Powder Coating Tensioner?

[Daniel Jost]

Has anyone powder coated a turbo Buick tensioner before?

I am thinking I probably can't do this since I see some plastic type material in there that I doubt is rated for 400° for 15 min, though I am hoping I'm wrong. I would love to make it match my main bracket color.

Let me know what you experienced.

Thanks, Dan

 

[Steve V]

Wondering the same...

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

It's usually in the oven for 30 minutes not 15 at 400! I've painted them with good results don't know if I would trust an expensive part to getting damaged.

 

[Royal-T-Ltd]

I've had mine powder coated and its still kicking… been done for almost 2-3 yrs

 

[Jay J]

Get out your buffing wheel if you need to do something. This is one of those very specific parts that you cannot find anymore...

 

[bishir]

I've been wondering this too. My kit is 20 mins at 400.

 

[psycho6cyl]

Sorry for.off topic what kit are you guys using?

 

[Phoneguy]

Had mine done several years ago by member Rmar ( Ronnie) No issues

Bryan

 

[Daniel Jost]

It's usually in the oven for 30 minutes not 15 at 400! I've painted them with good results don't know if I would trust an expensive part to getting damaged.

Are you a powder coater? What powders do you use that require 30 min@400?

Psycho6cyl, I use the Eastwood dual voltage kit and a standard home oven 15min@400 and it works very well! I might put it in at 375° and see if any of the plastic bushing stuff starts to get soft at all.

My theory is that tensioner has to withstand a minimum of 210° constant for 30+ years of use. Now measure under hood temps in the desert summer sun with A/C on and stuck in traffic with the exhaust being a nice set of heating coils. I don't think it would be too out of this world to think that the under hood temps are really starting to climb up there in the low 300s minimum. Now take into account the engineering staff knowing this as factual data I would assume they had actually taken I would think the true safety factor/falure point of the material would be somewhere around the low 400s before melting/deformation.

Thanks for the input from the guys who have already had theirs coated.

Thanks, Dan

 

[TRICKSIXPA]

I do not powder coat but I have a place I go to and have become friends with the owner pretty well. I've been pretty hands on with my parts since I've been going there. I've seen all the process I've even gotten to shoot one of my parts. Oven time is always 30 min they use mostly TCI paints and Tiger for the special coatings. The curing ovens there are huge I'm always joking I'm gonna roll my car in there and powder the whole thing in one shot!!

 

[rmar]

I've coated many, never had a problem.....O and on the temp? Powder actually has no temp range. ( of sorts.) When you purchase your powder it will come with a data sheet. On this sheet will be specific gravity/ hardness/ ect.... And a cure schedule. 400 degrees for let's say 15 min. would be a standard cure powder. The problem is that's substrate temp. So your cure time wouldn't actually start until the substrate temp reached 400. Them your 15 min.cure would apply from that point.
Most powders can be formulated in lower cure schedules to accommodate different processes.
If you are curing anything of substance in just 15 min chances are it is undercured. But last estimate I seem was somewhere around 60 ℅ of items that aren't light gauge are undercured.
The good thing is as long as you are using a convection type oven its pretty forgiving for over curing and a certain % is factored in by design.
Happy coating.

 

[Daniel Jost]

I've coated many, never had a problem.....O and on the temp? Powder actually has no temp range. ( of sorts.) When you purchase your powder it will come with a data sheet. On this sheet will be specific gravity/ hardness/ ect.... And a cure schedule. 400 degrees for let's say 15 min. would be a standard cure powder. The problem is that's substrate temp. So your cure time wouldn't actually start until the substrate temp reached 400. Them your 15 min.cure would apply from that point.
Most powders can be formulated in lower cure schedules to accommodate different processes.
If you are curing anything of substance in just 15 min chances are it is undercured. But last estimate I seem was somewhere around 60 ℅ of items that aren't light gauge are undercured.
The good thing is as long as you are using a convection type oven its pretty forgiving for over curing and a certain % is factored in by design.
Happy coating.

