Clear Coat for Valve Covers

[sign216]

Is a clear coat paint/enamel an option to keep polished valve covers from corroding?

Or will the heat turn the treatment yellow?

Are there better options to keep the aluminum from getting the white decay?

Joe

[oldbike54]

 ACF 50 .

 Dusty

[LowRyter]

I had a Yamaha that had a factory clear coat on the engine.  Really don't know why.  It started to chip off.  I used Semichrome to strip it off until I just got tired and said screw it.

[sign216]

ACF 50 .

 Dusty

Dusty,
ACF 50 was on my short list, but I'm fearful it wouldn't last because it's not as permanent as a clear enamel. 

I polished them last year, and waxed them well w a chrome paste wax.  I'm disappointed that the protection didn't last.
Joe

[Dave Swanson]

5 minutes twice a year with your favorite aluminum polishing compound will keep them looking new.



My current fav is Autosol, but I also like Simichrome.

[sign216]

Dave,
Maybe Ill. is a better environment than Massachusetts.  I find that if it's unprotected, the white corrosion kicks in and light polish is no longer enough.  You got to go back to a full re-do.

So I'm looking for some protection.

Joe

[oldbike54]

ACF 50 .

 Dusty

[Bulldog9]

Is a clear coat paint/enamel an option to keep polished valve covers from corroding?

Or will the heat turn the treatment yellow?

Are there better options to keep the aluminum from getting the white decay?

Joe

I've used Pj1 17-clr clear coat and Dupicolor Engine Clear coat on several projects. I've used the Duplicolor on some aluminum engine bits on some car projects (intake manifold, alternator brackets, etc. Seemed to hold up well.

Back in the 90's I buffed and polished the valve cover, carb tops and bowls, and the lower case covers and clutch cover, and topped with the PJ1 clear and painted the cases and cyls/heads with silver case paint.  Here is how they looked circa 2002, and 2013. No issues with chipping, peeling or yellowing. I gave 3 coats and also used their cleaner before painting, some type of denatured alcohol.

But if all you're talking about is your valve covers, and on a Guzzi they're so easy to get to, you might as well just give them a coat of polish once or twice a year.

[kingoffleece]

ACF-50.  Wipe some on every now and again for the 30 seconds it takes.

[Dave Swanson]

Dave,
Maybe Ill. is a better environment than Massachusetts.  I find that if it's unprotected, the white corrosion kicks in and light polish is no longer enough.  You got to go back to a full re-do.

So I'm looking for some protection.

Joe

Joe,  remind me never to buy a used bike from Massachusetts!   

[LowRyter]

I use Mother's Aluminum polish.  You can find it anywhere.

[amamet]

2nd for autosol. That’s stuff Is great. I have a ton of polished parts on my ducati 750gt. Belgum-Alu is also my go too metal polish. Keeps Everything nice and shiny for the season if not longer

[Bert Remington]

Labor-saving technology is color-match or -contrast Cerakote https://www.cerakote.com/shop/cerakote-coating?temp=cera_500

On the other hand, while I have the 1800 degree V-172 on my Norge exhaust pipes, riding in the rain darkened the front curve.  Still much better than the original look.

[Ncdan]

Dremal tool, pad and jewelry rouge.

[fotoguzzi]

I want to coat these shovels once and done, was planing on clear coat paint, good or bad idea?

[Scout63]

+1 on ACF-50. Just re-did my Norton covers today. Took about a minute. Also +1 on MA bikes. Steer clear if not stored inside.

[Dirk_S]

After cleaning the rusting exhaust on my Suzuki TU250x, I sprayed it with Rustoleum High Temp clear, and it seemed to stay on...so maaaaaaybe that?

[sign216]

All,
It looks like a hi-temp or engine clear coat should work.  If it can take engine/exhaust temps, then the valve covers won't be problem.

