VAPOR BLASTING.

[Mike Anderson]

Hi Steve,
Looks amazing, can't wait to get my stuff. This will be much better than tumbling the parts. Thanks so much for setting this up for everyone. Talk soon.
Later Mike

[reed]

Mike,
Your crankcases you sent me are on the way to Rice Relics.
Thanks.
Steve.

[moonpup]

Glad I could help you out with the website Steve. BTW, the site now says he's charging by the hour where as before it was by the piece. Can you confirm which it is?

Thanks, Mike

[rocketman]

   Theres a lot more going on with this set of cases than meets the eye. I was happy with them even before Steve sent them out.  Now they look even better. They have had a repair as well and now you just about have to know where the repair was done in order to pick it out. The cylinders are really sharp. I think Jonathan is going to be very busy. Thanks, Mark.

[reed]

Mike,
Its by the hour and its only 25.00 per hour you can get a lot done in a hour!!
His operating costs are high they run a 220 compressor all day long plus
Water and materials,if you send say small parts he will break the price
Down for you, but if you send him the crankcases and the cylinders and
Heads plus some small parts you will get more for your money, he know
All about the Bridgestone site and he will take good Care of all the
Members that will use is services etc, just reminder the cost in the UK
For vapor blasting  is a lot more money,Johnathan provides a very
Provisional service( i am very pleased with the work that i had done.)
Thanks.
Steve.
Rice Relics 704 530 1009.    

[ziggy stardust]

Everything in the U.K. costs more.

Z

[moonpup]

Steve...... if everything is okie-dokie with you, then it's certainly hunky-dory by me! 

[reed]

When i decided to have my heads and cylinders vapor blasted.
The engine was in the frame and its tight to remove the cylinders.
So first thing i removed the seat and the fuel tank, ignition switch
And horn,exhausts plus exhaust studs then undo the head nuts
Remove the head and then very carefully remove the cylinder etc.
To put the cylinder back on after vapor blasting i put two stroke
Down the bore, put the piston on the piston stand set up the rings
So that the ring are in the middle of the pin to stop the ring from
Moving around ,then i put the ring compressor on we are ready to
Lower the cylinder over the piston as you can see in the picture.
once the rings are in the bore i went ahead  and removed the
Rind compressor and piston stand, re- torque the head down.
Thanks.
Steve.
P S i put bubble wrap around the frame down tubes so the cylinder does not mark the frame.   

[ziggy stardust]

Hey Steve, good photo and description.

Here is another method for the benefit of our readers should any need it.

I took a different approach with the engine on the bench by fitting the pistons in the barrels with just the two middle circlips fitted, then lowering the barrels down on the studs I was then able to align the little ends and insert the gudgeon pins from either side, fit the circlips and then slide home, all well lubed with 2 stroke oil.

The nylon brush handle in the photo was just the right diameter to tap the gudgeon pins home once located, heating the pistons prior to assembly can help here.

New gaskets and circlips, no penny pinching. 

One other thing I did was to smear a light coat of copper anti seize to the studs to prevent a reaction between the steel and aluminium, I also do this with all the fasteners on the bike.  



Z

[Bikenstein]

Good tips on the bubble wrap frame and the anti-seize. I used to have a piston pin tool for pushin and pullin. I guess I'll have to make another one. I never did like tappin the pins in, but that's ok if you support the rod. With the cylinder over the studs I guess this would relieve any side thrust on the rod or bearings. Nice clean motors

[reed]

Lee,
I always put the cylinders on with the engine out of the frame but i wanted to vapor blast the cylinders, on the studs i like to replace
Them they come out easy and they are very inexpensive and i use to coat them with CU 100 anti-corrosion copper paste but i use now
ACF-50 it comes from the aviation industry in the UK and i just spray it on the studs,on all of the six GTR engines i have built so far, i 
Always anneal the head gaskets even if they are new you definitely get a better seal, i like the way you keep every thing clean in the
Picture you are like me when rebuilding a engine.
Thanks.
Steve.

[old smokey]

Reed or Ziggy-
During removal of my cylinders, it seemed like I could get the piston and rings to start back in the bottom of the cylinder skirt without a ring compressor. Is that because I was testing the assembly technique with old rings still on the pistons, or is it still possible to get new pistons and rings installed without the compressor tool?
It seemed like the skirt area had a pretty wide opening taper to me.

[BS Mechanic]

Old Smokey, 
I believe the cylinder taper is put there specifically to ease the insertion of the piston and rings.  The transfer port cuts in the cylinder let you help the rings along with your fingers, making it easy to feel when the ring gap is correctly centered on the alignment pin in the ring groove.  That's how I remember doing it at the BS Service School, although that was a L-O-N-G  time ago!

[reed]

Triumph head.
I sent off this Triumph head for vapor blasting look how clean its come up!!
So now i will re cut the seats and fit new valve guides etc.
Thanks.
Steve.

[ziggy stardust]

Nice head there Steve.

Regarding the ACF 50, when I got my RE5M a number of years ago it was a basket case, stood for 32 years but I'd read about this revolutionary product ACF-50 so decided to spray the whole bike with it while waiting a decision over winter whether to restore it or not. Not cheap at £15 per can and I used two, yes about $50.


Z    

[reed]

Lee,
The reason that i use ACF-50 is this when i ultrasonic a set of carbs say off a Kawasaki z1000 the carbs are pulled down.
Put into the ultrasonic tank for about 20 minutes out off the tank to be blown with air outside in the sun to dry-out or i
Have  a bench oven for the winter time, now inside my ultrasonic is  water based so when i rebuild the carbs and fit the
Starter plungers four of them i would use WD-40 or freeze-off inside the chamber and it would work fine finish off the
Rebuilding the carbs and out they go back to the customer maybe a week to get there and then another week before
Going back on the Kawasaki but by then the plungers stick in the chamber the only thing that has worked for me is ACF-50.
I spray it on every set of carbs that i do now and i never have a problem, now when i removed the cylinders from both GTR
For vapor blasting the new studs looked like new cylinders came off very easy, i get my ACF-50 from my local Airport they
Use it a lot, it works for me rather than the messy CU- 100 i am always looking for new products that make my life easier
Thanks.
Steve.

[ziggy stardust]

Good tips Steve, I've heard about starter plungers sticking.

I might be tempted to buy one can and use it sparingly.

Speaking of things to make life easier I have Janet the wife, I call her my third hand and when I need a little help to hold this thing while I thread this through here and so forth she's always available when I call.

Z

[scrambler]

On Steve's recommendation I sent quite a few parts out to Rice Relics for vapor blasting.



The blasted parts look fantastic! Nice smooth surface that I believe will be resistant to oil and fingerprints.

Thanks for the recommendation on this Steve!

[reed]

Kevin,
I glad you are please with his work it saves a lot of time, post a picture of the Kawasaki engine when its together.
And i hope you don't have too much snow.
Thanks.
Steve.