You are the guy with the info I was looking for! What temp/time are you running on the ones you are doing for reference? Are you saying 15 min isn't enough assuming the part is not pre-heated?

When I am coating I pre-heat the part and then spray then bake it for 15min at 400° unless I am using a powder that states a lower temp. I haven't had any problems so far with adhesion/chipping/flexability. I use this method even on my cast and powder coated 500 magnum and 44 Magnum bullets and have retrieved bullets before with all the coating in tact.

Thanks,Dan

 

[rmar]

Kind of a broad question.... but basically every oven is different as far as I set the knob to 400° Do you have a separate temp gauge to verify temp. As far as cure. Get a similar gauge metal (scrap).
Coat it , use MEK and a Q tip. It should pass 20 double rubs . Depending on the powder there should be little to no color on the Q tip. That's a cure check. The preheating you are doing helps make up for the deficiency of the powder gun. If you preheat higher and longer then your cure time/temp you can also eliminate most out gassing issues also.
So yes, there is a good chance you are under curing........most cure specs are done on basic bond right panels.
I've seen powders speced down to 200° for 8 min.
I've seen irfra red oven cure a panel in 2 min.....but it was burnt in 3.

I tell everyone to ask because if these a way to mess up powder I've ether done it or seen it done.

 

[Daniel Jost]

RMAR thanks for the input. Yes I have a temp gauge, I use the Lyman one I used during casting.

I ended up putting it in the oven for 15 min to preheat @400°F, I then pulled it out and sprayed on Eastwood OEM metallic silver and put it back in the oven for 20 min at the same 400°F. It came out very satisfactory IMO using this method with this specific powder, so take it for what it is. RMAR I am sure has much better methods and a lot more experience than me so he might be able to give better pointers.

I did not even see the slightest deformation of the "plastic" parts of the tensioner and they were still rigid when I poked at it after the first 15 minutes of heat before coating them.

Thanks,Dan

 

[rmar]

Most standard cure powders are around 400° for 12 min. So you are probably pretty close.
And if it works for you is all that really matters. The preheat will also help it get to temp quicker.
Looks good.
If you every want to clear over a base. Just half cure it , let it cool some , apply the clear then full cure. It will clean easier and last longer. Rule of thumb the prettier the color the less durable.

 

[WHITE T]

Ronnie…… the man

I was just waiting for him to step into this one!

 

[notacarlo]

You go Ronnie...damn. I just learned more than I wanted to ever know about the PC process!

Posted from the TurboBuick.Com mobile app

 

[precizion818]

Most standard cure powders are around 400° for 12 min. So you are probably pretty close.
And if it works for you is all that really matters. The preheat will also help it get to temp quicker.
Looks good.
If you every want to clear over a base. Just half cure it , let it cool some , apply the clear then full cure. It will clean easier and last longer. Rule of thumb the prettier the color the less durable.

Ronnie is the man!
Are you doing much coating recently?

 

[bishir]

I have the Eastwood system. Their manual says 20 minutes after the powder starts to "flow." I've just started doing this but it seems the out gassing/ preheating is a must on larger parts like the intake. I appreciate the replies from those who've done it since my tensioner was going to stand out if I didn't cost it...


While we're on this topic have any of you powder coated your pullies?

 

[rmar]

I have the Eastwood system. Their manual says 20 minutes after the powder starts to "flow." I've just started doing this but it seems the out gassing/ preheating is a must on larger parts like the intake. I appreciate the replies from those who've done it since my tensioner was going to stand out if I didn't cost it...
While we're on this topic have any of you powder coated your pullies?

Yep.......
Out gassing has nothing to do with size,as much as what kind of metal (cast, ferrous non ferrous) galv coating is iffy. Or just how much junk ( impurities) in the metal.

If you ever have any questions just ask.