When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Dyna Glide ModelsSuper Glide, Super Glide Sport, Super Glide Custom, Dyna Glide Convertible, Super Glide T-Sport, Dyna Glide Police, Dyna Switchback, Low Rider, Street Bob, Fat Bob and Wide Glide.
I painted mine with really good results, it was a 2007 FXDC with the silver/grey engine with cromed parts, the contrast really sucked, so i took a pair of high temp paint, tapped everything REALLY well and sprayed the hell out of it.
It holds really good as the engine temp cures the paint somehow, on some zones the paint wears off specially when cleaning the bike with high pressure water but i keep a spare paint can to touch up those parts, been like this for 2 years already.
Before and after.
WOW. What a massive improvement. Beautiful job man! How long did it take you? I'm sure the prep work like taping off and sealing and cleaning took forever?
Yeah I don't know who at Harley thought the grey powdercoat on the engine would be cool, but you said it best: the contrast sucks. Which is exactly my problem with it. Which is why I'm going to change it. I just don't like looking at it, and I LOVE looking at the rest of the bike.
From what I understand, Harley has a textured (which means wrinkle i imagine) black high temp engine paint. It's spray can I guess, and I've been reading up on here... most guys can do it with two cans of it at like $26 a piece. Which is highway robbery for spray paint, but if I'm gunna do this, I'm gunna do it right.
So a couple questions:
~ did you tape off the fins? or did you just scrap off the paint after the job on each fin?
~ how much cleaning / scraping did you do beforehand to the gray powdercoat? Did you scratch up the powdercoat so it would accept the paint better? I understand alot of folks to do that.
~ how many coats?
~ what paint did you use exactly?
~ I'm assuming you had to remove the pipes? Anything else removed other than air filter and horn?
People come in all time and get the paint. They clam they spray it over the powdercoating. If you want to do it the right way go down to Harley and order the black heads and black crank case and black trans case and swap it all over.
Yeah kinna like this idea. Then clean up and hawk the gray ones on fleBay to help offset the RAPING i'll get down there. In fact I may price that out today and see what I can get em for. That would actually save me a bit of work too on the engine painting, not to mention I'm sure the finish will be a LOT sturdier. Particularly on those pieces (primary, crank, tranny covers) that get the most wear and tear as they are the most protruding.
The other question is will they match the black of the Harley high temp wrinkle paint?
Etching mag wheel cleaner? to take care of what? the initial cleaning?
Somebody mentioned their silver castings were cruddy and hard to clean.
I'm assuming the natural finish is bare aluminum castings. An acidic etching wheel cleaner will keep them dull silver without the white powdery corrosion.
Somebody mentioned their silver castings were cruddy and hard to clean.
I'm assuming the natural finish is bare aluminum castings. An acidic etching wheel cleaner will keep them dull silver without the white powdery corrosion.
(disregard if they are clear anodized or coated)
Awesome! Thanks for the info dude! Are you talking about the fins I mentioned? that's really the part that has some light white corrosion going on it. If you are, I'll try this out for sure. Although, now that I think about it, my mags are starting to get a bit cruddy as well. F it, i'll try it!
It's pretty nasty stuff. It will dull polished aluminum and burn your hands, but I haven't had any issues with coated metals. Haven't tried it with chrome, but chromium is pretty resistant to the acids (nitric, sulfuric, and hydochloric/muriatic) we use here at work, so I would GUESS it would be OK.... I'd suggest doing a test on a hidden area before you commit.
WOW. What a massive improvement. Beautiful job man! How long did it take you? I'm sure the prep work like taping off and sealing and cleaning took forever?
Yeah I don't know who at Harley thought the grey powdercoat on the engine would be cool, but you said it best: the contrast sucks. Which is exactly my problem with it. Which is why I'm going to change it. I just don't like looking at it, and I LOVE looking at the rest of the bike.
From what I understand, Harley has a textured (which means wrinkle i imagine) black high temp engine paint. It's spray can I guess, and I've been reading up on here... most guys can do it with two cans of it at like $26 a piece. Which is highway robbery for spray paint, but if I'm gunna do this, I'm gunna do it right.
So a couple questions:
~ did you tape off the fins? or did you just scrap off the paint after the job on each fin?
~ how much cleaning / scraping did you do beforehand to the gray powdercoat? Did you scratch up the powdercoat so it would accept the paint better? I understand alot of folks to do that.
~ how many coats?
~ what paint did you use exactly?
~ I'm assuming you had to remove the pipes? Anything else removed other than air filter and horn?
again, nice job!
Answering your questions.
1.- Nope, i didn't tape the fins, I painted the engine, then when the paint was dry with a cloth and dissolvent i took care of each film, that process took me almost 2 days.
2.- I went to a gas station and with a high pressure water gun i cleaned all the engine reaaaaally well, specially on areas where some oils drips or leaks, i had a small leak between the engine and the trans so that zone was well cleaned up. I didn't scrap anything since actually the textured finish is awesome for the paint to stick.
3.- One coat, two on some zones
4.- Duplicolor supertherm, the best black, heat resistant paint I ever used.
5.- I did not remove the pipes, just the air cleaner
6.- Taping everything took me a day, i even taped the bolts
Just about to begin my project, and I had a zany idea - I was thinking that while i'm in there, I'll make the Primary, cam, and both transmission covers a DENIM or flat black, and keep the engine the wrinkle finish. So I began doing research, and lots of folks are telling me that the denim finishes tend to scar and mark very easily. Although I could've sworn that powdercoated finishes have a little more durability than that.
Is this true guys? is the flat or matte finishes more subject to marks and scraps than say wrinkle? Cuz if that's the case, i'm going to just go with the all wrinkle black.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
In fact I may price that out today and see what I can get em for. That would actually save me a bit of work too on the engine painting, not to mention I'm sure the finish will be a LOT sturdier. Particularly on those pieces (primary, crank, tranny covers) that get the most wear and tear as they are the most protruding. 
