The Project begins

6

69ST

Well-Known Member
Hey Dean,

It's amazing how many tools are needed for any vehicle, not just race cars! I was thinking along the lines of flywheel-related stuff: puller & replacement key. Your description brought to mind images of buggered keyways and potential for a spun flywheel, not quite a run-of-the-mill malady. As you probably know already, the key locates the flywheel; the nut & tapered fit retain it. The once-loose flywheel & overtightened intake bolts are the classic scars of a teenage mechanic or three. Personally, I'd helicoil the intake bolt hole. In this size (m6) it's that rare combination of cheap & clean.

Besides..you'll probably want to spend much of your between-race time tweaking your race car, won't you;)
 
clubford00

clubford00

Member
Well i did buy the Engine from a teenager, lol Sorry Guy just kidding. And the racecar is already to go before i get to the track. If it wasnt i couldnt win . Barring any at the track problems all i need to do is change tires set the brakes and add very very expensive fuel ;) . Dean
 
clubford00

clubford00

Member
Heck, I used a Standox 2 part paint, hardner paint and reducer. applied 5 coats of color and then 4 coats of clear. Im sorry i cant remember the exact color code # . if i remember i will post it.
 
B

bajabob

New Member
Nice bike Dean, Can you or anyone here give tips or a place to get info on the HPLV process. I have messed around with it but my results have been less than desirable (fisheyes in the finished product). Your stuff turned out sweet and I heard it is not the complicated but I have still managed to screw it up. Did you use a spray booth ?? What type of filtration did you use ??
thanks.... hope to start our project bike this next week...
bb
 
H

hecklerkoch

Member
I think contamination of the painting surface is usually what causes fish eyes isn't it? I have only used an hvlp gun a few times to paint my jet ski. I found the metallic clear coats harder to spray than normal paint.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
I made the switch to HVLP some years ago and haven't looked back. The old suction-feed guns waste a lot of material (a consideration at $300-650 per gallon), generate unacceptable amounts of overspray and don't atomize well enough for small bike parts and catalyzed paints. Even the cheapest gravity feed, HVLP, guns are a huge improvment.

Fisheyes result from surface contaminants. These can be oil and or water. Small compressors generate a lot of heat and, once a compressor gets hot, moisture becomes a major problem. Anything less than an 80 gallon tank is going to cycle frequently and run hot.

The better clearcoats are very thick and can take 45 minutes to tack. Spraying is a challenge as optimal flowout occurs just shy of the point where sags occur. With currently available paint formulations, there will always be a certain amount of orange peel, even if you invest in an $800 Sata gun. Even with perfect application, a CT70 is uniquely difficult to paint well. Simply moving the frame into the wrong position can cause paint runs, in specific spots, 30 minutes after the clear has been applied:eek:

Thorough surface prep, including multiple solvent cleanings and decent air filtration are crucial, even more so than particulates. Even the best paint booths have small bits of crap floating around in the air; those can be dealt with. With quality paint systems, anti-fisheye additives are offered by the manufacturer. That adds to the cost, but then paint doesn't come cheap anymore.

The most difficult aspect of a candy paint job is getting the candy midcoat right. The stuff is thinner than water and each color has it's own unique properties with some colors being a lot harder to handle than others. Blue is one of the most forgiving and easiest from which to get a good result. Spray technique is critical.
 
clubford00

clubford00

Member
Since i am in the car biz, i used a shop that is one of my clients in a chicago northern suburb called Knauz. They are a high end facility that sells Mercedes, BMW, Range Rover, Mini, Chrysler and Buick. I used their Body shop spray booth to paint. the prep is 90% of the job. clean clean clean, and when you think your ready to paint clean some more. after the 4 color coats (15 min in between to flash) i applied clear imediately after the last color flash time. again about 15 min between the 4 coats of clear it took a long time to do it all. After the paint and clear was done i baked it at 180 degrees for about 50 min. let it cool overnight and started building the next day. the one funny thing is (sorry racer but) i used an 8 dollar gravity feed gun i got at harbor frieght (on sale from 35) to do the whole job. and yes it came out perfect. I should also say that i started out by sand blasting all the parts to get them nice and stripped. After all this was an ebay purchased frame and misc parts to start with.
 
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