Can powdercoat withstand being used inside a motor?

Specifically, on a clutch pressure plate. Will a high temp powdercoat withstand being used on a pressure plate inside a bike motor in an oil bath? It would be masked to insure that no moving parts can chip or abrade the finish.

My understanding is powder coating in general is good for up to 400 to 450 degrees
There are some powders made to withstand higher temps, but they are specialty powders
Here is one of the best powder companies - http://www.nicindustries.com/
If you are looking for experts on performance and coatings, this is the place - http://www.swaintech.com/
Good luck

My gut feeling: there's nothing painted inside an engine thus powdercoating shouldn't be there either.

[image: View Post]FotoMoto, on 01 March 2010 - 10:49 AM, said:

My gut feeling: there's nothing painted inside an engine thus powdercoating shouldn't be there either.

Yeah, my gut's also telling me no, but the cheap bastard in me doesn't want to pay for anodize. Champagne taste & a beer wallet... :rolleyes:

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 10:14 AM, said:

but the cheap bastard in me doesn't want to pay for anodize...

You might not want to contact Swain then :biggrin:

People paint the valley of car engines all of the time for improved oil return flow. I'm sure with the right stuff, it will be fine.

[image: View Post]wera803, on 01 March 2010 - 11:36 AM, said:

People paint the valley of car engines all of the time for improved oil return flow. I'm sure with the right stuff, it will be fine.

Now that's encouraging... not sure what you're talking about, but it sounds encouraging! :goofy:

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 08:54 AM, said:

[image: View Post]wera803, on 01 March 2010 - 11:36 AM, said:

People paint the valley of car engines all of the time for improved oil return flow. I'm sure with the right stuff, it will be fine.

Now that's encouraging... not sure what you're talking about, but it sounds encouraging! :goofy:

Pics:

http://images.google...=wi&safe=active

http://earchitect.50megs.com/corvette/images/engine/Dscf0003.jpg

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 10:54 AM, said:

[image: View Post]wera803, on 01 March 2010 - 11:36 AM, said:

People paint the valley of car engines all of the time for improved oil return flow. I'm sure with the right stuff, it will be fine.

Now that's encouraging... not sure what you're talking about, but it sounds encouraging! :goofy:

Since the valley is the area between the heads on a V-type engine, I would think these get hotter and see much more oilflow than your clutch will, I would think you'd be okay.

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by masking it?

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on 01 March 2010 - 09:02 AM, said:

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by masking it?

Probably the areas where the spring holes are.

[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 01 March 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on 01 March 2010 - 09:02 AM, said:

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by masking it?

Probably the areas where the spring holes are.

Yes. And any other part that may have made contact with another part during use.

From the other thread, mystery solved thanks to Rob and Dutch!!

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 11:59 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Veefer800Canuck, on 01 March 2010 - 11:43 AM, said:

For coating the clutch pressure plate, I think that using a proven internal engine coating would be safest.

If you could use the same sort of dry film lubricant they use on piston skirts, but only on the outside of the pressure plate (not the business side of course), then you'd never have to worry about it dissolving or flaking off into the engine oil.

And your pressure plate would look a purdy black colour.

http://www.performan...gn_coatings.htm

http://www.caswellpl...line/ie.html#ie

http://www.techlinec....com/Engine.htm


Or maybe ask these guys: http://www.glyptal.com/

Apparently some engine builders use their product to paint the inside of the lifter valley.

[image: View Post]dutchinterceptor, on 01 March 2010 - 11:46 AM, said:

I don't know anything about it but you might do a little research on Glyptal. Eastwood sells it.

Quote

Recommended by many high performance engine rebuilding books, Glyptal seals the tiny pores left in metal after bead blasting and leaves the engine block interiors smooth. Helps keep the oil clean and flowing freely. Acid and oil resistant. Used on generator and alternator armatures, Glyptal has great electrical insulating properties, too!

Nice! Thanks guys!! The Eastwood stuff is red too, BONUS!!! :biggrin:

http://www.eastwood.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p423.jpg

Now to try and find some for as little $$ as possible... I'll check with some engine builders and see if they can spare me a few ounces. Otherwise, I'm going w/ the spray bomb. :wheel:

Seb:

Check out TechLine Coatings. They make all kinds of speciality coatings for the inside of engines including piston domes, etc.

I spraying my headers with their CilGen paint. It's an air dry ceramic paint.

Also check out the people that make POR15 and POR30.

Pete

My gut tells me no. The problem I have is the part in question has been soaking up oil for the past decade or so which makes it difficult to apply paint or powder and have it stick. Factor in a part that spins at high rpm, heats up,and goes through some degree of flexing, my brain says not worth the pay off.

[image: View Post]Kel, on 01 March 2010 - 12:59 PM, said:

My gut tells me no. The problem I have is the part in question has been soaking up oil for the past decade or so which makes it difficult to apply paint or powder and have it stick. Factor in a part that spins at high rpm, heats up,and goes through some degree of flexing, my brain says not worth the pay off.

