Posts: 185
Joined: 10/25/2017
Location: Mid, TN USA
When yall have a frame, swingarm or subframe powdercated, what do yall do about the bearing surfaces? Is it a thin coating to where it doesn't matter? What about leaving the old bearings in then once its coated, pull them out? Or just have it coated and sand the coating off where the bearings will be?
Posts: 207
Joined: 9/7/2017
Location: CAN
Just tape of the bearing areas but and good powder coating company will have corks to plug and holes etc
Posts: 3256
Joined: 6/24/2014
Location: Charlotte, NC USA
I'm not expert but sanding and bearing surfaces sound like a bad combo. Don't want to risk messing with those tolerances. As was mentioned above, tape them off and any reputable powder coater will know how to protect the area further if needed. Just make sure you have this discussion with them. Never assume anything...
Positively, absolutely 110% obsessed with anything MOTO.
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Joined: 8/17/2016
Location: CZE
F150Motocrosser wrote:I'm not expert but sanding and bearing surfaces sound like a bad combo. Don't want to risk messing with those tolerances. As ...more
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18 Yamaha YZ450F
94 Honda CR 500
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81 Yamaha SR 500
68 BSA Thunderbolt
69 Triumph Tiger 100
Posts: 2068
Joined: 10/12/2017
Location: Pittsburgh, PA USA
Edited Date/Time:
If you tape anything and send it to a powder coating company without explanation they will just take the tape off and coat it. Powder coating is required to be baked at high temperatures in the curing process... so they won't just leave the tape before they coat it.. Explain what areas cannot be coated and the company will tell you if they are capable of this or not.
The problem w/ leaving the bearings in is that when they coat the swing arm you may not be able to get the bearings back out. PC is a very strong finish and in areas with small crevices it tends to load up and create thicker packed areas that are hard to be removed without a tool like a dremel.
Hopefully someone can chime in who has actually PC a swing arm before to give you the specifics of what they did to avoid these issues. Regardless... I would be very clear with the company you go with that no bearing areas can get any coating inside them at all or you could have a nightmare on your hands.
Posts: 1729
Joined: 8/25/2015
Location: Mansfield, OH USA
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Good advice has been given. Tape up the bearing holes and tell them you dont want it coated. Hell id go as far as taking a picture of the frame with the tape on it and label it. That way if they still mess up they can pay for the repair
2009 Kawasaki KX450F
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Posts: 2266
Joined: 8/17/2006
Location: The RTF/Amboy, WA USA
I run old bolts into all threaded holes. You can leave old races in or just clean the powdercoat out with a light sanding. Either way works. If I leave races in I usually partially remove them so they extend past the edge...............
Posts: 417
Joined: 7/5/2015
Location: NJ, USA
Posts: 1029
Joined: 9/16/2016
Location: Katy, TX USA
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Remove all bearings. If you leave them in the grease in them will get runny, drip and ruin the powder coat job during curing.
If theres locations you dont want powder just tell them. They have silicon plugs and high temp green tape they can mask it off. As mentioned make sure instructions are clear, dont assume anything.
Posts: 620
Joined: 8/17/2016
Location: VA, USA
Not only will the above happen if you leave your bearings in, but the bearings aren’t meant to withstand the temp of what they be put through during the powder coat process. Make sure you remove those bearings and a good powder coater will know what to tape when you tell them to tape off bearing surfaces. Try to find one that has done motorcycle frames in the past
Posts: 144
Joined: 2/13/2017
Location: Houston, TX USA
Remove the bearing, then find some all thread and large fender washers and nuts. On a swing arm, place the fender washer on either side of the bearing surface and then tighten the nut. The fender washer keeps the pc off the edges of the swing arm bearing surface and maintains the correct swing arm to frame clearances. If you have places where bolts screw into something (like the chain adjusters) then screw in a bolt and let it go through the pc process. When you get it back from pc, then take an exacto knife and cut the pc square and the remove the bolt.
