Black finish on valve covers and engine casing.

[R80rider]

I have a few questions about the black finish used in the engine cases and the black finish used on the valve covers.

1. Is this high-temp paint, anodized or what?

2. Any ideas what causes the finish to "peel" off?

I assume if it is anodized, these items will need to be sent out to be re-coated ( this could be a chore for the engine cases).

3.  If this is done using high-temp paint, where can the paint be obtained and are any brands superior to others?  

4. My guess is, with all the knowledge and experience on this board, some of you have had this same problem.  Any tips, pointers, words of wisdom, caveats  as to the best way to re-coat these areas
would be greatly appreciated.

[MrRiden]

Those parts are painted. Depending on the size of your wallet you can:
Repaint with rattle can black (cheap & easy to repaint)
Repaint with VHT (brand name) rattle can (also cost effective)
Powder coat (once chipped yer done!)
Anodize ( got a winning lottery ticket?)
rich

[Bob_Roller]

I repainted the airbox on my '81 R65 about 10 years ago.

I used an aerosol paint stripper, and what wasn't removed by it, I used a plastic media grit blaster to remove the rest.

I used an aviation primer, zinc chromate, and then a rattle can of paint from Mar-Hyde, part number 3811 Black Satin Automotive Trim Coating, about $7-8 per can.

Airbox still looks good, and it's the closest I've seen to match the paint on the frame and engine.

Don't know how it would hold up on the rocker covers, due to the heat.

[donbmw]

I painted my covers that I put on my R90 with Kraylon Black. This was back in 86 the paint shows some age but I think it has held up well. The above picture is about what they look like.

Don

[nhmaf]

There are several hi temp/engine paints out there.  As I also had to repaint the stock exhaust (LS models have no chrome w/ black exhaust systems) I bought
a pint of POR-15 black velvet engine paint.   They also have a nice semi-gloss paint called "chassis black" or something similar which works very well for the frame, airbox and other parts that won't get really hot.    I think I used the black velvet hi temp stuff on the starter /engine top cover and  "BMW" engine badges
as the dry finish appeared very close to the original matte type finish.  The airbox bits I touched up with the chassis paint (along with the chassis) and it all looks quite good.

[thrang]

Whats the pipe running between the airbox and the carb for in the piccy?

[R80rider]

Thanks for all the good information.  To repaint the engine block, I am assuming you removed the area with raised letters (as shown in the photo) from the cycle (correct me if I am wrong).  Excuse my naivety but how big of job is this?  Any special tools required?  Is it a garage project that can be tackled by a novice+ wrench, or would it be best to leave to a professional?

I definitely want to use a high-temp paint to provide longevity and keep from having to revisit this issue on a regular basis.

nhmaf - do you know of a supplier for this high-temp paint?

"a pint of POR-15 black velvet engine paint.   They also have a nice semi-gloss paint called "chassis black" or something similar which works very well for the frame, airbox and other parts that won't get really hot.    I think I used the black velvet hi temp stuff on the starter /engine top cover and  "BMW" engine badges
as the dry finish appeared very close to the original matte type finish.  The airbox bits I touched up with the chassis paint (along with the chassis) and it all looks quite good."

Thrang - I am curious about this pipe also, hopefully an answer is forthcoming.

Thanks again all and I look forward to another round of discussions in response to my new questions!

You all are the best!

[scuba]

That tube, as I can remember from years ago, should be left intake manifold of secondary air system on r65gs and r80st '82-'90. if not, that colud be vent pipe with extension on r80rt. sorry, it was so long ago and I'm already on descending path for brain activities due to small serial number on my birth certificate

[tagordon]

The pipe is part of the Secondary Air System. It runs from the front of the cylinder just inder the header to the point you see it entering the air box.
Part# 2.

[R80rider]

Excellent information, thanks!  

back to the primary subject of this thread, as I asked before, how big of job is it to pull engine covers (not valve) off of the R80RT?  I am now assuming the best way to get a professional result is to have the current paint bead blasted of these areas and then apply the new coating.

As I would like to inform the seller today if I am going to purchase this cycle, any help you can provide with the mechanics involved of removing the required covers (including man hours and ease) and if anyone has  a ballpark figure for the bead blasting and the paint, so I can have  a rough idea of the total time, complexity and cost of this project (which could ultimately effect my offer for this cycle), it would be greatly appreciated so I can proceed (or not) with the purchase today.

Thanks again!!!

[MrRiden]

The top engine cover is very easy to remove. It is only fastened by two Allen bolts and lifts off. You may want to remove the fuel tank first for ease of access and also disconnect the battery to avoid any surprise contact with electrical connections. The starter & cables live under the cover and relays/ regulator above it. Give a chemical stripper a go first as bead blasting can change the surface texture. I also sanded the letters on the cover with a fine [400-600] grit paper and they came up like new! The air box is a bit more work to remove all the plumbing but you should not have to remove the carbs to accomplish this. Make note of the clamp positions and be aware of the bolts inside the box that hold it to the engine, they can be a but difficult to reach if you do not possess a varied socket set. You should be able to have everything off the bike in a couple of hours if you've not done this before. Pick up a maintance manual to have on hand [Clymer or Haynes], it makes a nice reference. As you progress other things will most likely come up [ plug the air system, crankcase vent hose, silicone valve cover gaskit] Good luck keep us posted!
rich

[nhmaf]

R80Rider -   The POR (stands for "Paint over Rust") products may be carried be larger automotive or industrial paint shops in your area, or you can just buy it directly from the on their website.  Here is a link to their black velvet hi temp paint product.    As there aren't many paint shops in my area, I bought direct from them.   It is a pretty thick paint, but it is also quite forgiving and can be applied with a brush, surprizingly enough - many of the brush strokes smooth out
as it dries so you get an even-looking finish - or you can try a second coat.   Their Chassis black semi-gloss stuff is also this way - you actually want to avoid
the urge to touch it up too much while it is still tacky, as that will cause a less smooth final finish.   These can be spray painted on if you have a compressor and a paint gun, though may require thinning to work - I am no expert with spray painting, but there are others on this forum that are.

http://www.por15.com/prodinfo.asp?grp=BV&dept=8

[thrang]

Cheers for the diagram tagordon. Was the gubbins fitted to US models only as its nothing like the inside of any airbox I've seen?

I've moded both mine so that the breather coming from the engine doesn't discarge into the air box by extending the pipe through the air box to discarge next to the tank breather.

[nhmaf]

The pulse air injection system was intended to provide further combustion of exhaust gases in the header pipes before they were emitted out the tailpipe,
to meet EPA/emission guidelines at the time (presumably this was a US requirement only, though I thought that all 80s airheads had these installed.
Do your heads have a plug fitted below the where the header attaches where this air pipe goes on all of our US models ('cept where owners have removed them, that is).   I don't know if these made the bikes any cleaner running, though I am sure that they contributed to more rapid bluing of the exhaust headers and making things tricker to diagnose as far as fuel/air mixture, backfiring potential, etc.

[R80rider]

Great information and answered all my questions.  Thanks to all who pitched in on this!!