62 Read End Housing

[Terry D.]

Have a 62 rear end axle housing that needs stripped to recondition.
First, what is the best way to remove old paint, sandblasting seems a bit much, but what other choices are there? Housing is out of the car.
Second, when it is clean and ready to paint, what is correct paint or chassis black to use and should a primer be used?
Asa always thanks in advance.

Terry

[Clare Carpenter]

Re: 62 Read End Housing

Terry, Are you talking a cosmetic reconditioning or are you going thru the unit mechanically too? You did say it's out of the car so you may as well have it media blasted before painting. That will clean it up the best and leave a nice clean surface for paint. It's easier done if it's together so you don't have to worry about bearing or gasket surfaces or getting media inside the unit. You can have the backing plates done at the same time too. I had mine media blasted with glass, not the glass beads but the more agressive crushed glass type. Sandblasting would be okay too.

Following media blasting, if you want, you can treat surfaces to be painted with Ospho or Jayco Prime & Prep. Both are phosphoric acid based products that will impart a zinc oxide coating to the surface of the metal and will give additional corrosion protection and promote better paint adhesion, as well as preventing flash rusting prior to painting. Just follow the directions, a little goes a long way and be sure to wipe off any powdery residue remaining afterwards.

After disassembly, I cleaned out the inside with DX440 (a cleaning solvent) and plenty of rags. You can use a broomstick to push the rags thru the axle tubes. Whether you use Oshpho or a like product, or not, make sure to wipe the unit down thoroughly with a proper cleaner, like Prepsol, prior to priming. To paint mask off the gasket and bearing surfaces, including the opening and stud threads. If you plan to paint it yourself (the surfaces are small enough to do a presentable job with spray cans) just choose a good quality primer and semi-flat, semi-gloss chassis paint. Here's where it can get confusing, choosing a good product. A good self etching epoxy primer, followed by a polyurethane top coat would be the most durable BUT unless you have access to proper equipment then you're better off having a shop do it for you. The problem is it's a small job and will require the painter to prepare two mixes of paint and clean out his gun twice. A production shop probably won't want to mess around with it. By the way if you use a self etching epoxy primer, you can skip the acid etch with Ospho.

If you want to do it yourself with spray cans, Paragon offers a good quality gray primer, item #2748 for $10.00, that stops rust by electrochemical action and helps prevent rust creep from a scratched area. Good stuff. Follow with their semi-gloss black, item #2683 $10.00, resistant to oil, gas, brake fluid, etc. Item #2745 Can-Gun, $2.00, is an aerosol trigger grip that turns a spray can into a gun and makes it easier to control. Two cans of each will probably do it but you may want an extra can just in case. Paragon also has the eye candy, tags, fresh nuts and washers, etc. to really finish the job right. Good luck.

PS: To be totally correct, asphalt based chassis blackout is available and you could probably brush it on after a good primer coat for an acceptable job BUT it is not resistant to gas, oil, brake fluids, etc.

[Dennis C.]

Re: 62 Read End Housing

Terry & Clare - Regarding the asphalt based chassis dip coated finish, it is my belief this was never used on any chassis component except the single, one piece, welded chassis - prior to attactment of any bolt on parts - ie, front or rear suspension or other components.

[Dennis C.]

To further confuse the issue -

I believe the other components, for the most part, received "real" paint. Not the asphalt stuff. So, nothing on the front or rear suspension would have that application. If they did, you could easily remove it all with almost any solvent except water.

[Clare Carpenter]

Re: To further confuse the issue -

Dennis, Maybe you can offer further opinions and clear up some confusion on the types of paint and methods used on other chassis parts and components for reference purposes. It would also be useful if you could offer some insight into what the judges are looking for and possible markdowns for over restoration.

The Tech Info Manual & Judging guide isn't very clear except to say a "low grade, slightly dulled gloss black;" was used. It also says frames were "dip painted"..."and runs, if visable usually run to the front." As you know, no mention is made of the front crossmember separately nor of the axle housing. I know some parts like bumper brackets, motor mounts and even wheels were dip painted with enamel. I would assume the same process for other stuff like the tranny crossmember, sway bars, strut rods, etc. but what about the crossmember and axle housing? Dip painted or not and what type of paint? I would guess the axle housing was sprayed after assembly, no paint visable on the inside nor on gasket surfaces.

I have notes from comments by the late Dale Pearman and others who think the chassis' were given one final shot of chassis blackout after assembly and prior to the body drop. This last shot apparently covered up inspection marks and sometimes plated parts like sway bar brackets. Unpainted parts had a degree of overspray from this process. On my car the third arm and tie rods all had some coverage from above but little or no paint on the bottom-side of the same. All of the original front inspection marks, (yellow, blue and orange) were visable on my car. I have also heard of the top rear leaf being painted silver with a yellow inspection on the rear, then being shot over with chassis blackout from above so that only the sides of the leaf showed silver. I have heard some say the axle carrier (pig) was left natural and others say blacked out, all or part of. My pig appeared to have a little of some kind of black paint remaining on part of it but I couldn't say if it had been painted entirely or just oversprayed.

For my restoration, I am not using the asphalt based paint on my frame nor any enamels. I am using a semi gloss black finish to closely mimic the original look but I'm leaving the pig, third arm, spindle supports, steering arms, tie rods, etc. natural, along with the plated brackets and am not overspraying or otherwise covering inspection marks. I realize I may get marked down in Flight judging for over restoration but I'd like to have a little more detail and use more durable materials that the factory used 40 years ago.

[Clare Carpenter]

Recent links basic same topic.

https://www.ncrs.org/forum/tech.cgi/...es/read/109842 (Dennis, you commented in this one about the '59 axle inspection marks. Thanks for any clarification regarding a '62 C1)

https://www.ncrs.org/forum/tech.cgi/noframes/read/110472