Coolant Reservoir Blackout
I always found the coolant reservoir somewhat unsightly even with the fairings on. Blacking the reservoir out makes it a lot less noticeable and Plasti Dip is a good alternative to paint because Plastidip is easy to remove. However, you will have to look a lot harder at the back of the bottle with only a small window left open to view the coolant level.
It’s pretty simple to apply Plasti Dip but masking areas presents a bit of a challenge. The dried coating stretches and does not break cleanly along dried tape lines. The edge must be neatly scored with an exacto knife before pulling up the tape. While not perfectly clean, the scoring method works fine to make a window on the coolant reservoir which is hidden under the fairing for the most part. The video link below shows a process of removing the tape while the Dip is still wet. I have not tried it but I think that approach would be preferable to scoring the edge of the masked areas as shown in this tutorial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kBWaSDmj0g
Tools:
Masking tape
soap and water
exacto knife
a piece of wood
two 1/2” x 3/4” wood screws
screwdriver
black Plastidip
Do first:
*Remove the LH Forman, Fuel tank Fairing, LH ram air cover, LH Lower and LH side fairing (see Fairings Removal).
*Remove Coolant Reservoir (see Radiator Flush and Coolant Change, step 3). Disconnect the two small hoses from the reservoir. Several ounces of coolant will probably leak out when the lower hose is disconnected so be ready to catch that in a container. Empty the rest of the coolant from reservoir.
1. Remove the reservoir cap. Mask off the two nipples and the threaded potion of the filler neck.
2. Wash the outside of the coolant reservoir with soap and water. Make sure no soap or tap water contaminates the inside of the reservoir. Let the outside of the reservoir dry thoroughly and wipe it with denatured alcohol.
3. Use masking tape to cover the areas that you will use as windows to check the coolant level in the reservoir. Use an exacto knife to trim the mask to whatever size and shape you like.
This picture shows the initial shape I cut for a side coolant level window. It seemed too prominent after installing the reservoir. I later masked a narrower portion and resprayed it. However, making the window too small will make viewing the coolant level difficult.
There is a mark on the side of the reservoir that seems to coincide with the Low mark on the back of the bottle. With this small of a window, it’s pretty hard to read without shining a flashlight in the top of the reservoir.
4. Fasten the reservoir loosely to a piece of wood with two 1/2” x 3/4” wood screws. This will make a convenient handle to hold while spraying the reservoir.
5. Apply two wet coats of black Plasti Dip. Wait 30 minutes between coats. The back of the reservoir is not visible when installed but you may coat it after the front has dried.
I don’t recommend doing a light tack coat as is sometimes done with spray paint. Plastidip applies in a coarse spray and it is likely to cause some graininess if it is applied lightly. Apply the dip wet so it flows. The hollows where the screws are located are a bit challenging to spray without getting a run but you should be able to cover them after a couple coats.
6. After the Plasti Dip has dried, use a brand new exacto blade to score along the edge of the masking tape. Carefully pull up an edge of the the mask and pull it off.
A dull blade will skip and give you a ragged cut that will pull up the Plasti Dip. You should not need to press hard at all to score the Plasti Dip neatly if you use a very sharp blade. 
7. Install the coolant reservoir and hoses. Fill the reservoir with proper coolant to the H line.
Reserve Tank Bolts, Torque: 87 inch lbs., use non permanent locking agent
Install fairings.
* Last updated by: Rook on 12/2/2017 @ 12:58 PM *
