How to Paint your Own Motorcycle

Motorcycle and chopper painting tutorial

PAINT AND PREP SUPPLIES 

Reducer 

Plastic Filler 

Flowable Putty 

Epoxy primer 

Epoxy Sealer 

Base color Paint 

Clear Coat 

80,120,400,600,1500,2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper

IMPROVISED PAINT BOOTH 

If you're like me, you don't have the luxury of a down-draft spray booth in your shop. Here's what I did. I cleaned out a storage room that's attached to the back of my shop. I lined the walls with white poly, and placed a variable speed fan in the window. I then went around with a roll of duct tape and sealed the perimeter of the fan to the surrounding poly on the walls. Now onto the lights. After the first time you try painting something, you'll quickly learn just how critical good lighting is. In fact when it comes to lighting, the brighter your paint area the better. A buddy gave me two four-tube florescent light fixtures, which I hung on opposite sides of my new spray booth. It's good to have reflective walls. Lining the walls with white poly not only saves your walls, but it's also quite reflective.

SAFETY 

Before I continue, I want to stress safety. It's a very bad I idea to paint in a room that's attached to your house. In fact, it may not be legal in some jurisdictions. Also, paint fumes are not only super toxic, they're highly flammable. Make sure your fixtures are wired properly, and that your fixtures are fully encased with lens covers attached. Last but not least, make sure you have a good quality respirator with the correct filters for the kind of paint you're using.

PAINT EQUIPMENT 

For tools you'll need at least two spray guns, a air regulator with a water trap, a compressor, and of course some air hose. As aforementioned, you'll need 2 paint guns... one for painting primer, and another for painting base and clear coats.

PREP FOR PAINT 

Be certain your fuel and oil tanks are pressure tested and leak free before you start. Ideally, it's good to sandblast your metal parts, especially if they have old paint on them. If you choose not to sandblast, make sure to sand them really thoroughly and wipe them down with a non oil-based cleaner prior to starting the job.

The next step is to apply filler to the low spots and any trouble areas. It's a matter of personal preference, but I like to spray a coat of epoxy primer prior to spraying on the base coat. This gives a nice base for the filler to adhere to. Prepare your filler in small amounts (it sets up fast) and apply it smoothly and evenly onto your part.

After the filler has dried, sand it smooth with 80 grit and look it over for any low spots or chips, then fill and sand again. After the necessary rounds of filler and sanding are finished, it's time to prime.

Spray on a couple of coats of epoxy primer. After the primer has dried, get a spray can of black paint and very lightly spray it over your part. This is the guide coat. The light black coat will show any ripples, low spots or defects in your handy work. To repair the problem areas that the guide coat exposed, you'll want to use flowable putty instead of filler. Apply the putty in thin even coats, then smooth it down with 80 grit sandpaper (wrapped around a rubber sanding block). Once you get the high spots leveled down, smooth it down even more with 120 grit, then finishing it with 400 grit. You're now ready for the last round of primer. Once the primer is dry, sand it thoroughly with 400 grit to give it a toothy surface for the base coat to stick to. I like to spray on a coat of epoxy sealer just prior to spraying the base colour coat. In addition to providing a ideal surface for applying the base color, it also prevents any solvents from coming through and causing bubbles in your clear coat. Make sure to follow the paint manufacturers spec sheets with regards to mixing times, mixing ratios and painting temperature. Failure to following the instructions will cause you much grief...believe me.

BASE COAT/CLEAR COAT 

Now comes the color coat. Lay down the colour coats as per your paint manufacturer's spec sheet. Next comes the clear. After the first round of clear has dried, wet sand it down with 600 grit. You'll notice rows of ridges appear in the clear as you sand. Keep sanding until the clear is even and the ridges are gone. If you're painting graphics on, now is the time to put them on. After applying your graphics, cover them with another round of clear. It may take one or more rounds of clear to completely bury the graphics. Be sure to wet sand flat with 600 grit between rounds of clear. After the last round of clear has been sprayed, sand it down flat with 600 grit like before. When it's nice and smooth, finish it off with 1500 grit. If you want to get it even more silky smooth, go for a final round of 2000 grit.

