Refinishing stock cam gears?

[Calan]

I'm hoping to pick up some Fidanza ACG's, but if funds run out that plan will go on hold (... he said "if"). So, I'll probably refinish my stockers and run them for a few months.

Has anyone refinished the stock gears? They are some type of steel alloy, and I'm guessing they are factory coated with some other anti-rust alloy.

Mine are nasty so I took a media blaster to one of the spokes, and it looks NICE. So I was thinking of doing the interiors and clear coating them afterwards, but I'm thinking the T-belt surface probably shouldn't be touched with the blast or clear coat.

What if they were powder coated? What do you do with the gear teeth in that case?

Ideas?

 

[turbosax2]

When I did mine I didn't blast the the teeth that the belt rides on. I powdercoated everything but the teeth (they were taped off). It looks good and works well, but dang those cam gears are a pain to powdercoat. I had to outgas them A LOT before they were ready to coat.

 

[Bud92gsx]

Paint..Would paint work?

 

[Calan]

Eric... how did you handle the transition from the PC to where the belt rides? It seems like the edge would chip pretty bad there, if the PC went all the way up to the belt edge.

 

[dylnwit]

I'd say leave the 'rim' alone, and just do the spokes of them, but that's just me. Maybe just spray them with some engine paint or VHT?

 

[turbosax2]

I just tape the teeth off all the way to the edge. The timing belt rides in the middle of the cam gears so it doesn't ever get to the edge (rather, shouldn't get to the edge.) The powder is really strong, it won't chip there. In fact, I can't remember my powder ever chipping with the exception of bolts and parts that I flexed a lot after coating. Actually, the set I did for my brother I laid the powder on a little too thick (woops!) and we had to find the timing marks on the cam gears and groove them out again so we could time the engine.

 

[Calan]

UPDATE

I blasted them and then clear-coated them with Duplicolor clear engine paint. (cheap fix until I can afford some ACG's). They came out pretty nice I think...here's a before and after shot:

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It's a crappy cell phone pic that doesn't do them justice, but you get the idea.

BTW - The ugly ass gear in the pic is what they both looked like after being cleaned with both brake cleaner and simple green...and that was as good as it got before blasting. Afterwards they both look nicer than brand new

 

[toofast82]

Definitely looks a lot cleaner!
Still plan on running the tbelt cover?

 

[Calan]

Still plan on running the tbelt cover?

Absolutely.

I have one of the Zaklee clear covers that I run

 

[toofast82]

Absolutely.

I have one of the Zaklee clear covers that I run

That's what I like to hear! Should look great throught the clear cover

 

[Calan]

No way in hell I'm gonna spend $2500 on a new motor and then screw it up by getting crap in the timing belt because of no cover

 

[rush2252]

No way in hell I'm gonna spend $2500 on a new motor and then screw it up by getting crap in the timing belt because of no cover

IF you go to norman tomorrow and get the "stuff" I want you to do mine! pleease please they look clean as hell. It would give me a reason to rock the clear timing cover.