1967 Z Bar Restoration

[David S.]

What's the most accurate way to rebuild/restore the clutch Z bar on a 67 BB?

Thanks,
Dave

[Joe L.]

Re: 1967 Z Bar Restoration

What's the most accurate way to rebuild/restore the clutch Z bar on a 67 BB?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave-----


If you're talking about RE-FINISHING the cross shaft, about the best you can do is to have it zinc plated. I think many of the originals used some sort of galvanizing process but I don't know of any shops that do this these days. There might be some, though.

If you have it re-plated, be sure that the plater employs a process to eliminate hydrogen embrittlement. This is critical for the cross shaft.

Otherwise, rebuilding is pretty straight-forward. Most of the parts are still available from GM under the original part numbers.

[David S.]

Re: 1967 Z Bar Restoration

Joe,

For those of us who do not know what "hydrogen embrittlement" is, could you explain?

Thanks,
Dave

[John M.]

Re: 1967 Z Bar Restoration

Dave,
I just did this on my 65. I glass beaded the part with with old dusty glass, sent it to the plater for plating with clear zinc, meaning no chromates and then lightly blasted it with walnut shells to "dumb it down." Looks pretty good.
Hydrogen embrilliment usually occurs in high stregth steels during the plating process, where the hydrogen atoms somehow get into the metal making it brittle. We used to bake the parts in an oven after plating but I can't remember the temperature. Maybe Google it.
JBM
30025