OK, silly question here...if I am in the process of trying to "clean up" an old motorcycle and there are rusty nuts and bolts everywhere, what should I do to ensure they remain rust free after reassembly? I know I could spend many hundreds of dollars on stainless steel but it's just not in the budget. Evidently the manufacturer didn't paint these and although they are 40 years old they clean up OK with the wire wheel but I'm sure that won't last as I start to ride it and get caught out in the rain or just wash the bike after a ride. Any thoughts?
You could paint them, but if you scratch the paint (inevitable) they'll rust. You could use a plating kit (such as one from Caswell) to replate them, but they'll still rust eventually and you'll spend a crazy amount of time plating them. You could send everything to a commercial plater and have then zinc-plated again for about $50. If you're the same "woodly1069" that's posted about a '74 Guzzi Eldorado on other forums, your best bet might be to buy a stainless kit from Stainless Cycle: http://www.stainlesscycle.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=46_55_60&products_id=391 $85 will get you almost everything you need. Oh, and if you're still looking for a solid gas tank for that Eldo, there's one on Craigslist in Lexington: http://lexington.craigslist.org/mcy/3469195850.html
I soak the dirty nuts/bolts in phosphoric acid then they go on the wheel. Wipe clean and dry. Then they get two coats of clear lacquer which is called nail hardner from the cosmetic counter. A little bottle is dirt cheap and obviously has a brush in the lid. It doesn't last forever but it works.
I have them replated. You're looking at 25 dollars worth of plating here. Good as new and nothing to chip off like paint.
Hey Cat Daddy, you mean to tell me that box of parts you show plated cost $25????:huh If that's the case I'll send out a big box ASAP! What did you do to the items before you sent them out for plating? Did you spend hours standing in front of the blasting cabinet or wire wheel? Arrow plating huh??? What process did you get there, chrome or zinc?
Hours? Man, I spend WEEKS to save a few bucks! And anyway, including spoke nipples, it adds up to real money pretty quick.
That is called clear zinc plating. They do all different colors and have sample work there for you to look at. Yes, that box was 25 dollars out the door. That's their minimum charge. I didn't do anything beforehand, just throw everything into a box as I disassembled the bike. They do the rest. Every project I do, I have them do all the plating. They run 5 business day turnaround time.
For "normal" fasteners that's fine, but on an Eldorado there are plenty of other bits that aren't normal. You can send out every single piece that Guzzi zinc-plated back in the day and have it all replated to look new (or better). The place I use charged me $50 for "two minimums" (as they put it), 144 individual pieces, weighed about 30 lbs. Shipping both ways cost more...
Well I got all my stuff back the other day and overall it looks pretty nice, not chrome but definitely better than what I started with! I used Arrow in Ft. Worth and overall am pretty happy. I will say that I sent in a bunch of the old wave washers that were kinda thin to begin with but about 1/3 of them came back broken in half. They were plated that way...It seems that the acid they use to prep them ate them in half! :eek1 Then they plated them right along with everything else. Anyway, I spoke with them about it and they made good on it so it's OK. I would just suggest that if you have something irreplaceable and OLD you may want to think twice about the process in general! Just thought that may help someone else along the way...