POLISHING 

Now for the gratifying part. The final step is to polish it to a mirror finish. You'll need a variable speed polisher, a buffing pad, and some polishing compound. There are many different kinds of buffing compound available. Your local automotive supply store will be able to recommend a good one.

BMW "No Reverse" Transmission Problem

An automatic transmission is just that- automatic, consequently most people tend to pay very little attention to it until a major problem rears its ugly head.

Picture the scenario- you are driving along in the lap of luxury, the satellite radio blaring and the heated seats on. You have become accustomed to the comfort level and great driving experience brought to you by BMW.

You decide to stop at the local convenience store on your way home to grab some ice cream for the kids and a bottle of water for yourself. Upon returning to your car, you start it up, check your rear view mirror, put the shifter in reverse and then the unthinkable happens- the engine just revs as if it is in neutral and the car goes nowhere!

This article deals with the reasons behind an unexpected loss of reverse in certain BMW automatic transmission equipped vehicles, specifically the 3 series and 5 series vehicles that use the ZF5HP19 or steptronic transmission. This includes the popular 323i, 323ci, 325i, 328i, 330i, 525i, 528i, 530i, X3 and X5 models well as some others built in the 1999 to present model years.

To eliminate confusion, this does not apply to vehicles equipped with the GM 5L40 E transmission, just the ones with the sometimes problematic ZF5HP19. The 5L40 E has some issues of its own that are beyond the scope of this article but are certainly going to be the subject of another.

The failure rate for these transmissions seems to be very high and is expected to become much more of a problem as time goes by.

Typically, the vehicle is working perfectly while driving forward but when it is put in reverse there is a complete and permanent loss of movement to back up.

Reverse is typically a major feat for any transmission to accomplish- imagine the demands that are placed on a gearbox as it is asked to reverse the torque of your engine so that you can back up your nearly 4000 pound vehicle.

By far, the most common cause of the reverse problem in BMW's is the failure of the D-G clutch drum. Specifically, the snap ring that retains the D or reverse clutch breaks out of the clutch drum resulting in an inability for the clutch pack to apply.

The good news is that there is hope in regards to a proper repair. The factory has released an updated part that so far appears to be a permanent fix for this problem.

In our testing and in conjunction with several hundred successful repairs at our facilities, the new part seems to be metallurgically superior in several ways. 

We have found that there is an improved radius area as well as slightly thicker casting. In addition to this, the grove that retains the snap ring is also relocated further away from the edge of the drum.

With this issue addressed and attention to detail in several other areas of the ZF5HP19 unit, the transmission can be repaired to "better than new" condition by a competent transmission rebuilder / remanufacturer. In fact, when properly repaired, the ZF gearbox becomes quite robust and can provide an almost indefinite service life.

Petrol Engine Versus Diesel Engine

The choice between Petrol cars and Diesel cars is highly debated right from the inception of these two engine types. There have been endless discussions on this topic among car enthusiasts across the world including India. This article is dedicated to comparing these two most famous engine variations.

Differences Between Petrol and Diesel Engines

The most distinguishing feature of the diesel engine is that it uses compression ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber during the final stage of compression. In a diesel engine, fuel is injected at high pressure into the hot, compressed air in the cylinder, which causes it to burn and no spark is required for this. Thus, "compression ignition" is done rather than "spark ignition". The petrol engine is known as a "spark ignition" engine.

The Petrol engine uses the Otto cycle in which a fuel/air mixture is ignited by a spark plug. The air and fuel mixture when ignited by a spark burns and thereby expands to force the piston down. In case of a petrol engine, fuel and air are pre-mixed usually before compression. Earlier the pre-mixing used to be done in a carburetor but now (except in the smallest engines) electronically-controlled fuel injection is used for this. The pre-mixing of fuel and air makes a petrol engine to run at a much higher speed than a diesel. However, it severely limits their compression, and thus efficiency.

Diesel engines offer better fuel efficiency when compared to petrol due to the fact that they have higher compression ratio. Another advantage is that, a diesel engine can be more easily turbocharged than a petrol engine because of the fact that if the compression ratio and the pressure in the cylinder are high during the inlet stroke, the mixture starts to burn to soon, while the piston is on its way up. The diesel engine has no fuel in the cylinder and thus allows the turbocharger to suck as much air as it can without creating any problem.

