Steering rack "refreshening"

[bpilati]

Michael,

I thought I would polish the aluminum to add a bright bit to the lower part of the engine compartment. I also thought about chome plating the steeering rod, and the brackets for the steering insulator.

SNIPWill

Hey, don't redneck your Z. Buffing aluminum...Chrome plating, sheesh. :sick:

[mperdue]

Actually if I could do it all again I would probably just have it all powder coated. I had a tough time with the POR-15 - especially the top coat. I didn't follow the rules exactly right so I think it'll all peel off at some point. The POR-15 is adhered properly but possibly not the chassis black. POR is such a pain in the arse to work with. It's good for large areas but with lots of little parts it gets very difficult to time the coats just right for proper adhesion or do all of the sanding you have to do. They need to make it easier to use ie paint right over dried coats with no prep needed. Even though it looks nice in the pics I'm not really happy with my suspension when I take a closer look. Wasted a lot of time with it frankly. I guess you have to learn somehow!

Michael

Michael,

I thought I would polish the aluminum to add a bright bit to the lower part of the engine compartment. I also thought about chome plating the steeering rod, and the brackets for the steering insulator.

Treating the aluminum with metal ready (which I did not do) is supposed to make the POR15 stick!

There for a minute, I thought you were working on your Z again!

Panchovisa,

I will have to try some of that stuff-I have Mineral Spirits for that sort of thing-followed by laquer thinner-and you have given me an excuse to visit Bass Pro.

Will

[hls30.com]

Hey Bryan,

I am not talking about carbon fiber coating, 6" tailpipes, bikini clad mud flaps, carpetting dash, hanging fuzzy dice, attatching rebel flags, gun racks, or laying a chewing tobacco stain flowing down diagonally from the driver side window.

I am just applying the judges rules for driver class-consistancy throughout the car.

Changing the Yellow cadmium to chrome for two 1/8"wide bands on the steering rack, and buffing the area circled in blue on the picture below-part of it will be covered by the rack bushing as well. I do appologize if that is what a redneck in your part of the country would do, but, if you want it different, buy my car and do it your way, otherwise, I have only one person to make happy with my car, ME! That said, I do appreciate your opinion, I just don't happen to agree with it in this instance!

Michael,

I am not painting the small parts with POR15 for the same reasons-too much work, too little advantage. I am setting a whole day aside, laying out all of the parts, and spraying the POR15 to address the flash time between coats, and to end up with a better finish. I agree, Powder coating looks great, but the POR15 is paid for!

Will

[bpilati]

I was half joking, I guess that ain't allowed no mo. Sorry.

[hls30.com]

So was I! No offence taken, dander or blood pressure up!

But what is a guy to do when two Rocket Scientists gang up on him-no fair having a satellite track me for target lock!

Will

[mperdue]

Spraying would make it much easier but I don't have the right equipment to get the water out of the air lines. Another major problem with POR - it's so damn sensitive to moisture. I had 2 inline water filters and I still always had some moisture in the air. You must have a shiat load of heaters or dryers.

Michael,

I am not painting the small parts with POR15 for the same reasons-too much work, too little advantage. I am setting a whole day aside, laying out all of the parts, and spraying the POR15 to address the flash time between coats, and to end up with a better finish. I agree, Powder coating looks great, but the POR15 is paid for!

Will

[Bambikiller240]

To Spray it safely, you also need sphisticated breathing apparatus.

[hls30.com]

You have hit it right on the head! POR15 must be applied in a low humidity environment! I spray POR15(thinned by 10%) with a rechargeable/refillable spraycan -no way I am going to ruin a good gun!

To get the air supply dry, I fill an air tank made from a small scuba tank through a pair of dessicant based dryers in series. Bake the @ 250 for 30-45 minutes to dry them back out.

After I fill the tank, I stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours to over night. In the morning I take it out, turn it upside down, and just bearly crack the valve-most of the water in the air has condesed, and comes right out!

I let the tank warm up in the sun for an hour or so. When I get ready to charge the paint can, I do so through the same dessicant dryers I baked the night before-Presto, Dry warm air, verified by the fact the blue desicant stays blue, and filtered just in case. The scuba tank holds enough air to charge the paint can 30-40 times, plenty for coating most Z parts with POR15-but not nearly enough to paint anything large, by being carefull of what is left in the can(pressure and paint) good results can be had. It would not be too hard to rig a hose to keep the spray can charged, but that would make it more difficult to refill with POR15, so I have not bothered.

I normally paint with POR15 in an air conditioned room(90+% humidity makes por 15 bubble if exposed before it develops a skin. I use a respirator untill everything is sprayed and skinned, then I open all of the doors, get some fans going, and throw away the $6 spray can.

Michael, here is what I use for The POR painting-and a great deal more:

1) a $90(On sale) 2hp twin tank air compressor from Harbor Freight .

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42321

I have a compressor accessory kit( $7.00 on sale)

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42005

I also keep a tire pressure guage with it, and have the HF sparkplug cleaner mounted on the frame.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92360

2) a Pair of the Disposable but reuseable driers-set up with fittings to plug right inline, and the orange "protective" cage removed(it will melt when baked)

3) A small out of certification Scuba tank($12.00 from ebay)

4) The Rechargeable spray can.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=1102

5) Gloves for overspray.

6) The Respirator setup.

I have about $140 in it excluding the respirator.

#1 and #2 also work with my plasma cutter and a highpower inverter to let me go portable, and will sandblast, and power my HF"Earthquake" impact wrench-enough to break fasteners free and provide all of the other benefits of a compressor-but on a smaller, more portable scale than the 6hp 60 gallon version I keep in the garage..

Will

Carl is right, POR15 is made of some nasty stuff, I used a filtered respirator as suggested at POR15.com, but it seemed to overtake the filters very quickly, so now I use a air induction system made from a Bipap machine(inherited from my mother), 40' of reinforced 1" tubing from Lowes and a full face firemans mask bought from ebay. I put the Bipap outside, and upwind of where I am painting.

The Part number for the disposable "Mini Dessiccant Dryer" is 7473, and evidently is is an in store item only. The cage is now white, but still removeable.

[drunkenmaster]

Guys,

I am not sure what this steering joint is called but how on earth do you seperate the "steering arm" from the tie rod. I have circled the joint I wish to disassemble. Are these joints readily available and what is there proper name?

I removed the castle nut but the "steering arm" seems fairly seized and with the joint able to freely move, there is no way I can see to get decent leverage. Haynes manual refers to using a ball joint removal tool but I am not sure what they are.

Any pointers would be great.

James

[hls30.com]

You have it right, The tierods are readily available-any national chain, most local mom and pops, MSA, VB, ebay.... I used a pickle fork to get mine apart(cheep tool), but there are specialty tools available as well.

Will

[panchovisa]

Drunkenmaster, the shaft (threaded extension of tie rod end) is tapered. The hole in steering arm is also tapered.

In your photo, remove nut and strike down on steering arm. This will seperate the two parts. I assume you will use new tie rods (if not then leave nut on, but give some room from nut to arm. You won't bugger threads to bad then).

[panchovisa]

You guys and the POR15. Clean, degrease, mask aluminum, spray bomb, un-mask, clear coat. Done in a weekend (work on other stuff while paint dries).