Nuts...and bolts !?

[GregW]

- have you heard about someone having tested Caswell with a good result? I looked at their demo video, and it looked a little tricky, but OK.

Yeah, it is a tad tricky. The biggest thing is the prep work. Pretty much any blemish will show through the plating so you have to get the parent surface smooth. If you only plan to plate the rusty nuts you have, I would just buy new fasteners. If you have more parts or you like to do that kinda thing, then by all means have at it. I have Caswell's Nickel kit and bought a 10 Amp power supply. The power supplies can get expensive. Down in the tool section of the forum, there are a couple threads about the Caswell kits. HERE is one. Also Caswell is a supporting vendor here, so you can get to there site from the supporting vendors link on the left pane.

P.S. Here is a part I plated from Caswell's nickel kit. It is for the cable linkage on the carbs.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Bob - I'm glad to hear about the servo. I've just heard another opinion from a Healey-geek! I do hope it's the right one, even if he said it wasn't!!

I did some research. That's a MK2B servo all right (see https://tinyurl.com/2777fn ), but it was probably a retrofit (but period correct). I checked the AH3000 parts manual and it looks like there were two slightly different versions of the MK2A fitted, but no 2Bs (at least not from the factory).

I always thought the VB catalog was correct since I never saw any evidence to the contrary--I even bought a 2B for a spare--but the parts book would have to be considered the definitive source. Sorry if I got your hopes up.

 

[AH_3000]

Bob - I'm glad to hear about the servo. I've just heard another opinion from a Healey-geek! I do hope it's the right one, even if he said it wasn't!!

I did some research. That's a MK2B servo all right (see https://tinyurl.com/2777fn ), but it was probably a retrofit (but period correct). I checked the AH3000 parts manual and it looks like there were two slightly different versions of the MK2A fitted, but no 2Bs (at least not from the factory).
...

No worries...I've heard both comments before, but what everybody seems to agree upon is that it's not absolutely correct - instead, it's a close match (period correct)! I'm happy with that for the time being!

 

[AH_3000]

Thanks! I'll have a look straight away! I'm already close of buying a Caswell kit, and if I do, I'll post the result and my experiences with the Copy Cad Zink kit.

Is there anyone out there who can post a <span style="font-weight: bold">high resolution picture </span>of a <span style="text-decoration: underline">correct engine bay </span>= how it looked from the factory? I'll guess there has to be some kind of standard and correct appearance in a Concours publication or similar publication. I'll be very happy to find a good reference in order to correct those little flaws on my Healey...I'll promise to post the finished result!

 

[AH_3000]

<span style="font-weight: bold">Cutlass</span>

I've been looking through a lot of pictures on various engine bays, and the heater intake should definitely be painted. However, about the intake, I'm not so sure...Seen Tanner doing that, but in some of my reference books, Bill Pigott's Austin Healey (see picture), the intakes ar NOT painted. Comments? What's right?

 

[Cutlass]

I did read the Concours guide, which seemed to indicate that all engine parts were painted, with the exception of accessories. No doubt that the carbs were not painted. I believe it is appropriate to paint the intake manifold, for it is cast aluminum, and subject to significant oxidation if not protected. I know it looks cool to leave it unpainted, and if that is what you prefer, then go for it. I'm no expert, but believe you may find from those who really know that it was painted at the factory. If I'm wrong, though, it won't be the first time.

 

[Johnny]

The assembled engine with most of the accessories installed was painted as a unit at the factory. This included the generator, fan belt and starter. The head bolts all got painted.

You are correct. However, the intake and exhaust manifolds were not painted as they were'nt installed yet. They went on after the engine/transmission painted assembly went on the vehicle. If you can picture the frame and chassis coming down an assembly line after wheels and axles, etc. the engine is installed first then auxillaries such as carbs manifolds etc.
I painted my intake manifold using Eastwoods "alumablast" and looks great. The exhaust manifold was mainted the "stainless exhaust" paint, it too looks and has lasted well.

The water pump would have been painted along with the rest of the engine and transmission. The nuts would have been on the water pump also.

 

[Cutlass]

That makes sense, Johnny.

 

[Randy Forbes]

That makes sense, Johnny.

It doesn't to me...

Are you sure about that Johnny? There's little doubt it would take longer to fit those parts when the engine's in the car.

Add to that the risk of damaged paint and bodywork ("mechanics elbows" dents on the the top of the shroud), especially when the paintwork was done at Jensen's.

Abingdon was strictly an assembly plant, the assemblies would arrive in as few component parts as possible; complete engines/transmissions shipped whole from the Morris Engines branch.

All the Marque books I have show completely assembled engines/xmsns on "little trucks" heading towards assembly.