The higher compression ratio is helpful in raising fuel efficiency. Diesel engines are much more efficient than petrol engines when at low power and at engine idle. Diesel engines, unlike the petrol engine, lack a butterfly valve (throttle) in the inlet system, which closes at idle. This creates parasitic loss and destruction of availability of the incoming air, reducing the efficiency of petrol/gasoline engines at idle. This mechanism makes the diesel engine an attractive choice for many. Diesel engines are left idle for many hours or sometimes days in many applications, such as marine, agriculture, and railways. The engines are more efficient when compared to petrol engines of the same power. They consume significantly lower fuel and offer better mileage.

A diesel engine can relatively last longer, due to the fact that petrol destroys lubrication and diesel doesn't. While all the above support diesel engines, a major advantage of petrol engines is that they are relatively lighter than diesel engines. Engine weight is an important factor which affects speed and performance of a car. This is one of the reasons why some of the fastest cars in the world run on petrol. It should be noted that even though diesel engines are heavier and make the automobile heavy, they have more torque.

Engines and Emissions

Diesel engines consume around 30% less fuel than petrol engines and this results in much lesser carbon dioxide emissions. The diesel engines produce virtually no carbon monoxide and are much safer than petrol engines. Tests done on car emissions reveal that while Nitrogen Oxides are higher in a new diesel engine when compared to a new petrol engine. But by the time they cover 50,000 miles or so, they are the same and after that the petrol engine produces more Oxides than the diesel engine. Hydrocarbon emissions contained in petrol engine emissions are considerably more than that in diesel engine emissions. However, diesel is certainly more dangerous from the point of view of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM). SPM refers to solid particles suspended in open air, such as soot generated by combustion of various fuels. They might cause respiratory problems because of their tendency to deposit themselves in the lungs. Though much has been done to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from the petrol engine, still more needs to be done.

Hybrid Cars Advantages and Disadvantages

Hybrid cars are considered as the car of the future. It is able to effectively conserve fuel and at the same time, it only produces low levels of toxic fumes. Because of these benefits, hybrid cars are now growing in popularity every single day. Many people are now considering getting rid of their conventional cars and purchase a hybrid car to help in cutting fuel consumption cost.

Hybrid cars have two engines for it to effectively conserve fuel consumption. It has the traditional gasoline engine and it also has an electric motor and batteries. The two engines work together in order to cut fuel consumption. With this technology, you will be able to cut fuel usage by more than half. Just imagine, with a hybrid car, you will be able to go more than 60 miles to the gallon. With this kind of savings, hybrid cars are definitely the car of the future.

Hybrid car owners virtually do not feel the increasing cost in fuel prices. This is the main advantage of the hybrid car. There are other advantages that a hybrid car can give you. Recently, the President of the United States has signed an agreement that hybrid car buyers will be able to enjoy tax incentives. This means that by owning a hybrid car, you will be able to save money on taxes.

There are other benefits that the government imposes on hybrid car owners, such as free parking, and free entry to car pool lanes. Some even offer discounted fees on toll gates.

The braking in hybrid cars is also configured to capture the energy released and uses it to charge the batteries inside the hybrid car. This means that unlike electric cars, hybrid cars do not actually need to be charged from your home electric outlet.

However, with all the advantages that a hybrid car can give you, there are also disadvantages. The main disadvantage of hybrid cars is that the retail price is quite expensive. Only people who have enough money can purchase hybrid cars. However, the twist in all this is that hybrid cars are actually cheaper when compared to conventional cars in the long run. If you compute the total fuel consumption of both cars, you will actually see that you can save a lot more money on hybrid cars.

The only thing is that hybrid cars are expensive right from the car lot.

Hybrid cars are relatively heavy because of the heavy batteries installed inside the car. This is why hybrid car manufacturers integrates smaller internal combustion engines and are constructed with light materials and should be aerodynamic in order to maximize efficiency. This means that hybrid cars can never really go fast.

