Engine refinishing

[jfmerk]

Well the '78 xs1100E restoration project is moving along. My engine is torn down completely, cleaned and after some valve work and light cylinder honing, I will be ready to put it all back together.

Does anyone have any experience in repainting the case? Are the best results achieved by repainting each case half individually and then re-assemble the motor?

Thanks for any comments,

Jeff

[indy102]

I painted base/ clear on engine with side cases and valve cover off. Those items will get polishing like chrome. Also I started sanding the cylinder fins down to also receive buffing/polishing. I can e-mail pics if you like bpaetow@direcway.com.

[lsippell]

I repainted mine with it all apart. The results were prety good.

Louis

[dntemp_ca]

Nice job, Louis! How about that engine stand! Do you have a patent on that? Would be interested in the dimensions and how you built it...materials, etc.

[lsippell]

Dennis,

I must have seen something like this someplace but can't remember where.

I made it out of scrap sq. tubing I had in my junk bin. The only dimensions critical are between the plates that go to the front and rear mounts on the motor, and it could be made adjustable to fit different motors. I used three sizes of sq. tubing because that’s what I had. Two would work (the slide together center joiner).

If I was building it again, or if I ever have to use it again, I'll make the pivots at each end different. Heavier, index plate or something. The drilled hole with a bolt dropped into it was just a little to loose, not that the engine would move once it went to the left or right and took up the slack.

One thing I found was once the cylinder and head was on, you just didn’t want to pull the pivot lock bolt without restraining the engine. It is top heavy!

Louis