Topic: Identifying original 68 idler arm?

[68 S Code]

Jeff Thanks for clearing that up. Where upper and lower control arm ball joints different for a PS versus manual steerinng car? Wondering why the studs have a yellow mark on the upper in the pic that Marcus sent along with the lower CA off my car.

[CharlesTurner]

Where upper and lower control arm ball joints different for a PS versus manual steerinng car? Wondering why the studs have a yellow mark on the upper in the pic that Marcus sent along with the lower CA off my car.

No difference in control arms.  The yellow on ball joint studs is common on most factory ball joints.  I can't give a definitive answer on what it designates.  Possibly was just a visual cue to help indicate if the castle nut had been installed.

[J_Speegle]

I've got the same thought as Charles in that we often see yellow used to high light some items to make assembly go quicker.

[68 S Code]

Charles and Jeff, thanks for clearing up the yellow paint on connection points. Makes sense. One more question regarding idler arm and attching hrdware in this case. I've noticed a pinkinsh red anodizing of fasteners connecting idler arm to frame. i had another post regarding fastener finsh, phoshating tobe exact and it was mentioned that some of the mounting hardware such at excentric bolts at lower a arms, motor mount cross bolt and I thought that even idler arm bolts ere phoshated. There is someone selling a set of "F" marked boltts with the pinkish color stating they ar original 68 bolts and nuts. Now I know the repops have been out for years so I am a bit skeptical that the color would have lasted 40 plus years. I've never removed any bolts from a car which still had this plating. So my question is on a dearborn car would these in fact be pink or phoshate. Thanks again guys you are a wealth of informative help.

[J_Speegle]

Charles and Jeff, thanks for clearing up the yellow paint on connection points. Makes sense. One more question regarding idler arm and attaching hardware in this case. I've noticed a pinkish red anodizing of fasteners connecting idler arm to frame..........

The "pink" was really a red dye over the other plating. Ford used this practice to call attention to certain mounting hardware where they wanted to make certain that they were tight (torqued) as required. In the early years the practice was used on certain nuts and bolts  but expanded in 68 for some reason (not sure if it was failures or some litigation)

There was a small pamphlet that was given to the plant workers in 68 explaining the the importance of this practice (went along with the expanded practice)

Many of us are either dipping these parts in red machinist dye or brushing it over the exposed surfaces to get the look

SO your answer is the retaining bolts (and nuts for the passenger side) that held the steering box and the idler arm to the car were IMHO likely phosphate with the red dye over that. This did include the large thick washers also

Hope this helps

[68 S Code]

Jeff that was very informative and will be helpful. You mentioned the steering gearbox and idler arm attaching bolts but I thought I saw a car that also had it on the large nut which mounted the pitman arm to the steering gearbox and the u bolt nuts at the differential. Were those correct or did someone just think that it would look better. The u bolt nuts definitely make sense with what you wrote. So far I have the pumpkin bolts and the strut rod nuts pinkish/red. Looks like I need to find this machinist dye somewhere. Thanks again.

[J_Speegle]

You have to be careful (as do others) about what year and plant you take these details from. Allot of owners are allowing marks to migrate from car to car.

I've seen and feel comfortable with the pittman nut being dyed on a 68 but have never seen the U bolt nuts done on the same, originally

[T Lea]

red dyed hardware (note: I think they added some as the year went on as not all had these)
Strut rod outer nuts
Steering box mounting
idler arm mounting
Steering coupling bolts
Strut rod to control arm nuts
Lower a arm eccentic nuts
Upper a arm attaching nuts
PS cylinder frame bracket hardware
Pumpkin nuts
U bolts nuts
Seat belt hardware

[68 S Code]

T, your response looks to be very complete and will be very helpful. I do have a couple of questions and a comment though. It seems like the Upper and Lower control arm hardware is phosphate with a red dye on the nuts only? Same for the strut rod to lower arm connection, nuts only? Now for the seat belt hardware. That one I'm confused with. Are you referring to the big bolts that mount the end of the belt to the chassis. I've removed a number of these bolts and never seen red. In fact I only remember seeing them in zinc dichromate (gold). Well since my car was a mid- July of 68 assembly date I would guess that whatever they decided to make red in 68 my car would have since it was probably one of the last ones built before the factory shut down for 69 retooling and production.

Red dyed hardware (note: I think they added some as the year went on as not all had these)
Strut rod outer nuts
Steering box mounting
idler arm mounting
Steering coupling bolts
Strut rod to control arm nuts
Lower a arm eccentric nuts
Upper a arm attaching nuts
PS cylinder frame bracket hardware
Pumpkin nuts
U bolts nuts
Seat belt hardware

[Sunlitgold68]

I removed several sets of seat belt bolts off 68's a few months ago.....they are plain zinc dichromate. The round nickel size ring spacers behind the 4 rear belts will sometimes have red dye. I have seen them both ways.

[68 S Code]

I mAy remember seeing the red washers. The bolts and washers  are out in the garage so I will take a look. Bolts definitely have gold.

[J_Speegle]

red dyed hardware (note: I think they added some as the year went on as not all had these)
........................
Seat belt hardware

Referring to the washers. The red dye is easy to loose over the years especially since it was often a very light/thin application

[68 S Code]

Marcus, The picture showing the 3 idlers positioned to show the FOMOCO logo has me wondering why the top arm seems to be without the logo? The other two clearly show it but the top one (even though cut off a bit) doesn't seem to have it.

[68 S Code]

I checked those seat belt washers ad I found no trace of red dye on the washers.

Regarding the red dye I saw a original owner, low milage, never restored, sitting in a storage facility for the last 30+ years, 70 Gt 500 at a friends restoration facility this past weekend. Saw it a few months ago just sitting there but now it was completely disassembled. I looked at the fasteners specifically those that we mentioned were dyed red. They were NOT dyed lightly so as to have a redish pink. They were very dark. Almost to the point of being almost brown. Very evident on the shafts which were protected by the frame. I think the new red dye is reformulated because of that whole red dye issue in the late 70's. They said the old red caused cancer and there was even talk at the time that you wouldn't be able to get red dye. 

[Sunlitgold68]

I do not think the red dye is easy to lose, at least on the rear seat belt bolt washers. i removed several sets from a salvage yard and the seat and everything was gone and the red dye was very prevalent. Not all 68's had the red dye on these washers. Those that did not were plain zinc dichromate.