CERAKOTE and Vapor Blasting

[Rednaxs60]

Rebuilding my '85 Limited Edition 1200 engine. Have had the engine cases, covers and attachments vapor blasted, turned out quite good. Here's a picture of the rear cover before - it was cleaned as much as possible prior to:

After:

This process does not remove any metal, and as such, cannot remove any surface imperfections the way sand/grit blasting will. Here is a pic of the water pump cover surface, well nicked but clean:

Was going to wait a year or two, using ACF-50 to protect the engine against rust, surface degradation, but these parts are clean and grease free so it would make sense to apply a product that is purported to last a very long time and provide a sealant/protectorant function. The engine is mostly hidden from view and as such having a very good finish is not as much an issue as with a more exposed engine.

I have been reading about CERAKOTE, and discussed it with the fellow who did the vapor blasting. The finish is extremely smooth and does not lend itself to any form of paint application and this includes CERAKOTE. I would have to have all the parts grit blasted, or spend a lot of time scuffing up the finish for any paint system to adhere. I did more research on the CERAKOTE products and found Cerakote Clear - Aluminum MC-5100. This is a product that can be applied directly to a variety of aluminum surfaces.

Here is the company info:

Cerakote Clear - Aluminum MC-5100 has been specifically engineered for performance on all common alloys of aluminum, including magnesium alloys. Common applications include polished, brushed, raw and anodized aluminum used in architectural, automotive, industrial, consumer goods and more.

Easy to apply, ready to spray, direct to aluminum
Simple Dawn Dish Soap & water preparation
Tack free in approximately 1 hour Air Cure (full cure in 24 hours)
Preserves true aluminum look while protecting against oxidation & dulling
100% Inorganic Formulation is completely UV stable. Will not yellow or haze.
Unparalleled adhesion, chemical resistance, UV stability and hydrophobic properties on all alloys of aluminum, including Magnesium. (See TDS for details)
This coating excels in outdoor applications.

*NOTE: This product does not require catalyst. This color does require a 325 Mesh Strainer (SE-277).

Sent an email to CERAKOTE about Cerakote Clear - Aluminum MC-5100 . The company came back with "MC-5100 or MC-Clears will adhere to a vapor blasted surface". This is good news because of the quality of the product and the sealing and protectorant aspect. Have contacted the CDN distributor and it has a quart in stock. Only require a pint. Will contact the CDN distributor tomorrow. Was going to wait and see what the finish would be like in a year or two using only ACF-50, but everything is clean and degreased so now is the time to apply this product or a similar. Will still use ACF-50 as it has corrosion resistant properties.

[Rednaxs60]

Update: Have had my 1200 on the road for a few Kms - just over 400 since the rebuild and the roads have been wet/dirty and have a bit of crud. Wheel rims and the underside have gotten dirty so Decided to clean the front wheel rim, should do the whole underside, but if you're cleaning you're not riding. Used a microfibre cloth sprayed with glass cleaner and the rim cleaned up just as it was before the road riding. Will leave the rear wheel for a while for a better torture test of the CERAKOTE product. Will look at the front fender underside in a few months to determine how the CERAKOTE product has held up to protect the underside of the front fender. Initial indication is that it will achieve what I wanted, specifically, easier to clean and keep the part(s) that are coated with it in good condition.