Parkerizing

How durable and long lasting is new parkerizing?Will modern car washing wear it off,does it have to be mantain with oil?Thanks

Sadly Parkerizing will start rusting after time. It is a very old rust preventitive method. I don't believe the formula they make today was the same as back then. The Parkerizing chemical available from Parker Amchem is called Parco Lubrite. Its main purpose is to Parkerize new gears so they will hold oil on them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkerize

Parkerizing, as we know it, is one of the most significant quantum leaps against rust that mankind has ever devised. It has a chemical affinity for oil.

The problem is that modern motorcycle enthusiasts like clean and shiny.

In the era that our machines were produced, machines were expected to be "well oiled".
Parkerizing depends upon oil to do its job. If you wash off the oil, rust has a happy home.

Dry parkerizing, no matter how pretty it is, should be considered a 'fault'.

There are many formulations for the "pickle" of Parkerizing, using molybdenum, bismuth, and even zinc for protecting various metals under various conditions.

The most important use of "parking" isn't even a cosmetic concern.
Internal motor components such as roller cages and piston rings were 'parked' in order to hold a film of lubricant for start-up.

Cylinders (at least of the Knuck period that I am certain of) were parkerized in their entirety, even before an external paint was applied.

Parkerizing is a tremendously effective "primer" coating for the adhesion of paints. (Note that many items like footboards were 'parked' before enamelling.)

Frankly, Parkerizing is probably the greatest achievement to ever come out of the Wigwam.


....Cotten