So, I've come to find out that a DiamondBack Turbo stem is a rare and pricy item AND, it seems that the chrome has a knack for peeling.

Funny enough, after trading for a non-Turbo stem, I happened to find the cap from the one I originally had on the bike I'm restoring. The stem itself was broken long ago.

So, I'd like to restore the stem cap and use a non-turbo base. But, I have a couple questions:

1. What's the best way to strip the rest of the chrome without damaging the fragile looking stamping? A friend has a bead blasting tank but I'm not sure what abrazive to use if that's the way to go.

2. Anyway to fill in the deep gouge? If so, will it be visible if the stem is polished and not plated?

3. Is it even worth re-chroming? Since it seems that chrome doesn't like to last on aluminum, I'm thinking about just polishing it up. The non-Turbo stem I have looks pretty nice polished.

Thanks guys!

Hi Maurice, I would definately have a go restoring that cap, with a view to polishing it. take it to your local harley/hotrod plater and have it profesionaly stripped of it's chrome - don't blast it. then i would find a skilled tig welder to fill all the divots up. then start dressing it back into shape with very fine handfiles, and then fine emery and wet'n'dry paper wrapped around a handfile, of course a patient hand is required. I have spent many many hours on one of these stems. of course don't let the welder go near the text, given enough patience it will come up A1. I wouldn't replate it, but i'm not a fan of chrome over alloy, it never seems to last, especially over previous repairs.

[ January 02, 2006, 02:56 AM: Message edited by: velocidad ]

check with tommy montgomery - osrlracer.

he stripped the shot chrome plating off my aluminum g-boy and did a terrific job! he can't do the work anymore, but he knows the procedure.

if you're going to restore the stem, do it RIGHT. re-chrome, not polish.

Hey, thanks for the tips guys. Whatever I do with this thing, I'm going to go slow and I'm real careful these days on hiring anyone to do anything so some good referals will help greatly. If I can get someone to strip the chrome and fill the divits, I'd be happy as a clam. I can do the reshaping and polishing part then consider the chroming down the road. No hurry. I'll start by checking with oslracer.

Velo, those pictures of that Sugino stem were awesome. Gleaming! I saw that you changed the quill on the stem. How'd that go? I'm assuming that I'd have to remove the quill to get the chroming done. Never changed one of those out.

Tim, funny you should mention a G-Boy. I've got a broken and repaired G-Boy that I plan to refresh someday and hopefully parlay into some Graphites for another build. Got a picture of that G-boy of yours or any literature with the sticker design with the feather in it? My older brother had a candy apple red one like in the museum but I remember it having these oval stickers with a feather in them which I haven't seen since.

hey i just hacksawed the sucker off.... I then made a face plate jig to mount the stem head in the lathe and bored out the old stub. after doing all the work it needed, I made a new quill I made from barstock 316ss machined up and polished. I used a parallel knurl on the the first 3/4" and gave it a drink of locktite 620 and pressed it in. stronger than it ever was i reckon.