GSX1400 Owners .org

Technically Speaking => Cleaning & Polishing => Topic started by: archno1 on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 12:52 AM

Title: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: archno1 on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 12:52 AM
Hi

Please could anyone advise me on the best way to clean these and what are the best products to use?

Thanks a lot
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: seth on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 01:02 AM
black powder coating on the engine casings and a rub down and harmmerite smoothrite paint black or silver on the fork legs

:onya:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: archno1 on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 01:25 AM
Thanks Seth. I guess the powder coating would need to be done by a professional and wouldn't be cheap?
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: froudy on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 02:29 AM
Powder coating the cases is about £10 each and well worth it..Seth got mine sorted for me :onya:

The fork lowers I painted myself. They were as bad as yours.
I used Nitromors paint stripper to remove what was left of the lacquer and paint. Then steel wool to get the surface smooth. A few coats of etch primer and then 4 coats of silver paint from a rattle can. They came up like new.

Before..
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi914.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac350%2FRoadwarrior_01%2FGSX1400%2FThe%2520Big%2520Strip%2FWP_20161217_12_29_50_Pro_zpsphnhnvoa.jpg&hash=665d1afb4f534e35edd6aa00d3bf636788cbd93d) (http://s914.photobucket.com/user/Roadwarrior_01/media/GSX1400/The%20Big%20Strip/WP_20161217_12_29_50_Pro_zpsphnhnvoa.jpg.html)

Primed..
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi914.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac350%2FRoadwarrior_01%2FGSX1400%2FThe%2520Big%2520Strip%2FWP_20161217_13_26_04_Pro_zpsli7gqkpf.jpg&hash=6ea77c1c690702bfa5cc1f18b886d12d17aa9296) (http://s914.photobucket.com/user/Roadwarrior_01/media/GSX1400/The%20Big%20Strip/WP_20161217_13_26_04_Pro_zpsli7gqkpf.jpg.html)

Finished..
(https://gsx1400owners.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi914.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fac350%2FRoadwarrior_01%2FGSX1400%2FThe%2520Big%2520Rebuild%2FDay%25203%2520%25204_zpscy2g92hl.jpg&hash=5b5253225e52fb418de482ca81fd21dc504dc93a) (http://s914.photobucket.com/user/Roadwarrior_01/media/GSX1400/The%20Big%20Rebuild/Day%203%20%204_zpscy2g92hl.jpg.html)

If you have the forks powder coated they will have to be stripped completely..That's why I opted to paint them.




Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: coldhands on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 02:30 AM
If you have the time ,then you could do what I did ,rub off the lacquer with a fine wet an dry(use plenty of water) and then polish up with the good old solvo auotosol,it takes a fair bit of work  ,but you can end up with quite a good result  :onya:
The only drawback doing it this way is that you have to polish now and again   ;)Which is ok if you enjoy cleaning your bike.
If you use your bike a lot I would say seths method would be better much more hard wearing and less maintenace.
Have just seen froudys forks and they look great so there's another option!!
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: seth on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 03:24 AM
Quote from: archno1 on Sunday, 19 March  2017, 01:25 AM
Thanks Seth. I guess the powder coating would need to be done by a professional and wouldn't be cheap?

as froudy says £10 a casing from my local guy he sent me his casings cost him £20+ postage
you'll also need 2 gaskets for when refitting.

if you want to send then happy to do same for you.
but if you have a local good quality powdercoater even better .

:boogie:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: lawrie on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 04:49 AM
I had some quite bad as well, much too corroded to polish etc. so I blasted them, heavily primed, rubbed down, then 2-pack matt-silver, don't look too bad methinks!
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: Del on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 06:15 AM
I have the advantage of being able to spray all my parts

Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: seth on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 06:16 AM
nice job del  :onya:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: Podfather on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 07:50 AM
If you are painting them black do you do them gloss or satin finish?
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: froudy on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 09:28 AM
Quote from: lawrie on Sunday, 19 March  2017, 04:49 AM
I had some quite bad as well, much too corroded to polish etc. so I blasted them, heavily primed, rubbed down, then 2-pack matt-silver, don't look too bad methinks!

@lawrie

Sure it's been mentioned on here before, but please remember to fit your two fork spindle pinch bolts :grin:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: Mick_J on Sunday, 19 March 2017, 06:40 PM
That's a job I need to do sometime this year, although they don't look as bad as any of the ones shown here.  I will have to look into what's the best solution for me.
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: Bigger Birdie on Monday, 20 March 2017, 12:20 PM
Great to see what can be done with a bit of paint. I've been wondering what to do with Bertha's scabby forks for a while now, and I think the solution has been found.
:)
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: lawrie on Monday, 20 March 2017, 05:25 PM
Quote from: froudy on Sunday, 19 March  2017, 09:28 AM
Quote from: lawrie on Sunday, 19 March  2017, 04:49 AM
I had some quite bad as well, much too corroded to polish etc. so I blasted them, heavily primed, rubbed down, then 2-pack matt-silver, don't look too bad methinks!

@lawrie

Sure it's been mentioned on here before, but please remember to fit your two fork spindle pinch bolts :grin:

Ha ha, well spotted that man, BUT, if you look closely, you'll see there's no engine or brake-lines fitted either,
all was temporarily in place simply to have a rolling chassis. :onya:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: archno1 on Monday, 20 March 2017, 06:57 PM
Thanks for all the advice fella's, much appreciated.  :grin:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: VladTepes on Monday, 20 March 2017, 11:26 PM
Quote from: lawrie on Monday, 20 March  2017, 05:25 PM
Ha ha, well spotted that man, BUT, if you look closely, you'll see there's no engine or brake-lines fitted either,

:rofl2:  Increased performance? Just add lightness.
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: northern on Wednesday, 22 March 2017, 04:51 AM
bling add at least 2.7 kW  :boogie:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: gsxbarmy on Wednesday, 22 March 2017, 08:30 AM
 :smitten:
Title: Re: Cleaning lower forks and engine casing
Post by: Andrew Fisher on Thursday, 18 May 2017, 05:50 AM
I have just bought another GSX and a previous owner has painted them black ......badly. It looks hellish. On my last GSX I buffed off the lacquer with fine steel wool and autosol then emery cloth to a fine polish. Auto sol again after that then just leave it. Every now and then you need to give the forks a wipe when you are cleaning but that's it. And your not fucking the bike up for the next owner.