Oil in frame

[Mark.Ogden]

VB600 frame went off to the powder coaters last week. I have just received a rather irate powder coater explaining to me that the frame is full of oil - gushing out was his words - that it created a bit of a mess in his booth and it needs taking away and cleaning up before he progresses any further.

Two questions

Why should this be? I can only assume someone has either deliberately filled the frame as a rust prevention measure or has weeped in from the engine. The latter should not "gush" surely?

Secondly, How do I get rid of the remaining oil and ensure it does not happen again. Drain it off - somehow??, thinners....

Thoughts very welcome - I have no wish to upset him again!

[ColinPeck]

Hi Mark, I do my own powder coating and old bike parts leak oil from weird and wonderful places as soon as they go in the oven. Some is accumulated oil but also old grease which melts with the heat, in my early days I had to re-do quite a few parts as oil leaked out on the new powder as it baked. Now anything I'm slightly suspicious of I wash with de-greaser, sand blast, pre-bake in the oven at a higher temp. than I bake the powder at (some mess drips into the oven), re-sand blast then powder.
Heat I find is the best way to solve the problem as it both melts the grease and oil so most of it comes out, but also whatever remains bakes into a solid which doesn't leak out when the powder is baked.
Polyester bakes at 180-200 deg. C. so by raising the frame to this sort of temp. for 20 mins or so will do the job, I obviously use my oven but perhaps a controlled bonfire would do the job? Whatever you do the frame would need sand blasting again.
Colin

[Mark.Ogden]

Colin

Thanks for this. Basically the powder coater has asked me to take it away and not pollute his oven again! I have no access to heating the frame to such temperatures, so was thinking of washing it out internally with thinners or something similar.....will find out more when I collect it tonight....

Cheers

Mark

[simon.holyfield]

There was a post on here a few days ago, about the wisdom of using the headstock grease nipples. Someone found the top tube packed solidly with grease from years of faithful maintenance...

Déjà vu?

[Mark.Ogden]

Simon

Indeed, and on further observation post collection, I think you may be on to something. It does appear that the "oil" has run down from the headstock, along the inside of the top cross member, exited at the vertical under the seat, and trickled down the exterior of the same......

Good clean with thinners I feel....

Powder coating of the bits and bobs went well though.....

Regards

Mark

[john.whiting]

You are lucky you didnt use a crowd called Kristom Powder Coaters.The owner can shout insults at you for a full twenty minutes without repeating himself,and while waving your frame about in a threatening manner.Regards John.

[Mark.Ogden]

John

As an Englishman living in the heathen woad-tattood wilds of Caledonia, I can assure you I was lucky to escape with just an insult.....

Yours aye

Mark

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Oh Wauw! can we have that on film please (headcam next time)
twenty minutes without repeating!! , even my wife does not get that far ! (only kidding ofcourse)

more practical: buy a propane torch and heat your frame, stay above the wind and make sure any neighbours are away for the day.
Powdercoating is nasty to get off, but with a propane torch it just burns / drips of, same goes for the oil/grease left inside the tubes.
Take note of any factory drilled air holes as the heated air + oil can escape at a amazing speeds once it gets going.
Dont ask why I know...

[john.whiting]

The fellows name is Gerry,and he continuously insults his workforce of teenage kids without using sexist or racist words,which have cost him money in the past.He was shouting at a large Samoan kid ,when the kid headbutted him,knocking him out.His workers thought he was dead,so they dragged him in behind the heating chamber and covered him up with cardboard boxes.Then they closed up early and all went home, not waiting for the cops.He came to in the darkness,and didnt know where he was or what had happened.The Samoan kid has never been seen again.We did a lot of business with Gerry at the sandblast yard.Regards John.