2112

Not talking the decorative hardware per se, but rather the process used to protect metal (aluminum engine/ drive parts).

Is is it like plating? What are its advantages over coatings such as Gil Coating?

VIPER7

Most of the aluminum anodized parts that are seen on a boat are not hard coated. The aluminum material in most cases is etched and then anodized to give an oxide coating on the material to protect it from corroding, etc.. Anodized aluminum can also be a flat finish or a gloss finish depending on the processes used.

mcollinstn

Yeah, anodizing is sort of "controlled corrosion". What we commonly refer to as corrosion is an external chemical reaction between a metal and its environment.

The word corrosion, though, is derived from roots that mean "eating away", which anodizing clearly is NOT.

When metals react to factors in their environment, it usually is a continual process. Anodizing actually focuses the reaction across the entire surface of the part, leaving no exposed base material. Then, there is no "fresh meat" for a renewed reaction to occur with. This makes the treated product "stable" so it should retain that look and provide a barrier between corrosive environment and the base material.

Just like paint, cosmolene, plating, or Rhino-liner, if the anodized surface gets "compromised" (with a scrape or other break in its surface) it will allow renewed chemical reactions between the base material and the environment.

This is my area of concern with any highly reactive metal in a salt environment. You nick the "coating" and it will eat the insides out of the part.

Just so you know the "downside"...

Pismo10

Iron and aluminum both oxidize when exposed to oxygen. Iron unfortunately becomes iron oxide/rust which we know is weak, brittle, unstable, useless. Aluminum becomes aluminum oxide which is stable, hard, chemically indistiguishable from sapphire, therefore very useful stable, and resistant. Anodizing aluminum electrochemically forces the oxide to form creating a layer of aluminum oxide on the surface, to varying depths depending on length and type of treatment, to provide stability, strength and corrosion reisitance.

LubeJobs42

iTrader: (2)

If an item is anodized with one color purple cn it be changed to another shade of purple?

mcollinstn

I believe you have to polish the color off before you can recolor it, else it is blotchy.

mopower

Hard anodized Canfield heads

2112

And this is why I ask.

It is the hard anodized heads that I am interested in. It appears you had them done after porting was completed. Did you have the guides and seats removed and then send the heads into them to be hard anodized?

How much do they charge?

Is there any difficulty putting the seats and guides back in?

Do you still have to deck the heads at this point or did you do it before?

Is Canfield the only outfit doing this?

open87

iTrader: (2)

the head is casted and machined then coated .after that they have the guides , valves etc done.
i just painted my engine yesterday , i have canfield heads. i bought from ke a few years back , most head manufactures offer the service for a extra charge. (worth it imho) i will post pics of mine monday.

2112

Open;

Did you say after the guides and seats are in? My heads have guides and seats and are ported. I am trying to determine if it is not too late to cost effectively do this for the added protection.

Did the pait stick the the anodized aluminum? If so which paint did you use.

Did the get the water passages completely covered?