Front cover corrosion

[bigbob1]

My front cover is corroded down at the bottom of my 2004 GS BMW wont help with this. Has anyone tried rubbing the corrosion down and use a drop of thinners to clean the alloy and painted smooth silver Hammerite on, will this work as a cheep fix? can't afford to get it powder coated

 

[mikepg]

Bob - loads of posts on this. Do a search. I think a fair few have done exactly what you have suggested.

 

[luckylucian]

Thats my plan too, I've a copper wire brush bit for my dremmel and a pot of silver hammerite.

 

[bigbob1]

Thanks guys of to Autosave at the weekend then. Thanks for PM luckylucian

 

[luckylucian]

Thats my plan too, I've a copper wire brush bit for my dremmel and a pot of silver hammerite.

Oops, its a copper coloured wire brush (I think it may be bronze) just don't use steel or you'll have little bits of rust bleeding thru where the snapped off bits have embedded themselves in the alloy (don't ask how I know )

 

[Jonnie Boy]

Yep Hamerite Smooth works a treat

I did mine in black,

a) coz I already had some,
b) didnt know if the silver would match (better to contrast than to mismatch colours)

 

[Phil Clarke]

Not sure that smoothrite is the paint for this as its not so good at heat resistance - dunno what folks results have ended up with but i'd go for a high temp paint which you can get from all good car accessory shops

 

[bigbob1]

Thanks for the replies guys will have a look round on Saturday in some Auto factors

 

[Markgsxr]

There are lotsa threads bout this. I've got no corrosion visble externally but when I unscrew the cover and look in I can see some. I would like to remove the sponge which apperared straight forward. However the GSA has a bar that goes across the cover, do I have to remove the engine/tank bars or do I just "force" the plastic cover to bend over the top pulley? I dont like the idea of using force!!

Any tips/hints please?

 

[oldenoughtoknowbetter]

Front plastic cover

You don't need to take the black plastic cover off completely to remove the sponge. Remove the three lower and two upper screws and the plastic bit will pull away from the engine far enough to remove the sponge. Worked with my GSA no probs.
The black cover will also move sufficiently left or right to allow you to get at any corrosion underneath. But for gawds sake get rid of that sponge!!

 

[Phil Thomas]

I used Finnegans special metal primer, which is I believe an etching primer, prior to painting the Rocker Covers with smooth Hammerite on my R1100RS rocker covers a number of years ago. Results were excellent and seemed to cope with the heat OK.

Biggest problem was getting the original powder coat off - had it grit blasted proffesionally!

regards to all,

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Not sure that smoothrite is the paint for this as its not so good at heat resistance - dunno what folks results have ended up with but i'd go for a high temp paint which you can get from all good car accessory shops

Smoothrite is fine on the front cover Phil - the cover doesn't get hot enough to worry it.

Top Tip No 436: Not a lot of people know this but if you want a matt black finish on any engine casses black board paint is the stuff for you. Good heat resistance and very hard wearing

Andres

 

[Humbug]

There's always THIS.

 

[ghost-rider]

this may seem like a stupid question?, but whats this about a "sponge" behind the front black cover on the engine??, and why remove it???, is it that, that causes the corrosion, coz it holds the water??????

 

[oblertone]

I rather think ...

this may seem like a stupid question?, but whats this about a "sponge" behind the front black cover on the engine??, and why remove it???, is it that, that causes the corrosion, coz it holds the water??????

... you've answered your own question there

 

[ghost-rider]

ok, ok spose i asked for that daint i!!!!

 

[GrinningGSer]

Another theory, posted on here somewhere was that the corrosion was initiated by a galvanic action from the securing bolts. My 1200GS front case went the same way and was replaced under warranty, so with my new GSA, I immediately dipped the bottom screw in some yellow stuff from my local chandlery (sounds like lac). Time will tell

 

[GSmonkey]

the bloody thing will corrode in a vacuum...

 

[how much for a service!]

My replacement cover has gone the same way as the first on my o6 44k mile GS
Chasing vines for another replacement
must check if they took the sponge out

 

[Big Lee]

I put some of hammerites "special metals" primer on too for alloy & the like before I put my siler hammerite on