Another issue about hybrid cars is that it is very risky in accidents. What makes a hybrid car work effectively is also what makes it risky if it ever gets involved in an accident. This is because hybrid cars stores high amount of voltage in its batteries. This means that there is a high chance of getting electrocuted when you get involved in an accident. This also means that it is relatively difficult for rescuers to get the drivers and passengers out of the hybrid cars because of the dangers of high voltage in the car.

These are the advantages and the disadvantages of hybrid cars. Car manufacturers today are now looking for ways to get rid of the disadvantages of hybrid cars. In the near future, you will see that hybrid cars will be lighter and also contains less risk due to high voltage dangers.

Denver and limousines Voila the perfect match

No wonder that Denver is one of the most exotic places in the blue planet. It is profound with the culture and arts. Carved in a beautiful natural settings, Denver its worth visiting.  And what could be the ideal way of traveling around the old west and new west in a Denver limousine?  Denver and limousines Voila the perfect match. Denver is city of contrast, matured with the pre-historic monuments and historic mining town; it is also the modern city with the skyscrapers. Denver is rich in architectural buildings, scenic area and is best known for its wonderful museums.

Tourism has been the culture in numerous modern societies. Leisure time is need of all and when a life runs in a fast pace, it turns out to be all weary.  While traveling, sense of adventure and indulgence turns up and brings livelihood in boredom. Makes you feel anxious (nervous and excited) at the same time. And while traveling to new place, transportation always plays a key role whether it is for a business purpose or recreational purpose.

With the help of  DIA transportation, you should be least worried about finding a taxi or going throughout the perplexed assertion of traveling agencies or car rental companies. Denver limousine has been playing an important role in providing its customer hassle –free, the most reliable and safe services. You will be poured with the various alternatives such as, if you are planning to go for a tour in a mass and want less expensive journey (recession tour) then DIA shuttle would be best option for you. And if you are arranging to travel for business or for recreational purpose, Denver limousine would definitely fit into your cup.

Denver is the place where you won't be disappointed after visiting, especially if you are looking for an indoor and outdoor excursion.  Along with the Rocky Mountains, national and state parks, national forest and museums, holding the significance of performing arts, American culture, nature and science, you would be absolutely satisfied with immense pleasure. And DIA limousine will help you gain the pleasant experience while traveling to these eccentric yet beautiful places. Denver limousine has been the perfectionist in providing the superiors limousines and shuttle for more than a 10 years. From airport picks up to drops off, you can use the Denver services for a day excursions tour, concerts, theaters, ski resorts, casino trips, shopping, spa visit and corporate transportation for conventions or meetings. Denver limousine with the pleasure takes a responsibility of transportation for your vacation and tours. Lavish limousines are crafted with the most recent entertainments and amenities for your joyful ride escorted by professional driver or chauffeur.

Denver limousine is best known for providing its customer the most flexible and desirable services from point to point, to facilitate comfortable and easier traveling to set your schedule and timing at very affordable price. DIA transportation assures you with the safest and joyful ride so you will have the best lifetime experience here in Denver, Colorado.

Technical Interior For Protect Your Car

Brake Rotors are devices that are useful for any kind of vehicle as these help in the effective performance and improve the stopping power. All kinds of cars need the facility of Performance Brake Rotors for proper functioning. Brakes are necessary for safety and these are installed for increasing the braking ability so that they work better at the stopping distances. Cquence is one stop shop for your rotors and pads for your vehicle. The company guarantees you top quality parts you need from the company's wide inventory. Additionally all parts are available at an affordable range. Get yourself quality brake parts and accessories from Cquence. The rotors help to most drivers to know what they need to perform a little routine maintenance to keep their vehicle in proper working condition.

Maintaining your vehicle regularly may involve several procedures such as changing the engine oil, keeping up with proper tire pressure and occasionally monitoring the levels of each of the vehicle's vital fluids. On the other hand some components and systems of the vehicle such as the Brake Rotors require a little more maintenance. If you regularly maintain the fluid level and change your Brake Pads then your vehicle will run smoothly. These rotors are a vital component in the braking system that is used to stop your vehicle. . These are also called brake discs as they are needed for the clamp down on to stop the wheels from spinning. The rotors are actually just as important to stopping the vehicle as the pads are. Like other parts, there are several different kinds of rotors also available at Cquence.

