Engine cleaning and painting/powdercoating

[zedrob]

Hi Guy's

I would like to get my crankcases, barrels and cylinder head cleaned and either painted or powder coated.

Can you recommend anyone in Central Scotland or even NW England ?

Thanks in advance

Robert...

[000zeds]

Steve Smethurst in Salford

http://www.aloh.co.uk/


He did a great job on 2 engines for me

[zedrob]

Thanks 000zeds

I don't think he offers a painting or powder coating service.
Might have a word with him regarding the cleaning, it's £280 for a ceramic clean which although would be top notch, it could be a bit OTT for something
that is going to get painted or powder coated.

Cheers

[z1bman]

it would be criminal to paint the engine after you have had it ceramic cleaned by smethurst. vapor blasting is a much cheaper process if you are going to paint it. powder coating retains heat so could cause problems if its a tuned motor i would do the painting yourself & use wurth high temperature Matt black which dries to a satin Finnish & is the only paint i ever use on air cooled engines

[Chris Riv]

Deffo don't put paint on a ceramic clean. There is nothing for the paint to hold onto, it will fall off in no time. I know, I have been there......

[000zeds]

http://www.aloh.co.uk/


He does vapour cleaning also and it costs less

[Richard Q]

This is after Steve Smethurst did my engine, and bear in mind that it had been painted black before he got hold of it.

Awesome job.



Why would you want to paint it?

Richard

[zedrob]

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice and tips, have contacted Steve Smethurst and will be taking the parts to him on my next visit down South.

There is a possible fly in the ointment in that it had been previously blasted and powder coated, I have had the powder coat chemically stripped, which has revealed that the alloy surface may be too rough/imperfect to get the best results from vapour blasting, which is why I was considering a paint finish !

Talking about paint finishes, Camcoat in Warrington came highly recommended by Steve Smethurst. Anyone on here have any experience good or bad with their work ?

[VinnyE]

I know this is an old-ish post, but is it better to have cleaning of cases done and then have the engine sent off for building or the other way round?
Love the ceramic cleaning results!

[harri183]

You can do both now. If the engine doesn't need stripping they can pressure seal it and then clean it whole. If it needs taking down strip it first into bits send the parts of for cleaning then rebuild it.

[VinnyE]

Thanks for the reply Harri183.
Good to know both options are available.

[chrisu]

And if you do get it vapour blasted in parts be totally OCD with cleaning it before reassembly