Need a little guidence on powdercoating or not

semaJ · 11-19-2009, 05:33 PM

I would like some help from everyone who knows far more than I do. Ok so I have taken the engine tranny and all brake lines off the 80's CJ 7 Frame. Frame looks good and wont need any repair. Even the body mounts look real solid. So I was planning on powdercoating as I have a buddy opening a powdercoating shop and he has agreed to do it for me at the cost of materials so they can test their ovens. I am however now thinking the por 15 or eastwood systems would do me better as I would not have to take so much stuff off or do as much prep work. So my question is a multi-parter so here goes. Do I need to remove the leaf springs to put the eatwood or por 15 systems on? Should I be afraid of removing them or is this a fairly straight forward task (the steering mechanisms are giving me problems also but mainly because they hook up to the leaf spring brackett.) Also which way would you guys go powdercoat, or eatwood system (the neutralizer and encapsulator) or the por 15 way? Sorry for all the questions but it seems like i am standing at a fork in the road and there are 45 different ways to go. Oh, I plan on using the jeep mainly for road driving, light off roading, and occasionally pulling the motorcyle and the odd trip to lowes and the dump with a trailer in tow. Thanks in advance for all your help.

poppatello · 11-19-2009, 05:36 PM

I've never heard of the eatwood system. I got my bumpers and wheels powerder coated and it's nice. However, I love the POR 15. That is what I would do with the frame, headers or exhaust manifold ect.

479AZ · 11-19-2009, 05:46 PM

I haven't used POR-15 or the other products but I have had many a race car frame powder coated. It looks great and is very hard. The only drawback is that if you get a stone chip you can't paint it, the paint just beads up. We have gone to using spray cans and repainting between races (the frame that is). Lots cheaper and since we're dirt racing stone chips are a fact of life. I would think if you are staying on the road you might want powder coat but if you take on the trails the other options might be better.

**keith460** · 11-19-2009, 06:09 PM

For someone who has powder coated almost 90% of all parts on my restoration project, I would say "yes" by all means have the frame powder coated. I didn't have my frame powder coated however, simply because I couldn't find a place locally that could do it. A frame to be powder coated must be completely stripped down to bare steel with no rubber, plastics, and anything that will melt during the curing process of 400°F for an average of 30 min. bake time. A restoration shop, who is currently doing my body tub painting for me, directed me and told me that all the cars they do have the frames sandblasted and powder coated for $600 at a local shop I didn't know about.

That's well worth the money for something that will last just about forever and is way better than POR15.

After sandblasting and painting mine myself with Eastwoods Chassis 2K ceramic paint, I would have liked to have had it powder coated instead. To get a quality finish, whether painting, powder coating or using POR15 that you want to last without chipping peeling or having rust come back, it is imperative that the frame be blasted down to bare steel before applying anything. POR15 might look good for a little while but years from now all that covered up rust and so called converted rust will come back and haunt you.

Do it right the first time and take advantage of your friends offer to do the powder coating for cost of supplies (about $40.00). You will have to pay, I guess, someone to blast the frame for you (about $100-$250), plus all your labor to remove anything attached to the frame. But, at least you will have a great foundation to start with!

kp900 · 11-19-2009, 07:29 PM

I had mine sandblasted ($100) then etched it and then used the por 15 ($120). Sprayed the inside of the frame with boiled linseed oil prior to all of this($12). Looks good and should be good for years.

93jeepyj · 11-19-2009, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kp900

I had mine sandblasted ($100) then etched it and then used the por 15 ($120). Sprayed the inside of the frame with boiled linseed oil prior to all of this($12). Looks good and should be good for years.

the linseed oil was a smart move, my frame only ever had surface rust on it and I por15d it and its rotting from the inside out now.

**keith460** · 11-19-2009, 08:18 PM

Same here, applied Boiled Linseed Oil after I painted the frame by using a garden pump sprayer through all the little frame hole openings. Messy yes, but was able to tilt the frame every way conceivable until the Linseed Oil ran out the ends but it is now fully coated in the inside of the frame.

semaJ · 11-19-2009, 08:31 PM

Guys Thanks for all your comments. You guys really know your stuff. I need to quit being such a wuss and take everything off the frame. I am pretty sure I will powder coat. Please explain to me the linseed oil thing. I have always wondered the best way to stop the inside out rust issue.

semaJ · 11-19-2009, 08:34 PM

oh just saw the post with the garden sprayer. Any other instructions?

