbled there aer companies out there that can seal up all the holes and then blast the engine that makes them look really nice then it is ready to paint

[Tango]

Nah.....not thick mate......we all asked the same questions at some time or other.......or learnt the hard way..... no point reinventing the wheel.......so ask away.......

[dieffe]

I used rotary wire brushes and lots of engine cleaner and degreaser on my FZR engine. I then painted it with aluminium engine paint and Halford's metallic black engine paint (which comes out a metallic grey).

A lot of work but worth it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/dieffe123/FZR%201000/29092011127a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/dieffe123/FZR%201000/29092011129a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/dieffe123/FZR%201000/17102011163a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v161/dieffe123/FZR%201000/z22102011181.jpg