can i paint my engine?

[mdwohleber56]

hey wanted to paint my ytm225dx engine was wonderung wat type of paint is best and if i can paint the cylinder heads too

[TheRealFatShady]

Yes you can. There are high-heat paints, some are called engine paints, some are barbecue or grill paints, or even exhaust paints.

If you want to go all out, you can strip the engine down to the cases and bead-blast but that means LOTS of labor. You will need to clean and prep for paint if you want it to stick. If you blast it, you can't get ANY blasting media in the engine. Maybe use crushed walnut shells instead of sand or glass beads? Or just sandpaper/aircraft stripper/whatever anyone else on here recommends.

[tri again]

what's 'soda blasting' all about?
Supposed to be real safe for delicate stuff.

Is it baking soda?
I think 'pawn stars' had that rick's restorations guy use it for something.

Any way paint can interfere in heat dissipation?

I've been known to make things worse by trying to make them better.

[TheRealFatShady]

I've heard that the heat can cause problems with paint, but others have said that these engines don't get hot enough.

If you have some crazy big bore, racing set up engine, use it for 6 hours straight or more in the desert at 110*, then maybe. But I wouldn't think that just basic 4 stroke engines would have a problem.

I'm getting my cylinder and head/cover powder coated, then I'll touch up the bottom end with paint for my 350x.

Soda - I've head that it's a slow but safe process. I think it is baking soda.

[Texaskev]

Soda blasting is baking soda. It will work very well on the engine. Seal up the exhaust and intake VERY well, and it will go pretty quickly. You do need a decent blasting pot though. It will brighten up cast aluminum nicely, and provide enough bite for the paint. Pics when you are done!

[mdwohleber56]

im going to paint the engine, handle bar, intake boot, rear diff, and rear brake caseing gold exhaust foot pegs, the rear arms and some other odds and ends this sweet metalic blue. the frame and front forks yellow and the plastics flat black

[clvantress]

Can't wait to see......

[mdwohleber56]

can someone explain this soda blasting to me in more detail please?

[Jerm1179]

http://www.sodablasting.com

[RubberSalt]

my girlfriends dad said he used to soda blast back in the day. He was telling me how you can adjust the pressure and take off just a layer of paint, instead of everything. He said he's removed paint from canvas at times, and small planes other times.

It sounds promising, but he also explained that the machine cost $$$$ back then, 20 years ago.
My dad painted my klt200 engine for me 1 day, he didn't wash it or anything, just sprayed the paint on. The paint still looks good today. It freaked me out at rattle snake last year, in waynoka. The paint started burning off, finally started pushing it hard. I rode it for a few months prior to that, i thought i was riding it hard.. nope, not till the dunes. Yeah it took my klt200 to the dunes, had knobbies and you really had to downshift to get up them, it climbed decently though :)

[mdwohleber56]

thats awsome im out here in eastern PA so mostly we have farm land or woods to ride in best things tho are the pipe lines great already made jumps. i cleaned it up nice already with just a brush looks like its starting to rust so im going to use a rust stop/preventive paint on it ill just have to layer it real thin. this is all for my 2nd trike tho i need to invest about $400 worth of parts into it its amazing how all the lil things add up. most important thing i need is the cross joint for the drive shaft people want 2 arms and a leg for it

[nyyamaha225]

What exactly do you mean by cross joint for the drive shaft? I have a bunch of parts for a 225DX, but not sure if i have one of those?

[mdwohleber56]

i have a thread that has pictures up of it. go to my profile and look at started theads titled cross joint