I'm saying the manifolds were painted on the engines, while avoiding direct spraying of the carbs.

 

[TimK]

I have an original engine compartment and the intake manifolds were not painted engine color.

I painted the rocker cover and top of the head and the head nuts, but the intake manifold is original

 

[Randy Forbes]

Okay, but I'm still not buying the manifolds were fitted after the engine was installed in the car. That doesn't make economic/production sense.

 

[Cutlass]

Compare the color of the aluminum carbs to the color of the adjacent aluminum intake manifold. If that engine were completely original, would they not be approximately the same? Was that heater pipe also installed without any paint? It also appears that the plastic piece of the carb linkage has green paint on it, and it's sitting on top of the unpainted manifold. Did they paint the plastic piece separately? Could very well be, but....

 

[Duane_Rhynard]

According to the concours guide (See below) and others I have talked with, the
manifolds were painted engine color. I was told that the manifolds were not
prepped well and the paint quickly came off!

Excerpts from the 2009 concours guide:

“Manifolds and Heat Shield
Intake manifolds were painted on the engine on all models throughout
production(except 100M).”

“100M intake manifolds were substituted for the original manifolds after the car was assembled, and therefore were not painted. However, the balance tube between manifolds was reused and thus is painted engine green.”

"Carburetters
• Carburetter finish is bare, unpolished cast aluminum, dull in appearance.
• The carburetter throttle linkages on all cars were unpainted."

Duane
58 BN6

 

[BoyRacer]

OK guys, I just checked my stash of seven intake manifolds, none of which have apparently ever been mechanically or chemically cleaned or stripped. I have 100-6, early 3000 and two BJ-8 intake manifolds. There is no evidence of any paint ever being on any of these intake manifolds.

 

[BoyRacer]

So I checked out this Caswell plating site, thinking I might purchase one of their kits. What's with this having to register with them to see their on line stuff. I don't want to join their "club". Am I missing something here?

 

[Duane_Rhynard]

Richard,

All of the Austin-Healey documentation that I have access to (See additional example below) states the manifolds were painted engine color.

My manifolds do not show any signs of paint either, but since they were so poorly prepped and subject to heating and contraction (I measured my exhaust manifold temperature at over 500 degrees F) I am not surprised that the paint did not last very long.

Quote from the Austin-Healey 100 / 100-6 / 3000 Restoration Guide
by Gary Anderson and Roger Moment

"Intake and exhaust manifolds, and their fasteners, were painted on the engine on all models throughout production. The exhaust manifolds are secured to the engine head studs with 10 flat zinc-plated steel washers (PWZ106) and long brass nuts (AEC350); no lock washers were used. Where both exhaust and intake manifolds used the same stud, the long brass nuts were used. These nuts, of course, were also painted engine green."

Duane
'58 BN6

 

[DougF]

I sell fasteners. First, do not use black anodized capscrews, hex nuts, or washers. The finish offers zero rust protection. These fasteners are most commonly used on indoor industrial equipment.
I would stay away from any fasteners that have oily surfaces. These are generally imported and the quality can vary greatly. Many retailers and some catalog companies marketing low priced products typically are selling imports.
Grade 5 fasteners with a good zinc coating will resist rust pretty well, but don't hold up nearly as well as a quality grade 8. Grade 5 is identified as having 3 slashes on the head of the capscrew. The nuts don't always have the markings. Grade 8 fasteners have 6 slash marks on the head of the capscrew, and usually the slashes on one side of the nut. There are no fasteners recognized by SAE as having a grade beyond 8. There have been companies marketing such fasteners, but they are usually imports, and I would stay away from them.
As for screws, it's very sad to say that there are no domestic companies that are currently manufacturing them. The company I work for has to import them from China in a raw state, then harden and plate them to spec. So when you torque down on a sheet metal screw and it snaps off, you now know why.
So, if you can use a quality grade 8 fastener, you will have the best success toward fighting fastener failure.
For a proper fastening system, it is not recommended to mix grade 5 and grade 8 fasteners together, ie. grade 5 capscrew with a grade 8 nut.
I would never use a capscrew with a rating less than Grade 5 on any part of a vehicle except for body panels.

 

[GregW]

There are no fasteners recognized by SAE as having a grade beyond 8. There have been companies marketing such fasteners, but they are usually imports, and I would stay away from them.

That's odd, ARP has several products that exceed grade 8. All manufactured in California.

 

[DougF]

They exceed spec, but are classified Grade 8. Anything above 150,000 psi rating is considered Grade 8 by the Society of Automotive Engineers. What I meant was SAE doesn't recognize what some companies might sell as a Grade 9 or 10.
Metric has a totally different rating scale and you will see them listed as above Grade 8.