Correct steering box finish

[john302]

I totally agree with the last reply. Every thing that is metal gets aleast one coat of epoxy.SPI brand is the best,way better than DP. When I restore parts never top coat over bare metal.It will rust period.Epoxy can be mixed as a wet on wet sealer that works great on cast parts. It isnt thick and it doesnt fill. We tried all the different brands of epoxy . John Allouez Restorations p.s Just sprayed a bunch of 68z parts with epoxy and I am waitting for it to flash

[9T4Z]

No name brand... simple store shelf hardware brand.

  My first experiment was when I wanted to get the bright zinc off the exhaust system hangers.  Hated the bright zinc, so I dipped them in muriatic acid and the zinc quite quickly came off.  Rinsed, dried and clear-coated.  That was in 2006.  The finish was like natural metal and have not rusted. The acid dip kinda gave it a brownish tinge that I found quite nice.  It will begin to rust right before your eyes if it stays wet or it's humid. The clear stopped it entirely.

Next did this with brake drums and rotors.  The muriatic acid dip removed all the rust and I alcohol wiped and air dried.  Worked 10X better than the 'cast blast' that virtually failed after a single winter on the garage lift. I have never tried epoxy and 'cast blast' so can not comment.

As far as the steering box, I did not remove it entirely from the car... just removed the bolts and wiggled it away, after I had removed my steering components. I brushed on the acid, waited, alcohol wash, air dried and sprayed the clear.

I would never recommend clear sprayed on top of zinc coated metal such as brake, fuel, gas tank as the results are a disaster in a couple of seasons.  I do not know why.

Product was called "Power fist all purpose enamel spray paint' and was the flat clear.  Just a house brand up here.

[cadmanof50s]

I have had very different experiences with painting  clear coats then the ones in the past few posts.

First of all I use engine enamel- the product was designed for higher temperatures up to 500 F. (Not that it matters in this situation).
I clear coated all the brake and hydraulic lines on my 63 year old Cadillac ..and I have never had an issue with them. Granted the car never sees moisture, rain, snow etc. The lines themslelves were the original..maybe they did not use the same material 63 years ago.

Finally, although I agree that clear-coating is a great idea..as in my humble opinion it protects and ceratinly slows down the oxidation/rusting...I think using it on the steerign box with bare metal may give you a finish that you may not be satisfied with. It certainly makes it look very shiny ..and if thats the effect you want ...great. But natural cast is grey and dull.

Again, you may consider the Cast-iron gray finish (flat) - Dupli-Color  makes a cast iron gray (as well). After reading all the posts in this thread..I have decided to go with that choice.
In effect you end up with the same color and finish as you master cylinder.

Vic

[68Zproject]

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=7197.0

Look at 6th post down.

[9T4Z]

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=7197.0

Look at 6th post down.

It's great for show cars. A nicely restored car that sees the road the dust turns to grime and you're at it with mineral spirits in the fall. 

 The last two posts on the link were interesting though. Jeff asks, quite rightly, how one color finish, on a part that was supposed to be bare metal,could be more correct, than another finish?   When in fact both are in-correct.  Shouldn't there be a LOT of latitude in the area of coatings as it seems more subjective than anything?  Will everyone eventually be buying paint from the same supplier?

I may be wrong, but ceramic coatings on exhaust manifolds are now accepted??  If so will someone later argue that there are some ceramic coatings that are a 'more acceptable' coating color. I've never been there but sounds like a daunting task, keeping up with the 'new correct, more acceptable, pickier finishes. Poor judges will have to be running around with color charts  

Great information guys.

ps  the flat clear does not make the box 'very shiny'... more of a dull damp look. Definitely retards corrosion in a decent storage environment,though not outside hung on an Air Conditioner, and sticks well when the part is acid etched.