Soda Blasting carbs- does it require recoating?

[ChewsVolt]

Hi All!
I am a new XS650 owner and wanted to try something new on this bike. I've seen great (online) results from those soda blasting carb bodies to a new finish. My question is if there is a factory clear/finish on the carbs that gets damaged through the process? Anyone have experience blasting there carbs and not needing to apply a product like "Carb renew"?
I have already cleaned them with carb cleaner and the old HF ultrasound, this would just be to brighten up the carb bodies.
Thanks

 

[DogBunny]

The 1981 and later BS34s were painted black from the factory, but other than that, XS650 carbs do not have any coating, nor do they need coating, nor will they need coating after soda blasting, so go for it.

 

[ChewsVolt]

Thanks! I am digging this forum, so much info.

 

[Uhlaf]

They where... painted black...?

 

[ChewsVolt]

The guy I bought my 78 from also had an 81 for sale. His were carbs black, pretty good finish, passed the fingernail test. Perhaps it's only on some models?
I would also like to blast the engine of my 78- it looks like the side covers are clear coated, lower case is painted and head/cylinder are raw aluminum?
We shall see if the soda can remove clear coat

 

[figure8]

The guy I bought my 78 from also had an 81 for sale. His were carbs black, pretty good finish, passed the fingernail test. Perhaps it's only on some models?

I would also like to blast the engine of my 78- it looks like the side covers are clear coated, lower case is painted and head/cylinder are raw aluminum?

We shall see if the soda can remove clear coat

Paint stripper works well on the clear coat.

 

[weekendrider]

If you soda blast the carbs rinse, rinse and rinse them again. After they dry check for soda residue before assembly.

 

[ChewsVolt]

Definitely going to rinse, probably pop em in the US cleaner again, just to be anal

 

[ChewsVolt]

OOLALA!
This before and after shows how well they cleaned up. I am very happy with the results! The soda was milder than I feared, but cleaned the surface amazingly well. This was a good garage weekend. I mounted the carbs and stripped some horrible kreem from the tank. I was able to get my new project bike running for the first time in years

 

[DogBunny]

How did you strip the Kreem?

 

[ChewsVolt]

I had never done it before so I don't know what was most effective, basically a couple cups of nut and bolts and some solvent. I went in a funny order because I was experimenting. Acetone looked to work well but I eventually went up to a gel paint stripper. Coated the interior, let it set up, then added more acetone and shook to strip that off. A lot of shaking. I used pokey screws, chain, all sorts of random hardware. Then I would drop a little flashlight in there and look around with my dentist mirror. If it wasn't satifactory, more acetone and shaking. A PITA for sure but I got every last bit. At the end I was flushing it with the hose to get all the little loose particles. Then dry it with air gun. That was probably 4 hours work, but I was experimenting. People said use MEK, couldn't find it a t my local OSH. Also it was bad for my petcock, I broke the reserve straws on one using too much heavy hardware

 

[DogBunny]

Interesting. I've read of people having great difficulty removing Kreem.

The carb looks good. It appears that you blasted it without removing the shaft or choke... and it still works okay?

 

[wherearewe]

Soda blasting works very well! Now pass over it by hand with some Mothers Billet polish or something similar and they will look boss.

 

[ChewsVolt]

Yeah I didn't want to shoot soda in the passages really. I had already given them a good internal cleaning and didn't want to shoot full force into the channels in case it took off any additional material. So i put the bowls and choke assembly back on. The soda seemed safe for clear coat and safe for the plastic too. But I only hit it with less pressure and less medium. By "it still works okay" you mean the carb functions properly or it cleans well? In either case, yes!

I don't know that I have the patience to polish the carbs. Would you have to get a little dremel buffing wheel?

 

[wherearewe]

Nah you dont need to polish it with a buff or the likes. I mean you can but its pretty fiddly. I just hand polish carbs with a rag to keep clean and bring them out a little more. Just be careful not to force any polish into any passage ways you just cleaned though.