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Cleaning Silver Engine / Fins

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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 08:52 AM
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Default Cleaning Silver Engine / Fins

Good A.M.!

I've got a Super Glide here with that silver engine powdercoat finish. It's getting a wee bit grimey, and I'm doing some cosmetic upgrades so I'd like it to look super sweet.

So, I'd like to know: How the F do I get this clean? I've tried a few methods with normal cleaners that don't even touch it. I've read some things on this forums that don't quite add up - one person using this product successfully, and then someone else usin the same product unsuccessfully, etc. Has anyone done this themselves? Keep in mind I'd like to do EVERYTHING - in between fins, transfer case, etc.

Also - the fins themselves have the bare metal edging on them that we're all familiar with - which looks amazing when it's NOT all corroded up and grimey looking. Any tips for shining those things up new?

I know Harley sells a bunch of cleaning products. Anyone have any success with them? I f*cking hate the idea of going to the dealer downtown and giving those c^nts my money, but if it'll do the job best, I'm prepared to do that.

Thanks everyone!!

P.S.

Has anyone ever painted an engine? I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to simply skip everything above and black this engine out... but i'd like to do it right: remove it and do it completely top to bottom. How enormous of a job is this?
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 10:36 AM
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I had the silver engine, now its black, painted with duplicolor supertherm paint, I HATED the look of the silver engine besides it was a PITA to clean it.

Painted the engine at 6000 miles, now with 31k and holding just fine.


 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 10:39 AM
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what the...!! HOW THE...!!!! Did you do this with the block in the bike?

So let me get this straight... you taped off each and every goddamn bolt and everything that WASN'T silver? How f'n long did that take?

Man - it looks absolutely perfect. Wish I could see this in perfect to get a closer look. Got any more detailed / close up pics you can post?
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by damager1
what the...!! HOW THE...!!!! Did you do this with the block in the bike?

So let me get this straight... you taped off each and every goddamn bolt and everything that WASN'T silver? How f'n long did that take?

Man - it looks absolutely perfect. Wish I could see this in perfect to get a closer look. Got any more detailed / close up pics you can post?
Yep, I did it when I bought the bike back in 2014, I even left the gas tank on, only removed the air filter, then tapped every single bolt and protected the frame, tank and any other thing with newspaper, then sprayed the engine with the paint, looking at it closely you can't tell that it was a silver engine, I even tried to paint under the frame , I did miss some small spots but meh, you can't see them unless you lift the bike up.






This was the day I bought it

The rest is just part of the process, I had pics with everything taped but can't find any right now.







 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 10:50 AM
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Good Lord!!!! Nice work .....................
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 10:57 AM
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Yeah that's mind boggling. I see the fin edges are half done - did you paint them, and then grind the paint off the edges afterwards?

Jesus I feel like it would be actually easier AND quicker to pull the engine and then paint from there.
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by damager1
Yeah that's mind boggling. I see the fin edges are half done - did you paint them, and then grind the paint off the edges afterwards?

Jesus I feel like it would be actually easier AND quicker to pull the engine and then paint from there.
Probably it would be easier, but not for me at that moment, it isn't that hard once you get at it, I think I took 2-3 days from start to finish.

The cylinder/head fins were done with a cloth and dissolvent, as long as you don't heat up the engine the paint doesn't harden and removes quite easily with any disolvent.
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Lambda
Probably it would be easier, but not for me at that moment, it isn't that hard once you get at it, I think I took 2-3 days from start to finish.

The cylinder/head fins were done with a cloth and dissolvent, as long as you don't heat up the engine the paint doesn't harden and removes quite easily with any disolvent.
Wow. Amazing. So, when you're done with the paint, you basically start 'er up and when you do, the engine heat will cure the paint?
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 11:15 AM
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Originally Posted by damager1
Wow. Amazing. So, when you're done with the paint, you basically start 'er up and when you do, the engine heat will cure the paint?
Yep, it gets hard as hell, I usually clean the bike with a high pressure water hose and I never had a small chip anywhere.
 
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Old Aug 15, 2017 | 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Lambda
Yep, it gets hard as hell, I usually clean the bike with a high pressure water hose and I never had a small chip anywhere.
Jesus. Now I'm torn. 3 days of taping hell, or clean my bike the way it is... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

So did you scuff the silver coating up first? Or clean it? Surely you had to get that thing perfectly clean before a paint job like this...
 
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