Topic: steering gear box black out

[sparky65]

I am starting to clean up my steering gear box.  It seems to me that the black out paint was something thick.  It almost looks like it was hit with sound deadner but I don't think so since it is fairly smooth and it ran some.  But it is heavier or maybe they coated it heavier then the normal blackout treatments they did to other parts of the car.  Anyone else notice this?  What paint have you used to reproduce this?

Anybody know why ford decided to black this out?  Was it for looks or something practical?

[J_Speegle]

Have not found allot blacked out but would guess it was for looks. Ford tried a number of things to improve the looks - some so minor you would not think they would care - but someone did at least at the time

It looks to me, from the bubbles in some of the paint and the runs that it was likely a black lacquer that was possibly left in a coffee can or such so it would be handy to apply. The guy grabs the container, stirs it a bit with the used brush, introducing bubbles into the paint, Since it sat out open the paint would thicken up, helping with the bubbles being trapped and producing the look I seen on some

Just some thoughts

[Bob Gaines]

Just a thought but it may be the same water based product the engineering drawings describes to be used to black out the brake drums. The description sounds somewhat similar. Just a little fuel for the fire. Bob

[J_Speegle]

Agreed the look of the drips are similar in some of the examples I've seen.

Honestly never saw the water based mention in the manuals - wonder if that is what they really used.  But yes it seems a possibility.

Guess what is most important to us is how to reproduce the look

[McKeever]

Waterbased would have a longer "open time" making some sense in a production application.
Purely conjecture on my part.
More fuel. LOL!

[Bob Gaines]

I found a can of "tire black " that was a water based product in the back of a shelf. It is about 25 years old at the time I found it. It was something I remember using in the 70's.   I have used it to black out the drums although you could get a similar effect from other products. I have not seen a similar product at the auto parts stores only the silicone type products which must have replaced it. On page 12 of the 65 chassis book it says to use a air dry black enamel product on the drums (styled steel wheels). On page 10 of the 67 chassis book it indicates a change to a air dry water emulsion black paint for the drums. I didn't know they changed the product from a enamel to a water emulsion until i just looked it up now. I don't know if this has any bearing on what product was used but I thought it was my obligation to bring it up since I made the first reference to the water based product. Bob 

[J_Speegle]

Have not thought about the tire black in years Not since I suggested someone should have blacked out those blue stripes on that set of tires at SAAC a few years ago. Might be a can of that out in the my garage also.

That stuff and the white wax crayon (paint stick) for the raised letters...... boy those were the days