Mister T Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Ok guys. This winter I plan on making my bike more show worthy.I would like to take my block, cylinders and head to be chromed. Right now things are polished but.....in our climate it just doesnt last well and chrome is the way to go . Will I run into problem doing this? Any concerns with the nikasil in the cylinders? If my chromer is unable to do these, any leads on guys in Canada or the US that will be capable of doing this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Ok guys. This winter I plan on making my bike more show worthy.I would like to take my block, cylinders and head to be chromed. Right now things are polished but.....in our climate it just doesnt last well and chrome is the way to go . Will I run into problem doing this? Any concerns with the nikasil in the cylinders? If my chromer is unable to do these, any leads on guys in Canada or the US that will be capable of doing this? I would not chrome your cases, cylinders, or head as it will make it more difficult for them to disperse heat. You could repolish them and seal them with Zoop's seal, but the sealer might also interfere with heat transfer. The best thing would be to PC them black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4MiLLDraGSheE Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 i wouldn't chrome that stuff, mrblingmotorsports.com ftw! give him a call, if you absolutly need chromes or else you wont be able to live theres also a sponsor here that does that but i wouldnt recomend it for the stuff your looking to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFH87 Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Mr bling ftw turned my cool head that looked like scrap into a show piece... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister T Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Powder-coating could be a possibility if I can find a powder-coat that is very close to a "chrome" finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Herbie- Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 There are several varieties of of chrome powder that look real good when fresh. After it wears a little it looks dull though. I powder coat all my own parts & have done the chromes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbooker82 Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Why not polish them and have them clear powder coated right away. The clear coat should seal them to keep the aluminum from oxidizing and turning dull gray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister T Posted August 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Sounds like powdercoating is the way to go ! Gives me a reason to buy the equipment and do it myself lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camatv Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 the "chrome powder will looklike somewhat polished alluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanYE west Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 i'm going to have my head chromed. Even a clear coat powder will eventually haze and cloud up and youd have to blast the old powder off and repolish the cylinders.. your better off leaving them bare where you can at least touch them up or re polish as needed without blasting. Chrome is not a insulator. Chromium is a metal and has conductive properties. It will dissipate heat. Powder however is a insulator and will hold in heat. So if your worried about heat.. Be more worried about powder then chrome. I've PC'd cylinders and heads in the past and had no problems. I think the process with chrome plating may conflict with Nikasil plating though.. so that may not be a option for some cylinders as both processes require a acid bath. http://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories I wouldn't let heat detour anyone from having engine components chromed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WINDYCITYJOHN400 Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 i'm going to have my head chromed. Even a clear coat powder will eventually haze and cloud up and youd have to blast the old powder off and repolish the cylinders.. your better off leaving them bare where you can at least touch them up or re polish as needed without blasting. Chrome is not a insulator. Chromium is a metal and has conductive properties. It will dissipate heat. Powder however is a insulator and will hold in heat. So if your worried about heat.. Be more worried about powder then chrome. I've PC'd cylinders and heads in the past and had no problems. I think the process with chrome plating may conflict with Nikasil plating though.. so that may not be a option for some cylinders as both processes require a acid bath. http://cgi.ebay.com/...sQ5fAccessories I wouldn't let heat detour anyone from having engine components chromed. You can do what I did and have your stuff "Clear Ceramic coated" You won't even know it's on there. It dosen't get yellow or go hazy. After Damian (sheefreak) polished all my stuff, I got it all Ceramic coated......For the motor pieces it worked great. You can clean the motor to a show finish with just a few squirts of glass cleaner.....but for the stuff that gets blasted by sand (My axle, hubs, brake calipers, etc.) it didn't last long. But I would do it again on the motor for sure. I did the cases, cylinders, head, clutch side cover, stator cover, carbs, gas cap, silencers, even my fullbore grill is looking good and it's in the front! But the stuff that's low and in the wash of sand from the tires......well...that's back to a raw look. You can coat your motor parts with any finish you want and it won't cause a heat issue. Our motors are LIQUID COOLED. What you do to the outside of the motor will not effect the cooling of the water, because that is done in the radiator. I don't think you can do the head and cylinder in chrome, but it's only because I don't think they can chrome it without messing up the O-ring/Gasket surfaces. But I'll say this....If you have a Nikasil lined cylinder....if you EVER send it to be redone, it will come back looking raw and new. So there is something to be said for leaving it as is. Here is a tip....I Ceramic Coated my "Spark'y" Spark arrestors and my silencer perforated tubes. Now my sparky's never clog, and I clean them with just a shot of brake cleaner. I don't even have to take them off the bike! Just a shot of cleaner in the tailpipe, and they are free flowing and shiny new looking. Plus, with the silencer tubes coated (I did the aluminum tubes and the perforated centers and we coated them inside and out) Now my silencers don't "Hold heat, or back heat into my motor" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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