I have the bike stripped down with the rocker boxes and pushrod tubes sent off for powder coating. I don't really want to remove the cylinders and wondering if anyone has painted just the silver edges of their cylinders. If so, how and what did you use?

Wonder if this and a model paint brush would work. Tedious, but ....

 

Tedious? Very, I had heads and cyls on the bench. Results were so so. Didn't last, constant touch ups made it look like crap. I know preparation is everything, did my best. Others have had no problems...up to you....feel lucky?

I recommend buffing up the silver edges then applying S100 Engine Brightener to the black sections. Really brings up the contrast.

Jim

 

What paint did you use?

 

Can't remember. It was on my previous bike. Some kind of high temp header paint

 

I saw a youtube guy spray the cylinders with a high temp wrinkle black (more forgiving appearance wise) and came out real nice. Touching up just the edges will come out a bit ghetto especially over time.
To clean up rusty fins, a super fine sand paper is best, then keep the anti corrosion s100 applied on the regular.

 

A high temp ceramic coating that is professionally applied is about the only product that will stand up to the abuse. Engine heat cycles are going to trash any type paint that you apply.

 

Get the wrinkle spray paint from harley. I have a buddy that has painted entire engines in frame with good results. Wire wheel off loose paint and clean several times.

 

First I did the edges, started to look like crap, then spray painted entire Cyls. Paint started to lift off in finger nail sized patches after one season. If you paint your Cyls its like painting a wood deck. You have to keep repainting every year or two. Plus when you do, it's not like you can completely remove the previous coat. Go ahead roll the dice, it sounds like you want to do it, just waiting for enough guys to say it's great.

Get them done right. Powder coated then done.

 

Powdercoating won't hold up under all the intense heat cycles the cylinders will experience. Proper ceramic coating is the only thing that will.

 

Thanks