Brake Caliper: Paint or Powder?

[londonboards]

I am stripped and ready to go:



See my rebuild thread: GS1100 Restoration Thread

Should I paint or powder coat? VHT caliper paint looks nice but I have had some bubbling issues when curing. So what should I prepare the bare metal with to prevent this?

Or should I just send it with the frame to the powder coaters to put on a nice satin black?

Greetings

[Agemax]

unless you are planning on using DOT 5 brake fluid, just remember no paint is brake fluid proof. P/C stands up pretty well to it

[Steve]

If you powdercoat, be sure to mask off the parts that should not be coated.

.

[GateKeeper]

if you can and the powder coating is affordable do it, if not, the VHT works well

before



and after





so far no issues, paint is holding up well,,,,,I did not cure in an oven, they just sat in the open air on the shelf for about 2 weeks until I was ready to use them, and to this day they are still holding up well.

Cheers

[FiremanBob]

PC is better, but paint is easier. And since you're renewing the entire system, you could refill it with DOT 5 or 5.1 and avoid any future issues.

[Agemax]

PC is better, but paint is easier. And since you're renewing the entire system, you could refill it with DOT 5 or 5.1 and avoid any future issues.

DOT 5.1 will still eat the paint. DOT 5 is the ONLY paint safe brake fluid as it is silicone based.
DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 are all polyethylene glycol-based.

[hampshirehog]

Wilkinsons do an 'own brand' BBQ paint similar to the Plasticote stuff. It takes a long time to dry but it's reasonably resistant to brake fluid and is the 'right black' for your calipers.

[londonboards]

hampshirehog - thanks for that. We have a Wilkinsons in Canterbury and I'm guessing it will be cheaper than the VHT stuff. I'll give it a try.

Greetings

[AJ]

There are epoxy-based brake caliper paints. G2 is widely available in the States. Check Amazon and ebay in the UK.

[Nessism]

Those calipers need to be media blasted, or somehow otherwise remove all the old surface corrosion otherwise the paint won't last.

I'd go with either powder coat, or some sort of catalyzed urethane or special moisture cure type paint (like Por-15). The durability of these paints is far better than just about any kind of rattle can paint you can find.

DOT 5 brake fluid won't eat paint, but it has other drawbacks. For example, it's know to create a more spongy brake lever feel, and is not compatible with more conventional brake fluids. Not worth it in my opinion.

[londonboards]

Still got problems

Help me out here guys. The powder coaters said they wouldn't paint them so I had another go myself and it still bubbled up:

See my GS1100G Blog - Caliper Painting Problem

I ultrasonically cleaned them as well this time round.

Here they are painted:





and then after curing:





I think it is oxidation in those areas. I either need to vapour blast them first or bake them in the oven to make sure the oxidation is not holding any moisture. What do you think?

Greetings

[GateKeeper]

I don't know what is causing your bubbling issue.....

but why not paint them and let them air dry

It's how I did mine and I have no issues with them at all...

I did mine early on in my rebuild so they hung around for a few weeks or so before I installed them on the bike.

.

[Flyboy]

Do what he factory does, black anodize.
Then they are brake fluid proof as well.

[sedelen]

Here's some pic's of my unloved calipers as they now sit on the bike, unwashed and painted a couple of years ago. I did not remove them when I painted them, no prep work other than washing the bike and masking them off, which was by far the hardest part (I'm so lazy!).

These are on the GS1000, which I used Dupli Color Low Gloss Black, I really liked the way they turned out. They'd look better if I washed the bike.






These are on my GS1100 where I used Dupli Color Semi-Gloss Black (wished I used the low gloss instead, I mean they're calipers, get dirty, etc. Low gloss doesn't show the dirt as much). No bubbles, lucky I guess.

[rustybronco]

and then after curing:

What do you think?

I think that something is being held in the pores of the metal or the paint and is being released as the caliper dries.

Yes I did read where you ultrasonically cleaned them, but as you can clearly see the crater pop as the contaminant rises to the surface. It almost looks like solvent pop.