Chuckles0227 · 11-19-2009, 09:15 PM

I would defiantly go with the powder coating. por 15 is awesome, but it does not like long term uv exposure, and a powder coat will be much thicker than the por 15. Another thing is that por 15 requires alot of sanding prior to use, when i originally painted my body with it it peeled since i only lightly sanded the metal before hand. After i resanded with medium grit and a air sander it stuck very well.

just my 2c

CJman77 · 11-19-2009, 11:09 PM

I like powdercoating and I have the means to do it....But I am just not impressed with it. The items I have that are 5-6 years old (tuffy center console, and other various items) are bubblings and rusting... I am very disappointed. I have stuff painted with tractor paint from the same time and it appears indestructable. Just my .02

**Hylke** · 11-20-2009, 07:08 AM

Got my chassis powder coated recently, looks great and water runs off very easily. I have to see how it holds up in the future. Do make sure your chassis is clean of oil, dirt, tar and undercoating for it's hard to remove with sandblasting. And make sure it's completely clean before having it coated, any dirt or rust left will hunt you afterwards.
I had it blasted, sprayed with hot zink and and powdercoated twice. The zink should protect the chassis and seal it up in case of a stone chip or scratch.

CJman77 · 11-20-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hylke

Got my chassis powder coated recently, looks great and water runs off very easily. I have to see how it holds up in the future. Do make sure your chassis is clean of oil, dirt, tar and undercoating for it's hard to remove with sandblasting. And make sure it's completely clean before having it coated, any dirt or rust left will hunt you afterwards.
I had it blasted, sprayed with hot zink and and powdercoated twice. The zink should protect the chassis and seal it up in case of a stone chip or scratch.

Its such an awesome looking finish...I have durability issues.

**rixcj** · 11-20-2009, 08:25 AM

I went through the same process as keith460...sandblasted frame, Eastwood 3-step process, and boiled linseed oil inside the frame. I could have powdercoated the frame, but I feel as though I'll be doing future work to the frame, including welding, so I wanted something that I could touch up.

The Eastwood products are good, but it is a slow process, if you follow the directions properly. They are also expensive. I just hope they pass the test of time.

The boiled linseed oil was, for me, the worst part of the job. I bought a garden sprayer, planning to spray it into all the frame holes. That stuff doesn't spray. It weeps out the end of the nozzle. I threw the garden sprayer away.

Then, I tried stuffing a rag ball in the center slot of the frame, with a string going out to the front, and a string going out to the rear of the frame rail. I figured I'd soak the rag ball, and pull it to the front, then pull it to the rear. I did this several times, each way, constantly soaking the rag. I did this to both rails.

I immediately cleaned up the outside drippage with mineral spirits.

When it was dry, I looked inside the frame with a flashlight. I was bummed at how much of the frame didn't get oiled. I don't give up easily.

I took a long, wire handled, engine cleaning brush, and wrapped a small strip of rag around it, then tied the rag on.

I repeatedly soaked the rag, while inserting it into every single opening in the frame, and poking it in all directions. This took hours! Again, I cleaned up the drippage. This time, when I checked with a flashlight, it was all covered. This crap better last!!!

Sometimes, I think I put more effort into my Jeep, than into most things in my life (...close, though...).

Rich

P.S. For those of you that haven't seen this already, perhaps seeing what I went through restoring my frame, may explain my last statement of my post. And...my signature. Here it is...

http://jeep-forums.4wd.com/showthread.php?t=36592

CajunCJ · 11-20-2009, 08:26 AM

After sandblasting my frame I sprayed it with a coat of zinc rich epoxy followed by 2 coats of epoxy primer with a urethane top coat. All industrial marine grade coatings. Should last a fairly long time. If I could do it over I would probably have shipped the frame off to get it hot dipped galvanized. Down here I can get stuff dipped for around .35 to .45 cents a pound. Very cheap when you consider how long it would last galvanized.