Re Acf-50, I know it's quick and easy, and only twice a year, but with everything around the house I've got death by a thousand paper cuts.  So for this, I like the one-and-done answer of a clear coat.

Re the shovels, I painted some rusty shovels and similar outdoor tools w a clear water-based polyurethane.  I didn't remove the rust, just put the clear poly over it.  Looks great, and it's been 1 or 2 years w no problems.  However, these get only light usage. 

Joe

[Guzzistajohn]

5 minutes twice a year with your favorite aluminum polishing compound will keep them looking new.



My current fav is Autosol, but I also like Simichrome.


[

/quote]

#1 on the autosol!

[malik]

It might be a bit too soon, Joe, but have you managed that clear coat yet? Which one? Does the surface need to be keyed for the clear coat somehow?

I can get a mirror finish on my rocker covers - takes about a day each cover -





But it doesn't last very long long. After about 9 months or so, (some 20,000km, 13,000 miles), it's back to where it was -







In spite of the ACF50 & an occasional touch up. I suspect being parked in the open, often under a cover, but by no means always, doesn't help preserve the shine. Acceptable, I'd say, for only 2 to 3 months.

It would be good to have the mirror finish last longer. But I suppose I could get hold of another set, polish them up, and rotate the polished ones in every tappet check.

I am cleaning up the covers from a 2002 Nevada. Same, but without the ribbing. Looks like there is a fine black coating over the aluminium, though hard to tell with the accumulated oil & grime. Corrosion still got through to the metal, but then this was a machine that wasn't really cared for all that well in its previous life.

[ampm7]

I sprayed my valve covers on my Ambo in nitrocellulose, then in catalyzed urethane and both turned yellow after heat cycles. So, basically I just use full strength white vinegar and let set; then wipe off, and then use your favorite metal polish and a wax-or as I use Protectall. Now, you must first take the valve covers to a chrome shop and have them buffed unless you have a buffer machine at home to get them up to snuff to begin with. Then they are easy to maintain in a "near chrome" fashion.

[sign216]

I just started polishing them today.  Started w 220 grit, which was a little rough, but that was the finest grade for my mouse sander.
Tomorrow I'll do 300, 400, 500, maybe 600, and that'll be it.  All by hand.

Malik
I'm not spending a day on each one.  I'm just going to get them okay looking, and then use some hi-temp clear coat.

Hopefully that'll last a couple of seasons, like the factory finish did.

Joe

[bigbikerrick]

I just started polishing them today.  Started w 220 grit, which was a little rough, but that was the finest grade for my mouse sander.
Tomorrow I'll do 300, 400, 500, maybe 600, and that'll be it.  All by hand.

Malik
I'm not spending a day on each one.  I'm just going to get them okay looking, and then use some hi-temp clear coat.

Hopefully that'll last a couple of seasons, like the factory finish did.

Joe

At this point, Joe, you might as well sand them with 1000, then 1500,  2000, and polish. Its a slippery slope!
Rick.

[sign216]

Rick,
You are a crazy man.  They'll be lucky to get 600 grit and touch of Mother's polish. 

Maybe after I retire....

[malik]

I started with 240 grit, but I've the impression that this is a bit too harsh, then 360, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200. & 2000. 3000 didn't seem to make much difference, but by then I just wasn't so keen. Bright sunlight showed up some scratches, probably still from the 240, so I resorted to the buffing wheels on the bench grinder - 3 wheels & 3 compounds. Finished off with Mothers Metal Polish and then Mothers Billet. Came up well. I'll try for some decent photos later today. A lot of work, but probably the time would have been more productively spent getting at the clutch - I'll get there eventually. Promises, promises.

[boatdetective]

You're running into several problems. If you want a coating to stick to aluminum, you need to acid etch it and then apply a "conversion coat"- basically a zinc oxide wash with a yellow tint. Without this prep, there's always a chance that you will get "filiform corrosion" that grows beneath the clear coat. This is basically why I would support any of the basic oxygen barrier solutions.