Roller Paint Job Diary

Got the Zephyr almost all stripped out. But I found some unusual UNOBTAINIUM. I was stripping the foam off the seats, and realized that I needed a reset spring for the new clutch pedal. Low and behold if the front seat's non-power tracks didn't have exactly the right ones.

And then I recalled a couple furniture projects where I needed spring steel rods in the jigs! Can't even find a local vendor for that, but the seats had about 15 feet of the 1/16" diam. another 6 feet of 1/8", and 4 feet of 3/16".

And once I got the cushions off the frames, I realized they'd be perfect for some tool cases I need for my workshop tools. I've got no place right now to keep both my small craftsman planers, and my new Cyclo polisher and supplies. Meanwhile the upholstery has a 3/4" foam backing, and just big enough to support my fenders and doors when I refinish them.

And buried under the back seat, I found a minty Falcon Futura nameplate, too.

Anyway, I take the gas tank off, and clean it up, and use the truck for a temporary sandblasting cabinet, and spray cabinet for the small parts and stuff.

I ain't cheap, I'm frugal.

 

Not cheap! Frugal!

I tried a wire brush on my differential cover. No way. I'm not dropping $100 for some fancy cover (Freight is expensive), so...

How about a sand blaster, I said to myself. Off I go!

My new compressor has 4 CFM at 40 PSI, and 2.8 at 90 PSI. Not enough? Oh yeah?!?!? How about this? 2 CFM at 50 PSI!

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Abrasive-Blasters/Portable-Abrasive-Blaster-Kit/8506958.p

Trouble is they have no stock in any of their 30 stores in all of Canada. And no new ones for 2 months.

So off I go to Harbor Freight. At first, I'm shocked by the price difference. $69 in Canada, $35 at HF!
http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-37025.html#pr-header-back-to-top-link

But I started reading the HF reviews, and learned that HF's uses a 1/4" nozzle, and PA's has a 3/16" nozzle (less air needed).

I will always recall my Army Sargeant's pearl of wisdom "If you can be stopped, you will be stopped!"

Invent or die? Not this kid! Before I did all this digging into sand blasters, I thought about using a 5 gallon pail and a siphon blaster hose:
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/Abrasive-Accessories/Siphon-Feed-Abrasive-Blasting-Gun/6320360.p

$17 Canuck bucks.

One connector at the base of the pail, some kind of angular bottom to concentrate the sand/media toward the connector, and some screen mesh to sift the media. Oh and a blasting cover for me, as well as a mask.

And what to I find in the Harbor Freight reviews, but one guy who did exactly that, after he got tired of angling the pretty one to make sure the sand got to the hose connector.

Andy just found some good deals on tanks, so this might all change, but I'll do this anyway for my workshop compressor.

 

D-RIP = De-Rust In Place!

Andy coined that one! D-RIP.

I've been looking for ways to clean off rust and stop it. The last time I did it, I used 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water, and 2 tablespoons of salt, and it worked, but the salt kept reactivating when it got wet and started the rust cycle on my bolts and clips, all over again. I had no way to encapsulate it or a good rust converter. Without the salt, the vinegar/water solution would have worked just as fast, as I learned in this new investigation.

But I dug around for more info, because a guy from down-under did a comparison test of a few home-made brews, including... Molasses and Water. It does a bit of encapsulation, until you wash it off and the rust starts up again, fast!

Well, I dug some more. Andy's a fishing fan, and I wondered what the navy does to keep their decks clean. Ask good questions, get good answers. Navy Jelly, Muriatic acid, phosphoric acid, and they all work, but like the molasses or vinegar solution, the rust comes right back. Hmmm.

Then I found this: http://ospho.com/

And all kinds of DIY guys using it. Apparently was very easy to find in the USA, but not in Canada. Caswell Canada have it, and I orderd a gallon, enough to do 4 cars! One quart covers 600 square feet. Mine barely has less than 400 sq. ft. and maybe another 200 sf if I do the floorpan and suspension.

You brush it on the newly brushed down rust, or molassted? rust, and it seals it up, as well as cleans it off. If the navy can keep its ships clean for who knows how many decades, my little prairie schooner can keep on too.

Molasses won't remove paint, it needs to be stirred while parts are fomenting in it, and it should be kept warm. You add up to 10 parts hot water per part of molasses. cover it, and check it every few days. The solution will last up to 6 months. Lots claim that a 5:1 solution works nicely, but the science says 7:1.