You can bake the part in your oven to cook the oil and gases out of it, then bead blast or polish. I'm going to try and find someone that will share some of that Glyptol paint with me; looks ideal and the right color too.

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 12:07 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Kel, on 01 March 2010 - 12:59 PM, said:

My gut tells me no. The problem I have is the part in question has been soaking up oil for the past decade or so which makes it difficult to apply paint or powder and have it stick. Factor in a part that spins at high rpm, heats up,and goes through some degree of flexing, my brain says not worth the pay off.

You can bake the part in your oven to cook the oil and gases out of it, then bead blast or polish. I'm going to try and find someone that will share some of that Glyptol paint with me; looks ideal and the right color too.


Cool. I've toyed with the idea for my F. I,ll be watching.

[image: View Post]Kel, on 01 March 2010 - 01:12 PM, said:

Cool. I've toyed with the idea for my F. I,ll be watching.

I've got a spare VF750F cover I'll do next. :fing02:

Problem with the VF motor is the clutch is pretty plain with no spring holes to look at. Might not see much spinning effect?

You will be adding a significant amount of material to an alright tight tolerance if you plan on using it on the face of the pressure plate. It might just make it so the clutch would never fully disengage. What is your purpose for this madness?

I'm going with a definite NO on powdercoating anything internal to an engine. I've powdercoated all sorts of things over the years and it's not nearly as tough as most people assume it to be. Industrial 2-part epoxy paints would hold up better, but definitely read the fine print as oil will even break down some of those paints over time.

Good luck :fing02:

[image: View Post]hondalover, on 01 March 2010 - 01:27 PM, said:

You will be adding a significant amount of material to an alright tight tolerance if you plan on using it on the face of the pressure plate. It might just make it so the clutch would never fully disengage. What is your purpose for this madness?

http://www.vfrdiscus...o-add-a-window/

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/SEBSPEED2003/Projects/2-28-2010016.jpg

[image: View Post]Kel, on 01 March 2010 - 01:21 PM, said:

Problem with the VF motor is the clutch is pretty plain with no spring holes to look at. Might not see much spinning effect?

It's a bling thing... :rolleyes:

You're right about the VF clutch though... the red Glyptal paint would make it stand out a bit.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/SEBSPEED2003/750F%20resto/3-2-09040.jpg

[image: View Post]wera803, on 01 March 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

People paint the valley of car engines all of the time for improved oil return flow. I'm sure with the right stuff, it will be fine.

Car blocks are usually cast iron or high nickel iron. As many of have learned the hard way, paint doesn't like to stick to aluminum without a coating underneath.

I think for longevity and peace of mind, I'd go with anodizing.

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 01 March 2010 - 11:34 AM, said:

[image: View Post]hondalover, on 01 March 2010 - 01:27 PM, said:

You will be adding a significant amount of material to an alright tight tolerance if you plan on using it on the face of the pressure plate. It might just make it so the clutch would never fully disengage. What is your purpose for this madness?

http://www.vfrdiscus...o-add-a-window/

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/SEBSPEED2003/Projects/2-28-2010016.jpg
Yep, shoulda read the other thread before typing. This leather tastes like sh!t. Good luck!

From the other thread:

[image: View Post]shrek, on 01 March 2010 - 06:56 PM, said:

Seb, mu clutch cover has been in use for more than three years under pretty tough conditions with no problems with the Lexan window. There are hundreds of these in constant use on TL1000s' for the last 10 years and I've never heard of one fail. Also, lots of guys on the TL board used to powder coat their pressure plates before Vandriver began making custom billet ones, and again I've never heard of a problem that arose from that; so anecdotally I would say that you've got no problem.

At rest, the oil level sits well below the level of both the pressure plate and the window, and in motion, the spinning of the pressure plate keeps it clean. I can't think of any time where I've seen oil on my pressure plate except when adding oil to the cases after an oil change. Powder coat it and forget it.

Finally, when you start up, sometimes you'll see some condensation on the window that will dry up after the bike warms to temperature. This is completely normal. None of these components have much stress on them so any gloom and doom predictions are unjustified in my opinion. Good on you for doing something different.

What if you had the pressure plate made from Billet?

[image: View Post]Tightwad, on 07 March 2010 - 07:47 PM, said:

What if you had the pressure plate made from Billet?

Then I'd be happier w/ the end result, but much lighter in the wallet... :3:

I think the wife would spaz if I tried to bake engine parts in the oven. :laugh:

I think you should paint a spiral on it. It'll be hypnotic. :goofy:

[image: View Post]VFR4Lee, on 07 March 2010 - 04:38 PM, said:

I think the wife would spaz if I tried to bake engine parts in the oven. :laugh:

They get really pissed when you bake cannons in the oven...

I know a guy who makes a bunch of parts for ultra-lite aircraft. He anodizes his AL bits using coffee in his bathtub. I'll see if I can dig up his email addy, be might be able to help you seb :)