recommended finish of 66 steering box?
The JG says that the steering box can be natural finish or semi-gloss black. Why are both valid? How should I decide which to do? Mine is very rusty, so I think it was most likely natural, but for longevity, I would prefer to paint it. Any advice?
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
They were done both ways from the factory as I understand it. If you leave it natural, it must have the paint dab on the top near the nut. If you paint it, no dab.Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New Mexico -
Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I can provide the following information on painting the C3 gear assemblies.
7806900 was released for production on 5-29-68.
Painted black at Saginaw
Full round serration on the input shaft.
Service part number was 7808927.
7812913 was released for production on 9-1-70.
Painted black at Saginaw.
Flat on the input shaft.
7819668 was released for production on 6-3-74.
It was released with black paint and the drawing was revised eliminating the paint on 2-12-75.
Flat on the input shaft.
I don't have any gear drawings before 1968. I assume the gear was painted before that time. (You probably know from inspections better than I would know.)
These are my best guesses as to introductions:
The release dates might correspond to the next model year introduction. Most likely the gear was painted black at the beginning of the 1975 model year and then the paint was eliminated during the model year.
JimComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I have seen a few steering boxes come back from Bair's. They have a rebuild / restoration service for them. They look super nice and are natural not painted. As long as you go by the book, either natural or painted is acceptable.
-DaveComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I have the yellow dab of paint - so mine must have been natural. Thanks for clarifying. I was going to do it black and with the yellow dab. Sounds like I better just do black without dab.
- RyanComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
For my '66 I was faced with the exact same choice and I opted to paint it w/o the yellow paint daub and that way I should receive full originality and condition points. If you go the natural (unpainted) route, with the paint daub, I think you may take a condition deduct once it rusts. Given the option of paint vs. no-paint and the likely judging effect, I see no reason to go the no-paint route, unless your main goal is to keep things 100% original. Which, by the way, you can't really do, as the rust was not original.
GaryComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I suspect that under the coating on every gear that is painted black you will find a yellow dab of paint on the adjuster or top cover. The yellow paint was an inspection verification. The input shaft and the pitman shaft were masked and the gear was hung on a rack and sent through a paint booth. After an extended time on the hanger in the overheads to give the paint time to dry, it was placed in a bin and shipped to St. Louis or Bowling Green.
JimComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Yup, I think all 63-67 boxes were coated black, at least on the top side. That included at least the forward half of the steering coupler too. Maybe the entire coupler.
The gear assembly was painted and shipped WITH the coupler attached which would explain the paint on the coupler.Comment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Michael,
Your comments may answer a question I have, I presumed on my steering box that the black was perhaps unercoating as it did not cover the entire box. the red arrows show aprox where the black stops. Was this the partial painting you mentioned?
Thanks,
PatComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Pat,
That would be close to the actual coating that was on the steering gear, although I think it may originally have have had a bit more. I suppose some of the original coating was lost over the years.
Here's a shot of a new steering gear mounted on a 1966 frame that was on it's way down the St Louis assy line before body drop and before final chassis blackout.
The black coating is OVER any paint ID or inspection stripe.Comment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I have found another bit of information on the flexible coupling drawings.
5690809 was the standard column flexible coupling assembly it was used on the original C2 Vette in 1963 thru 1966. The engineering release date was 12/21/61. It never had a paint note.
5692974 was the flexible coupling assembly for the telescoping steering column (1965-1966). It was released for production on 9/17/63. It does have a paint note which reads:
"1. Paint assembly with SSG Code #4239 (Black) or equivalent. Paint in serrations and tapped holes must not be detrimental to function or assembly of part."
In reviewing the drawings for all of the flexible coupling assemblies that were used on Corvettes after the above, (1967 through 1982) none ever had a paint note.
JimComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Ryan - Put the yellow daub on first regardless of your final finish (thick paint). After painting black, you will be able to see the outline of the daub. Knowledgeable judges will look for the outline on black steering boxes. TimComment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Thanks Jim. Great information.
I see that the 68-69 gear has both a production and service part number. I have to assume that the difference is the fact that one is complete with the coupler (production) and the other is without the coupler (service)?
The same seems to be the case for 63-66. The production steering gear with coupler is part number 5677641 and the service steering gear without coupler is 5677642.
I have to assume that the steering gear assembly, with coupler, was painted as an assembly.
Also, thanks for the print on the 63-66 standard steering shaft coupler. The direction of installaton note will once and for all put to rest the debate over which direction it is to be installed. The threaded portion of the coupler bolts are shown on the forward side of the coupler.Comment
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
I'm interested in correcting the paint on my '63 box and coupler, and this thread has been just what the doctor ordered. I know I need to paint over the yellow inspection marks with stove black on the box, but I'd like to know exactly how much of the lower coupler gets paint. Does the whole area I've circled get painted? Is the shaft left natural, or does it get paint, too? How about the lower pinch bolt - painted or unpainted? I'd love to see a "no-deduct" photo of one done correctly. Thanks!
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Re: recommended finish of 66 steering box?
Erik,
I don't have a picture of a correctly restored steering gear handy but the picture I posted earlier in this thread should answer some questions. (link below)
We know that at least some of the lower half of the coupler was coated and possibly some of the upper half also. I would bet that the direction of spray kept paint out of the open shaft end of the coupler though as that may have made it difficult to install the upper steering shaft once the body was installed on the chassis.
I don't think the coupler was rotated so one side would likely be bare while the other side had a coating.
Most likely, only the top portion of the steering gear was coated, leaving the sides and bottom bare cast iron.
By the way, I would readjust the coupler on your steering gear. The rubber disk should be flat, not curved as in your photo. If you loosen the top pinch bolt, you should be able to move the upper half of the coupler down/forward to arrive at a flat disk.
This will move the flange enough to get better "pin engagement" on the coupler. The two pins that are in the slots.
This is the safety system that insures control even if the rubber disk fails.
https://www.forums.ncrs.org/attachme...86248&uid=1621Comment
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