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Steel finish

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Roark
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:52 am

Steel finish

Post by Roark »

On many of the control rods fitted to our cars there are either cup ends or ones that resemble a tapeworm head. Inside the latter ones is a sprung loaded pad which puts pressure on the ball head attached to whatever component needs to be controlled. When re-assembled should one use grease to lubricate the mechanism or oil?

The rods are 1/4" in diameter and on my car they seem to have been painted on one side which looks bad. What finish did these rods and couplings have when they left the factory? The control pedestal and rods on top of the V8 inlet manifolds would be an example. It looks like some sort of plating but my car is post war not post Sixties. I could have the control rods powder coated but I suspect that would look incorrect.

An extremely helpful Antipodean gentlemen has agreed that I should remove the auto lube system. While the theory is good it's a messy way of lubrication. At some point the front suspension and relay arm have been fitted with grease nipples and the "mechanic" has just kept pumping grease into the joints until it overflowed the outside. Fine in principle but remove the excess should be required. The autolube is fine providing the the pipes are clean and the oil runs to each joint equally.

One mechanic who worked on Daimlers said that grease should not be used. The best lubricant is SAE140. It flows better.

Peter Grant
Wise Man
Wise Man
Posts: 503
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:02 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Steel finish

Post by Peter Grant »

Hi John,
On my car the rods are just oil protected steel so while not shiny, they are dark looking and not rusty. No paint obvious.
About the auto lube, one of our members adapted a bicycle pump and a spare reservoir lid to,pressurise the auto lube system on a DB 18 and to see which of the outlets worked. It helped with seeing which needed attention and which did not.
SAE 140 sounds about right.
Cheers
Peter G

Stan Thomas
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Wise Man
Posts: 795
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 2:14 pm
Location: Penkridge. Staffs.

Re: Steel finish

Post by Stan Thomas »

The process used to finisg small parts and control rods etc. is called "oil blacking" - and there is a wealth of info on the 'net how to do it - or you can buy a kit.

Roark
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 10:52 am

Re: Steel finish

Post by Roark »

Thank you both. I will search for oil blacking

Vortex O'Plinth
Extra-Wise Man
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Posts: 1065
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:15 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Steel finish

Post by Vortex O'Plinth »

This kit does produce a well blackened surface on carbon steel, but the corrosion resistance is poor. I have parts that have rusted after a few months in an unheated garage.
Nick

"Don't bother with the Air & Space Museum - there's nothing to see.......".

Sydsmith
Extremely Wise Man
Extremely Wise Man
Posts: 1369
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 11:15 pm
Location: Aberystwyth Wales

Re: Steel finish

Post by Sydsmith »

Rust cure stuff like Kurust will produce a reasonable finish on bare mild steel if left to dry and polished. You will have to repeat it when rust creeps through, which takes a fair time. Or give it a coat of mat clear varnish if you don't mind a bit of a sheen. Syd.

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