Finish on heads

[hayleyl]

Hello all - can anyone tell me the correct finish for KHK heads? I have a pair that I'm in the process of repairing and twin plugging - they look like they've been painted silver. Should these be a raw bead blast finish or painted? I also have a set of KH heads in the same boat. Cheers Hayley.

[starcain]

Hayley, They should be a natural sand cast finish. I know some people painted them but they were never painted from the factory. Sometimes you will see some silver paint around the bottoms of them but that is from high temp silver paint that is used as a gasket/sealer. They didn't use head gaskets.
Stan

[hayleyl]

Thanks Stan, yep figured that, while there was 'gasket' paint, some clever bugger has decided to go mad with the spray can. Good news, straight to the hot tank and into the bead blaster then. Cheers Hayley.

[EKHKHK56]

Natural finish and outer fins polished on the outside only for KHK

[starcain]

Thanks Erik, A little over-sight on my part. I'm glad you mentioned that. Natural but polished outside on the "54 to "56 KHs and KHKs.
Stan

[Simon]

Was the polishing on the outside fin a "deluxe" or other cosmetic dealer option, or was it for all KHKs?

[EKHKHK56]

As far as I know the KHK heads had the outside fins polished from the factory and I don't think the KH heads were.

[hayleyl]

Thanks all for the input - and am I right in assuming cylinders should be silver? Unlike so many K series machines you see with black cylinders. Cheers Hayley.

[starcain]

Hayley, Let me correct myself on the years for polish. Been away from this for awhile so had to check the books. 1952 and 1953 Ks and KKs had the horizontal stripe on the gear case cover,primary cover and sprocket cover polished. Everything else was a natural sand cast finish. In 1954 the entire gear case cover, primary cover and sprocket cover were polished but the heads stayed sand cast on the KHs and KHKs. In 1955 the heads, gear case cover, primary cover and sprocket cover were polished on the KHs and KHKs. This carried over to the 1956 models as well. The two pictures are from the 1954 and 1955 Enthusiast announcment issues. Yes you are correct, the cylinders should be painted silver. Good luck on your project.
Stan

[hayleyl]

Thanks Stan - excellent information. Keep them ol' dogs barking. Cheers Hayley