To experiment, I threw in a few parts today, into a plastic tub, with a mixture of 9 parts hot water to 1 part store-bought molasses (Black Strap), and after wire-brushing off the scaled paint, washing off the grease and muck, I put the pieces into it, poured the molasses right out of the container, and my transmission mount from the 1978 Zephyr started to shine like new! Like 2 minutes later, then I added the hot tap water, and closed the lid. The steel battery tray is from a 1994 Caprice, there's the muffler brace that goes between the Zephyr trans and mount, and a couple fender struts, and the engine to tranny braces for the Ford I6. A good mix of crusty, and not so crusty pieces. I'll check later this evening.

Here's some pics. I put them in the container at 5:05 PM today.

As they came from the cars:



Degreased and brushed only:


Placed in the shallow tub:


Covered, almost - look at that tranny mount!


Some good links:

http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/montana500/adrian/rust.html

All of his side menu links are about de-rusting - check out the pics and the different tech:
http://www.homercidal.com/molasses/index.html

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/bridgeport-hardinge-mills-lathes/molasses-rust-removal-225658/

http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1317

How about a whole car?
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/rust_molasses.htm

Even a Jaguar:
http://inetogether.net/jaguar/060703.php

The feed grade molasses is probably the cheaper and more potent molasses, a small immersion heater would help to keep the mix warm overnight, and well-water or distilled water seems to be recommended, tap water has fluorides and chlorine, which evaporate anyway, but purer should be better.

 

The good thing about that grease and muck is it protects the part from rust!

 

That's the secret for those Caprice battery trays?

 

Hell no, but it works for the front half of the engine...

 

With all the hi-tech in those GM cars, why can't they keep the engine compartment cleaner. Our Fairmonts do.

 

Couple videos comparing various homebrews to remove rust, same guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JxBTpkgMzs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUnYh6HM7x0

Cleaning steel chrome wheels, one with vinegar, others with molasses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq5IUiYMhRM

And this looks really interesting, using one potato:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYgnHDB3VNI

EDIT: Added his website link.

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Academy_Home.htm

 

I've been looking for an OEM shift knob for the 4-speed SROD tranny, for weeks now. Finally found one, actually 4 NOS ones, but at $50 plus freight! Whoa, I said. With no wheels, its hard to do a good old spring time junkyard run, and our weather has been rain, rain, rain, with some of the yards actually flooded.

Andy went and did some recon for his Caprice, and asked me to help out. Well, he don't need to ask twice with this kid! He came back with some sad news, my friend Wally, owner of where I got my automatic floorshift, and other goodies, passed away about 3 months ago. Good man. He always said he wanted to finish off in his junkyard. He did. Anyway, I had met some of his friends, and he left the yard to another great guy, not even a relative, Harold.

The yard was across the road from our Caprice scavenger trip, so I went over. Harold said he didn't know 'dick' about Fords, but I was welcome to look. I found a nice shifter knob in a 1978 Mustang II, mottled brown and black, with the same shape and good lettering. Go back to the office to settle up, and he says "No Charge! In memory of Wally." I got teary eyed.

Then he tells me to consider something. How about the Mustang II for scrap price? I tell the wife, and show her some pics and she likes it! OMG!!!

BUT! She says she wants the original knob on it! So I can use it for now, but I'll have to get me an NOS one.

Andy says they still make good floor pans for them and it is a small V8 with the German Ford toploader 4-speed. Ghia model too! Nice.

So the Zephyr has to go soon. Headers next week. :banghead3:

 

Put those rusty parts in yesterday at 5 pm and just checked them, at 8:20 AM, while I added another pint of molasses and 3 pints of hot water. Some are already down to bare metal, and others are softening up the thick rust! I'll set up the second tray and mix it at 7:1.

The ospho should be here early next week.

 

StorminNorman just letting you know I read your crap. Thanks.
Sad about your junkyard friend.
PS Tell your wife to go buy her own knob!

 

She's got me already!

 

mg:There will be no furture discusion about this.:Nothing_funny_to_ad

 

You should hear what she calls me in Spanish... Pure terms of endearment, until you look them up in Spanish/English dicktionary.

Anyway, Mexican wives have traditions that mean no harm, just LUV!

 

Just picked up my Tilt Steering column. There's still 3 more in Canada, but I got mine from the same yard in Alberta where I got my 4-speed standard SROD from. Called them Monday afternoon and Greyhound called me this morning to tell me it arrived! They don't disappoint.

Anyway, it comes out of a 1980 T-Bird. They even left the column-mounted harness switches and connectors on. Nice chrome handles too.

With that now, I can change the clutch pedal and brake assembly, and the column at the same time. Then pull the auto transmission and install the clutch/bellhousing and transmission.

Coming together...