battery acid attack
- DuC-MaN
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 907 I.E.
- year: 1992
- Location: Middelburg, The Netherlands
battery acid attack
Why is it that, both my 907 and 750 Paso have a (previous owner) history of explosions of the battery? Due to battery acid, the paint of frame and aluminium swing-arm are not that nice anymore...
I noticed that the battery is kept in place by rubber knobs and a sponge...
My '94 SuperSport had rubber fasteners over it which secured the battery tightly.
What causes those acid attacks?
What can I do to prevent it from happening again?
I noticed that the battery is kept in place by rubber knobs and a sponge...
My '94 SuperSport had rubber fasteners over it which secured the battery tightly.
What causes those acid attacks?
What can I do to prevent it from happening again?
| '92 907 I.E. | '88 750 Paso under construction |
- jcslocum
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 1714
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1988
- Location: Eastern Shore, MD
- Contact:
The acid attackes are caused by the battery overcharging and boiling the acid out. The root cause of the problem is the crappy electrics. With the voltage losses in the Paso system, the regulator "thinks" that the battery is low and charges the crap out of it. Some cleaning and rewiring will help alleviate the problem.
- redpaso
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:00 am
- model: 906 Paso
- year: 1989
- Location: Land of OZ (traylia that is) Troy Bayliss Country
Thanks jon, I was wonderingthe same thing as I had an acid attack on my swingarm & pants while riding reciently & thought it was odd but I had also lost the breather hose so that it why it did not drop to the ground. So what can be done to restore the swingarm to pristine condition again?
Redpaso
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
- redpaso
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 12:00 am
- model: 906 Paso
- year: 1989
- Location: Land of OZ (traylia that is) Troy Bayliss Country
That sounds good to me, the nights are getting cold now so it is a good time to get into it. I work on a ratio of 5 minutes rubbing then 15 minutes looking at the (lack of) progress I have made (Port bottle in hand, naturally). I should have the swingarm looking new by winters end
Redpaso
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
"My favourite peice of Ballet is a long sweeping corner"
-
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1988
- Location: Saronno (Varese), Italy
It's an old post, but I have the same problem: battery acid ruined the swingarm surface and I would like to restore it.
Did anybody try to polish the swingarm? Is the result satisfying? Does it take a long time?
I found a procedure in internet:
1) remove dirt and oil with soap
2) rub with abrasive paper, starting with size 800, ending with 1200 (waterproof)
3) drill (or grinding wheel) with soft sponge, using diluited abrasive cream/paste
4) metal polish, applied manually with cotton
Is it correct? It seems veeeery long...
Did anybody try to polish the swingarm? Is the result satisfying? Does it take a long time?
I found a procedure in internet:
1) remove dirt and oil with soap
2) rub with abrasive paper, starting with size 800, ending with 1200 (waterproof)
3) drill (or grinding wheel) with soft sponge, using diluited abrasive cream/paste
4) metal polish, applied manually with cotton
Is it correct? It seems veeeery long...
- paso750
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 5560
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: southern Germany
note that polished parts need a lot of care if they`re not sprayed with a clear coat.
Just check some car forums and posts of guys who polished their cars rims.
Chainspray, fuel and whatever abrasive material touches a polished surface will impact the shine or leave dull or white spots. So if you`re not a person only riding in nice weather you will find yourself repolishing probably more often than you`d like to.
I know I have such a bike.
It will look like this at the beginning...
http://www.box.net/public/a5kqhx4gdn
... and after 2 rides like this
http://www.box.net/public/gnjilih79f
G.
PS: in Germany it can happen that you also get prolems with technical inspection as the tester can argue that polishing will remove material also from the welding spots and influence stability (which I don`t believe unless one would try to grind down the weldings and polish it then to make them disappear, but who would do that)
Just check some car forums and posts of guys who polished their cars rims.
Chainspray, fuel and whatever abrasive material touches a polished surface will impact the shine or leave dull or white spots. So if you`re not a person only riding in nice weather you will find yourself repolishing probably more often than you`d like to.
I know I have such a bike.
It will look like this at the beginning...
http://www.box.net/public/a5kqhx4gdn
... and after 2 rides like this
http://www.box.net/public/gnjilih79f
G.
PS: in Germany it can happen that you also get prolems with technical inspection as the tester can argue that polishing will remove material also from the welding spots and influence stability (which I don`t believe unless one would try to grind down the weldings and polish it then to make them disappear, but who would do that)
- DuC-MaN
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 907 I.E.
- year: 1992
- Location: Middelburg, The Netherlands
the problem with my swingarm is that there are miniscule putholes in the surface of the aluminium...
I guess those were camouflaged by the anodization of the swingarm, or the battery acid did the metal attack...
To smooth the surface I should sandpaper at least half a millimetre off......
solutions:
1. anodize the total swingarm (don't know if that is possible or easy to do with "old" metals (greasy, contaminated surface))
2. sandpaper/-blast the thing and spraypaint it (cheap)
3. sandblast and powdercoat the swingarm (stronger than paint)
4. look for another swingarm...
I think I am going for #3.
| '92 907 I.E. | '88 750 Paso under construction |
- paso750
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 5560
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: southern Germany
do not sandplast aluminium parts.
There`re less aggressive methods like ie glass pearl blasting (don`t know the correct english term)
furthermore note that powder coating is indeed a very resistant surface but if you need to retouch due to some scratches, things will become more difficult because there`s no good way to spot repair a scratched powder coat.
last comment. Bikeshops sell universal battery acid overflow cannisters which is nothing else than a plastic tube with one in and out tube on top of which one is connected to the battery. I had one of those and it only requires to take off the rear side fairing once in a while to check if this thing needed to be emptied. I had it mounted on the side of the battery compartment.
(after that I went for a no-maintainence sealed battery)
There`re less aggressive methods like ie glass pearl blasting (don`t know the correct english term)
furthermore note that powder coating is indeed a very resistant surface but if you need to retouch due to some scratches, things will become more difficult because there`s no good way to spot repair a scratched powder coat.
last comment. Bikeshops sell universal battery acid overflow cannisters which is nothing else than a plastic tube with one in and out tube on top of which one is connected to the battery. I had one of those and it only requires to take off the rear side fairing once in a while to check if this thing needed to be emptied. I had it mounted on the side of the battery compartment.
(after that I went for a no-maintainence sealed battery)
Last edited by paso750 on Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- DuC-MaN
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 907 I.E.
- year: 1992
- Location: Middelburg, The Netherlands
U r rightpaso750 wrote:do not sandplast aluminium parts.
There`re less aggressive methods like ie glass pearl blasting (don`t know the correct english term)
I even believe sand blasting is not allowed anymore its now all glass pearl (something like that) blasting... (cause it's environment friendlier...)
| '92 907 I.E. | '88 750 Paso under construction |
- paso750
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 5560
- Joined: Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: southern Germany
before you do that buy yourself a classic car magazine and check the ads. I`m sure there`re a lot of specialists who can give you some hints what to do best. Just an idea ...the problem with my swingarm is that there are miniscule putholes in the surface of the aluminium...
... To smooth the surface I should sandpaper at least half a millimetre off......