ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Drivetrain => Topic started by: Flade on September 05, 2022, 07:02:28 PM
-
Any suggestions on the best way to clean a driveshaft without destroying the original markings?
-
yep. evaporust in a 6" pvc tube capped at both ends. check the library section for more info.
-
Thanks, I saw a video of someone doing it in a piece of gutter. I have a bucket of Evaporust, so I give it a try
-
I used 4 inch piece capped on just one end. I also documented the marking locations before the treatment and went by my build sheet to id the color of the stripes using the location of the stripes from earlier pictures.
-
Thanks, I saw a video of someone doing it in a piece of gutter. I have a bucket of Evaporust, so I give it a try
The problem with doing it in a piece of gutter is that you don't get it completely submerged like you do in a pvc pipe capped . The half submerged part in the gutter can leave a distinct wetness line were it was cleaned that sometimes does not come out when you do the other side . It can be difficult to get it out so that you can not tell.
-
Drive shafts float.
-
Who knew they would float! Makes sense when you think about it. I am going with the PCV pipe.
Unfortunately I don’t have a build sheet and I can?t see the original paint marks so I am hoping the evaporust will do the job.
-
Let it soak for about 12 hours with fresh evaporust. Pull it out slowly as the paint markings will have softened. If you're trying to preserve the original markings and not just see them as a reference, then be careful rinsing with water as they might come off.
-
Thanks Charles,
I built the PVC pipe and started soaking the drive shaft tonight. I lightly brushed the heavy rust off first. I?ll check it in the morning. I can see at least one stripe under the rust already, but want to document the color and location correctly.
-
The driveshaft is soaking and looks much better already, but I need to find some more Evaporust to finish it. There is one stripe clearly showing. Any guesses as to what the stripe color will be. It?s a Late 68, 289 Automatic. 8? rear.
I dropped the yoke in fresh Evaporust and it came out perfect! You can clearly see the original orange paint.
The paint is a dull flat orange. The pics I have seen on here is a bright orange. Has the original paint faded, did the Evaporust change the color, or do I need to match the color I found? (In the pic it looks much brighter than in person)
-
I can share my car info. I have an April 68 Metuchen plant build with a 289 and automatic. The colors are dark green, lavender, and white. I also have a red stripe near the rear end 3rd member. Here's my build sheet for info.
-
The driveshaft is soaking and looks much better already, but I need to find some more Evaporust to finish it. There is one stripe clearly showing. Any guesses as to what the stripe color will be. It?s a Late 68, 289 Automatic. 8? rear.
No guessing needed ;) We can help at least with the identification stripes and yoke colors.
Resources on site include (in the search feature just used "68 driveline stripes"
- Late 68 San Jose C Code Coupe - Unrestored Picture Thread in the Unrestored picture section of the site. Picture U-27 on second page nice shot of the three colors and their general location. Barely shows the orange trans yoke at U-6. Remember painted before machining
- https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=11581.0 (https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=11581.0) couple of discussions merged
- Buildsheets describe the colors as DGRNLAVWHT - Dark Green- Lavender- White
(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/17/6-070922134928-17896682.jpeg)
I dropped the yoke in fresh Evaporust and it came out perfect! You can clearly see the original orange paint.
The paint is a dull flat orange. The pics I have seen on here is a bright orange. Has the original paint faded, did the Evaporust change the color, or do I need to match the color I found? (In the pic it looks much brighter than in person)
Yes the original color has likely been altered by time and exposure. Here is an example of a cleaned original we have posted by a member in another thread.
(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/17/6-070922135727-178971786.jpeg)
It may be currently flatter (not glossy) due to the chemicals, exposure, age and so on compared to the original finish and yes of course colors look different after being taken with a camera and then posted and viewed on a monitor
-
Thank You Jeff,
This is all really helpful. So far on the driveshaft all I see is the white (or perhaps Lavender) stripe. It was visible after lightly brushing the driveshaft and is clearly visible as the rust breaks down. Hopefully the others will be visible after the Evaporust soaking is complete
-
I can share my car info. I have an April 68 Metuchen plant build with a 289 and automatic. The colors are dark green, lavender, and white. I also have a red stripe near the rear end 3rd member. Here's my build sheet for info.
Thanks David, that is what I am hoping to find as well. So far only 1 stripe is showing up. It is 21 1/2 inches from one end of the yoke.
-
So here's what I ended up doing with my driveshaft. Hope this helps. I just was at the Ponies on the Plaza Grand National and haven't heard from the judges about my driveshaft work.
