Topic: Non-PS V8 Tie rod paint daub / marking

[evantugby]

While restoring my tie rods I Found blue paint or blue wax pencil marking on my 66 k-code metuchen kar.

[jwc66k]

Are you sure that's not blue RTV?
Jim

[evantugby]

Could be.  Who knows.  Blue RTV is a silicone.  The stuff I found appears to be grease-based pencil.  That's how it looks to me but who knows what happens after 55 yrs.  In addition, they were only found on the outer tie rods.  Not sure why the inner tie rods wouldn't have it, if it was RTV.

[J_Speegle]

Could be.  Who knows.  Blue RTV is a silicone.  The stuff I found appears to be grease-based pencil.  That's how it looks to me but who knows what happens after 55 yrs.  In addition, they were only found on the outer tie rods.  Not sure why the inner tie rods wouldn't have it, if it was RTV.

Grease based marker (like big crayon) would not be the way these would have typically been marked if marked. Paint was the typical product and this appears to have some thickness to it - more like RTV would have

The RTV might have been used to "glue" the boots in place and keeping them from coming loose.

[CharlesTurner]

Looks like RTV or some type of sealer.

The boot on that seal looks cracked, so obviously not usable, but I usually remove these with a piece of wood like a paint stirring stick and tap off with a hammer.

[evantugby]

Grease based marker (like big crayon) would not be the way these would have typically been marked if marked. Paint was the typical product and this appears to have some thickness to it - more like RTV would have

The RTV might have been used to "glue" the boots in place and keeping them from coming loose.

It very well could be RTV, who knows.  The important thing is that another clue was found.  I just don’t know why it would only be on the outer tie rods.  The pictures are of two Different outer tie rods.  I have another unusable set that I’m going to pop off the boots to see if I can find more of the blue stuff.   

[ChrisV289]

It is not a paint mark. I also found it under the boot of my original tie rods. It was discussed in another thread

[jwc66k]

Yes, there is a blue dab as seen in the first picture. I also used blue RTV to seal the ball stud for bead blasting and phosphting, as seen in the rest.
Jim

[sgl66]

Can’t tell from your pics but the nuts for the tie rod adjusting sleeves on my October Metuchen car have some type of red plastic or loctite on one of the 6 nut faces. Also, while you’re in there, the end of the center link under the pitman arm has a yellow dab of paint. This isn’t a very good picture, it’s the same yellow inspection color found in other areas.

[Bob Gaines]

Can’t tell from your pics but the nuts for the tie rod adjusting sleeves on my October Metuchen car have some type of red plastic or loctite on one of the 6 nut faces. Also, while you’re in there, the end of the center link under the pitman arm has a yellow dab of paint. This isn’t a very good picture, it’s the same yellow inspection color found in other areas.

The red plastic is to make the nut a lock nut. It would not be out of the ordinary for all of the adjusting nuts to typically be of the same locking variety . 

[CharlesTurner]

Can’t tell from your pics but the nuts for the tie rod adjusting sleeves on my October Metuchen car have some type of red plastic or loctite on one of the 6 nut faces. Also, while you’re in there, the end of the center link under the pitman arm has a yellow dab of paint. This isn’t a very good picture, it’s the same yellow inspection color found in other areas.

I've mostly seen pink there on 65 cars.