Brake Rotors are among the brake system that goes a far way to stop the car running at huge speed. Braking systems are valuable and works against the momentum of a heavy car. The rotors are actually are extremely material that deserves appreciation as it is magnificent technology that converts the kinetic energy into heat energy in a safe and secure, imperceptible manner. Cquence is a company that also offers Brake Best Brake Pads. The braking system is necessary that helps in the mechanism that goes behind stopping a car.

What Color Should I Paint My Car?

If you are wondering, "what color should I paint my car", then you are not alone.  Motorists have pondered this question since Henry Ford rolled the first Model T off of his assembly line. I found one site, learnautobodyandpaint.com, which helped me immensely when I was deciding what color I should paint my car. The following three tips were also borrowed from there.

The first tip for deciding what color I should paint my car was to look at various colors in different lighting conditions.  I found that this could be done in a grocery store parking lot or while driving down the street.  I kept a pen and paper handy in my car to jot down the makes, models, and colors of cars that caught my eye.  I was able to minimize my time in the auto body and paint store as this made it quite simple for the clerk to find the specific color I was looking for. While there is a paint book with samples in it, these samples do not often reflect the actual color of the paint in sunlight.

Looking at magazines and going to car shows can also be helpful when you make your choice.  The paint jobs you will see in magazines and shows will often be done by professionals.  While at shows, it is a good idea to ask some of these car owners why they chose the color they did.  This will give you useful insight that can be taken into account when deciding on a color for your project. You will also want to take into account resale value.  The professional's at auto shows will be the first to tell you that resale value is a paramount concern when choosing a color. It is mostly common sense, but be forewarned. If you choose a pastel green for your Chevy Camaro it will likely lower the resale value!

The final tip will be to choose the correct paint type for your specific project.  If you want to paint a newer model car, then your project will likely require urethane paint.  If you are painting a classic car or undertaking a restoration project, then you will need an acrylic lacquer or acrylic enamel.  Make sure to use the same type of paint on the entire car. Basically, if you start with urethane you should use urethane on the entire project. Do not mix paint types when painting a car!

Well, there you have it.  As promised, three tips that will help you choose an awesome color. For more detailed explanations of these tips, make sure to log on to learnautobodyandpaint.com.

Need for auto transport amenities

Auto transport often is the exceedingly specialised branch in the moving industry. Auto transport are also able to with no trouble be clear as the process of moving the vehicle over one location to the other. If you are in need to move a vehicle overseas then usefulness of auto transport comes. Maybe shipping a car from 1 position to a different the very first thing to try and do may be to discover the distance involved at the shipment.

An auto transport quote is simple to apply, to find a transport quote on your automobile with no trouble get a number of facts concerning these conception with the vehicle, origin, city and destination and the method to transport these vehicle. 

There's a lot of auto transport companies which ask the purchasers to refill the varieties plus points like electronic message lecture to, home address as well as cellular number to locate the transport quotes. The merit of auto transport quote continues to be which it speedily calculates the right rate plus presents you by sudden advice with no delay. Among the auto transport corporations give you accurate transportation costs without requiring any identifying strategies inside advance. 

Present are countless applicable automobile deliver advantage, it is usually the most frequently applied style distribute through the automotive sellers who can assist them to move automobiles through one situate to an added. The auto transport continues to be a very cost effective process regardless of whether on the topic of these shifting of automobiles via one place to one more. 

The auto transportation companies and their conveniences might be assessable through the web, they're just honest, insured as well as provide a door to door delivery, they get the part of transporting virtually all various cars. The superior method with the automobile convey amenities helps on the hastily in addition to simplified release to their consumers along with the can help within construction recognition along at the eyes of the purchasers as well as on the market. The auto transport ability will have offered comfort used for the customers maybe delivery their cars in addition to additionally make available automobile insurance for the harm caused due to the environmental challenges or as a consequence of another set off. Plenty of valued clientele find benefits on the car transportation services; the demand in this area is increasing due to the rise in car moving companies. Car shipping quote is necessary for the make sure the safety with the car being transported, to compute the affordable delivery quotes in addition to to judge the quality within the auto shipping organisations. The car shipping quotes might be very much necessary; it not just mentions the rate of transportation but in addition provides further information such as auto insurance in the course of shipping, version of shipping advantage as well as the type of trailers carried out to transport autos. The vehicle transport service carries a main factor, that may be the cost it moves depending on the type of service the company provides. The gap plays a pertinent role even if factoring these values. The payment procedure may also vary by means of one organization for the a further. Designed for the security within the vehicle, intended for diverse safety effectiveness added values will be the exciting and the intended for loading as well as unloading conveniences. Insurance is another part that are suitable to be made clear ahead of transportation.

