Topic: 70 Boss 302 Drive shaft detailing question

[app01]

Dearborn 1970 May Boss 302

I did review the archives here as well as a section on the Boss 302 Registry web site  (http://www.boss302.com/drivshft.htm) on drive shaft detailing  and this has raised some questions for me:

Refer to my drive shaft picture below. After removing many coats of paint and undercoating and here are my questions as noted on the pictures by the #:

#1 - On the two ends there clearly is red oxide (or orange) paint inside of the U-joint areas.  Should the ends be painted, and if so how?

#2 - The information I have found mentioned ONE orange stripe 1/2" wide at this location.  On mine, there clearly is  2 stripes, however, paint color is no longer visible. Thoughts?

#3 -  The references mentioned a 1/4"  white stripe 4"  from the  front end. This is clearly well over an inch. Thoughts?

#4 -  There are signs of light blue paint on the  transmission slip yoke area near the U-joint. Thoughts?

Thank you again.

[J_Speegle]

Dearborn 1970 May Boss 302

Refer to my drive shaft picture below. After removing many coats of paint and undercoating and here are my questions as noted on the pictures by the #:

#1 - On the two ends there clearly is red oxide (or orange) paint inside of the U-joint areas.  Should the ends be painted, and if so how?

Always appeared to be orange to me (guess it could be a bright/light  red oxide) but since the current thought is that the ends were color coded completely before they were attached I would think that every inch of it (minus the machined surfaces were painted than the paint would have burned off along the weld to the tub and that is the way I would and have reproduced the look.  Assume you saw the driveline restoration article in the library here

#2 - The information I have found mentioned ONE orange stripe 1/2" wide at this location.  On mine, there clearly is  2 stripes, however, paint color is no longer visible. Thoughts?

This appears not to have been an identification mark but indicated something else (guy that did the balancing or assembly) so one stripe might be one station/guy the second a different.  No way IMHO can we assume that orange was used for every one. I would not include that color until I knew for sure - and at this point its doubtful that we ever will  but that's better than putting something on that is not correct. Just me

Have other 70 examples that look like two pink, and another with a single unidentified color

#3 -  The references mentioned a 1/4"  white stripe 4"  from the  front end. This is clearly well over an inch. Thoughts?

When you say there is no color visible - are you reporting that all the paint and color is gone or that there is some you just can tell what it is?  If its the second one then a spray of Easy off and a quick look (will remove the paint and expand the color in the foam as it removes it)  may do the job providing the general color

I've got 70 drivelines with with a green stripe there applied about 1 3/4" wide. Don;t get hung up in the exact widths they IMHO vary allot depending of the worker that day.

#4 -  There are signs of light blue paint on the  transmission slip yoke area near the U-joint. Thoughts?

If that is what you found document and return  it. Don't have any clear 70 yokes but over the years I think I've got a dozen different colors used depending on the size and application

Hope this helps a little

[app01]

Always appeared to be orange to me (guess it could be a bright/light  red oxide) but since the current thought is that the ends were color coded completely before they were attached I would think that every inch of it (minus the machined surfaces were painted than the paint would have burned off along the weld to the tub and that is the way I would and have reproduced the look.  Assume you saw the driveline restoration article in the library here

Thanks Jeff that is all very helpful.

Taking a much closer look, it does look more like orange than red oxide. There are spots of orange inside the  yoke area as well as on the outside area indicating that it was probably completely covered.

I did see the driveline article, which is excellent. Thanks for publishing that.

When you say there is no color visible - are you reporting that all the paint and color is gone or that there is some you just can tell what it is?  If its the second one then a spray of Easy off and a quick look (will remove the paint and expand the color in the foam as it removes it)  may do the job providing the general color

I've got 70 drivelines with with a green stripe there applied about 1 3/4" wide. Don;t get hung up in the exact widths they IMHO vary allot depending of the worker that day.

As far as no color, there is a clear band where the metal is very nice and was rotected, however, there is still a section of  black paint from a previous owner,  in one area that may have some of the original stripe under it. I will try the easyoff trick.

If that is what you found document and return  it. Don't have any clear 70 yokes but over the years I think I've got a dozen different colors used depending on the size and application

Hope this helps a little

That is exactly what I am going to do.  I am not sure how much blue paint was originally there, but it does appear that  the U-joint flange on one side was  mostly covered.

Yes definitely helps.

[J_Speegle]

.................Yes definitely helps.

What we're here for

[app01]

Jeff,

Using your article as a basis for my driveshaft, here it is. Not perfect, but definitely better than what I started with at the beginning of this thread. I attempted to match the colors to what I found as far as shades.

I did have a question. Should the machined  outside areas at the yokes where the U-Joints press in  (round area just outside of the U-joint caps) have paint on them, or were those machined after painting?

Thanks,
Tony

[J_Speegle]

Looks like you did a great job. Yes the machined surfaces would have been done after the the coloring (complete coverage like the third members)  and the paint would have been burnt along where the ends were welded to the tube

[app01]

Great thanks.. I will pull out the torch and just burn the orange paint a bit around the edges.

[J_Speegle]

Great thanks.. I will pull out the torch and just burn the orange paint a bit around the edges.

Should work fine - and get those inside and outside machined surfaces cleaned