-
what did you expect to hear?? applied for your sheets yet??
-
Yes I've asked for my judging sheets. That's what I meant by my post.
-
Looks great. What did you do to keep it from rusting again?
-
Well not what I expected at all.
Only a single white stripe?
-
Looks great. What did you do to keep it from rusting again?
I use T9 there are other good products on the market. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001447PEK
-
Thanks, I have a bottle but haven?t tried it on anything yet. I guess the driveshaft will be the guinea pig!
-
Well not what I expected at all.
Only a single white stripe?
Anyone have an Idea why my drive shaft has only a single white stripe?
-
Anyone have an Idea why my drive shaft has only a single white stripe?
Just because you only see one stripe now doesn't mean that there was not more stripes when it was newer. The stripes most likely flaked prior to you starting to clean off or the evoporust remove what was left of evidence of their placement.
-
Entirely possible, but the white line was VERY visible even before cleaning, and after cleaning even where is is gone you can see that it had been there. Yet there is absolutely no evidence of any other stripe. Seems odd that they would be such a difference. But after 50+ years anything is possible I Guess.
Are there any other documented cars with only a single stripe in 68?
-
Entirely possible, but the white line was VERY visible even before cleaning, and after cleaning even where is is gone you can see that it had been there. Yet there is absolutely no evidence of any other stripe. Seems odd that they would be such a difference. But after 50+ years anything is possible I Guess.
Are there any other documented cars with only a single stripe in 68?
Not that I've seen in over 40 years of documenting these details. Suggest that they were there since without the matching stripes shown on the buildsheet the workers would not know what to do with a driveline striped incorrectly. Easier to toss aside and grab one that matched. We do see mistakes where the order of colors (front to back) get reversed from time to time but the workers figured that out quickly. Possible the two other stripes used paints that was applied thinner or "watered down" so it went away quicker that the white and in turn rusted over that surface so that the tail tail signs were gone. Allot more possible in regions of this country where bare metal rusted quickly
-
Thanks Jeff,
I?ll chock it up as just another mystery. I finished soaking it in Evaporust and it looks great.
How far apart should the stripes be?
Should it have the red stripe at one end like I see in some pics?
68 convertible, San Jose built in late 68 (28 May), 289 C4.
-
Here are 2 pictures of my driveshaft locating the 4 lines. I measured from the rear edge of the outer tube.
-
Consider this. The assembly line worker doing that same job 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more on OT) was bored. The location of the actual stripes were not a precision task. I would assume that the shafts were positioned horizontally on a table like fixture and rolled to get the paint colors, width and locations of the stripes from another fixture. The worker was not an artist. In other words, location accuracy was not critical. Colors and position were.
The actual colors are the main concern. As Ford was known to be a frugal corporation, it's quite possible that the paint used was exterior or interior "dregs" from the bottom of a 55 gallon drum of a required color close in tint.
Just some thoughts.
Over the years, I've know many former Milpitas Assembly Plant workers and they had some "interesting" stories.
Jim
-
Guess it should be mentioned that the drivelines were not made or marked by San Jose workers on any other Ford/Merc car assembly plant
We can likely guess that the position of applying the markings being discussed was either given to one of the newest less skilled workers or one of the more senior workers that wanted an easy job due to seniority/union reasons
-
Thanks David, using your measurements, and the position of my white line I can make it look good.
Does anyone have a favorite color for the Lavender, and dark green paints?
-
Does anyone have a favorite color for the Lavender, and dark green paints?
For these two colors I would expect that you will have to mix two or more colors to get each. Also in my experience this will be fine, if your using the little Testor bottles as bases, since one little bottle will not be enough to paint a full stripe around the driveline tube since the brush will soak up and waste a pretty good percentage of paint
Your likely not going to get a prefect match but on that is close and when viewed will look like the original color and not stand out as incorrect.
As a mention the Lavender appears (on computer screen) similar to the Fuchsia shown in the Basic Paint marking article and the green was not truely a "dark green" as we see applied in other applications. Seems closer to the just green on the left hand side of the two samples in the same article.
I assume you already read the Driveline restoration article ;) for other details and help
A couple of examples and a good example of how much digit pictures capture colors differently but there was some variation in tones as I've seen some owners mistaken the green as a blue when they reproduced them. Likely they had a very small sample or they were guessing ::)
(https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/17/6-100922153117-179001679.jpeg)