Sandblasting and painting rear swing arm

[Manifesto]

Hey guys I'm new to the community and this is my first XS11. I picked up the bike for just under $400 and now I need to clean it up and get it road worthy. I've been tearing the bike down to get parts cleaned, fixed and replaced. It's been a fun process so far!

One of the first things I noticed on the bike is the old battery was connected to a drain hose that drained right on to the rear swing arm. So after nearly 35 years of battery acid draining on to it the swing arm is somewhat corroded and rusted. I've pulled it off and now I'm considering having it sandblasted and repainted or powedercoated.

My question is what do I need to do to prep it so the sandblasting process doesn't gum up the drive shaft?

[bikerphil]

Take the driveshaft out of the swingarm before powdercoating. It is held into the U-joint with a spring clip, just pry it out.

[ViperRon]

When I did mine I pulled everything out scraped and cleaned as much grease as possible out then took my preasure washer and cleaned it. I then soaked it in a deep bucket mix water and ZED rust cleaner for 3 days. I then got plugs from the hardware store and a thick piece of rubber that i taped over end so sand would not get in it and blasted the paint down to bare metal. I got a can of Dupont etching primer sprayed the alluminum completely sanded and then painted with high quality enamel. I then left it in a warm oven for 3 hrs to cure it.

[mharrington]

If you can have it done powder coat it! That stuff is durable! Second best would be painted- real automotive paint shot from a gun. Third best/least best is PJ1 epoxy paint. Powder coat is the best though.

[MPittma100]

Swing Arm

It is better to have it blasted with glass bead rather than sand. Sand, even though it appears to clean well, also causes the steel to rust. Glass bead will not cause rust and is not so aggressive to the surface as sand is.

MP

[crazy steve]

Whatever you do, make sure you cover/protect the swingarm bearing races and the flat flange surface where the final drive attaches.

[Rasputin]

Just a note that if you choose to powder coat it then it must be really clean. They heat it to something like 450 degrees F so any oil or grease not cleaned will heat up and run which will cause no end of grief to the powder coating guys and affect your finished job.

[crazy steve]

That's true about powder, although nearly all powder shops will make sure the part is clean by sandblasting as that also gives an excellent 'tooth' for the powder to grip. But unless you tell them to mask/protect a spot, sometimes they won't and cured powder isn't easy to remove and sandblasted bearing races are now junk....

I'll note that when I have parts commercially coated, I 'fixture' everything critical so little or no masking is needed. That can save you a fair amount of money...

[Rasputin]

+1 on what you say Steve about the bearing races and preparing fixtures etc. Thing is that not all powder coating places are the same and while some will blast everything and clean it others will just do the visible stuff. If someone in the past 35 yrs or so filled the driveshaft tube full of grease with that useless zerk the powder coaters may not know it is full of old dried grease. I was trying to point out the same as you that any prep would be beneficial especially cleaning.
The shop I frequently use will allow me to blast my own parts (even if I am only taking them home to paint) with their equipment as long as it is clean. They inspect it before letting me do my own stuff to be sure their equip stays clean. They offer both sand and glass bead blasting for my own use as well. Costs about a buck a minute but for parts that will not fit in my own blaster it is cheap.

[crazy steve]

...for parts that will not fit in my own blaster it is cheap.

If you have a blast cabinet, invest in a powder gun. It'll save you a ton of money and you can better control the finished product. The only stuff I take in is whatever won't fit in my free household oven.

Powder is cheaper than paint....

[Manifesto]

Great advise guys. Much appreciated! The shop I'm taking it to is one of the best in town when it comes to quality and care so I'm sure they'll do a great job. I'll make sure to clean it as well as I can and then let them know about the bearings and to be careful there in particular. Thanks again.

[dingman29]

definitely powdercoating is the way to go... i made the mistake of not masking certain stuff off and sure paid for it... dremel wire wheel and aircraft stripper... stubborn sh*t it is...

another idea i would like to see is tractor enamel... i seen a 4x4 mag where somebody used it as an auto finish due to its durability....