The All in One Info System for Your Car

If you have purchased a new car and are thinking about having a nice complete customized control system for your car such as a great audio system, GPS and a car security system, the best you can do is to get a complete package, which consists of everything from music, GPS, reverse parking camera to car security system.  The new age systems are a complete technological hub because these systems are made such that all the facilities are integrated into one unit. 

There are many manufacturers who offer integrated car security system that are reliable, efficient, save space and are cost effective. Traditionally, you have a head unit for audio, a GPS device, a separate car security system and other functional units in the car. The problem with such products is that they take up lots of useable space of your car dashboard and are expensive as well. Car security systems are of various types depending on your budget and car type.

Major unit manufacturers these days include a LCD screen so that you can use it as a GPS device as well as for reverse parking. The advantage here being that you get all the extra features in the audio head unit and there is no need for added systems. Your car audio installation should be done along with the GPS and car security system so that they can be properly connected to each other.

Basic installation of car audio system consists of the head unit, speakers, rear speakers, amplifier and subwoofer. During the audio installation, a lot of precaution should be taken because if wires are left hanging, they might cause damage to the entire system in the car. Additionally, if a car security system has been fit previously, don't mix or cut any wires of the two security system. This might cause damage and will ultimately stop working.

GPS navigation is very important nowadays because not knowing the way or treading the wrong path can be a problem when you off on long drives. GPS can be fitted in any car audio or car security system because the screen can be used as a reference map. Many car audio manufacturers have come up with models which have GPS by default; hence the screen of the head unit can also be used for searching road routes. 

Another useful feature is an IPod integration with your car audio system unit via the auxiliary or USB port which is present on the head unit. Your car security system should also include engine immobilizer, siren, gear lock and cameras. The immobilizer is used to immobilize the engine of the car in case it has been broken into.  Car security system is very important because of the increase in the number of thefts reported worldwide. Car security system provides a high degree of security to your car.

Why taking driving lessons can benefit you

I'm sure many of us can think of ways to spend our money other than on driving lessons, but when you're spending your money on driving lessons you know that you will benefit from it, unlike buying a new pair of shoes or a new video game.

Taking driving lessons in Wakefield or wherever you're situated in the UK gives you an invaluable skill that sticks with you forever. Taking driving lessons enables you to pass your practical driving test and obtain the pink driving licence that others who don't choose to spend their money wisely lack.

Passing your driving test opens up a whole new prospectus of life to you. You're free to go wherever and do whatever you like; this is a huge benefit to taking driving lessons and passing your driving test. Many job opportunities also arise within the transport industry such as taxi drivers and becoming a driving instructor!

Many people only see the money leaving their bank account and not how they're benefiting from taking driving lessons. Your driving lessons allow you to move on to the next chapter of your life by giving you more independence. You no longer have to rely on public transport services and favours to move around the country. You will find once you're able to drive you will become very popular with family members and friends who haven't yet took driving lessons resulting in you becoming the favour!

Driving makes you feel free and although the novelty may wear off your ability to drive never will, when you take driving lessons you're taught to be safe on the road. Safety is something you can't buy on your lessons and must be learnt. Taking driving tuition teaches you the rules of the road and how to stay safe; hardly anyone goes in for their driving test without having professional tuition.  

Making sure you benefit as much as possible from your driving lessons is vital to make sure you get the best value for your money. Be sure to ask any questions to your instructor and they will answer it the best they can. Most driving instructors are very helpful and encourage you to ask a question when something isn't clear.

There are many benefits to learning how to drive and this can only be achieved by taking driving lessons. Spend your money on bettering your knowledge and get the most from your driving lessons Wakefield.