Namerow

I spent a lot of time reading other contributors' write-ups before tackling my cracked S30 dash two years ago. I don't recall anyone who had tried applying the flexible bumper repair compound over the entire surface of the dash. I can see some possible attraction, since it would theoretically put a flexible cover layer over the vinyl-to-filler seams that everyone worries about splitting apart after the dash has been put back in the car and exposed to the elements. However, it seems like the equivalent of applying body filler over an entire hood panel just to deal with a few localized dents -- you'll be setting yourself up for a massive sanding and contouring challenge. That said, I do recall one or two people who covered their entire S30 dash with fibreglass for exactly the same reason (and ended up facing exactly the same challenge afterwards).

I remember someone else promoting the benefits of LH drill bits. I hope to give this a try sometime, but first need to buy a couple of them (not available at your average hardware store) -- prob. one for M8's and another for M10's. One of my perennial problems, though, is positioning and then punching an accurate centre mark, and then keeping the bit from drifting out of it. I always seem to end up with a hole that's 10 - 15% off-centre. Not sure if it's bad marking technique, bad punching technique, wrong drill-tip shape, or bad drilling technique. Maybe it's all four!

Give me a day or two to pull some pictures together.

I had a quick look at the TPP website and found some interesting info (assumed accurate) about zinc and cad plating and chromates... " Zinc plating is a soft, decorative, corrosion-resistant finish. Zinc protects the substrate by sacrificing itself and thus corrodes before the base metal. This means that zinc will protect even if the zinc coating sustains minor damage, such as scratches or small punctures because of the galvanic protection of the zinc; however, the zinc coating can be attacked or dissolved by ordinary liquids such as soft drinks and vinegar. The ultimate corrosion resistance of zinc is dependent on the thickness of the coating. To increase the corrosion-resistance of the zinc, a conversion coating is usually added. The primary use of chromate finishes on zinc is to retard or prevent the formation of white corrosion products on zinc surfaces." 'Attacked or dissolved by ordinary liquids such as soft drinks or vinegar' !!! I'm going to try this on one of the parts that I've already plated (poorly) to see what happens. Also: It looks like the max. target thickness for commercial/industrial zinc plating is 0.001". TPP has the following to say about cadmium plating (which they apparently still offer): " Cadmium plating is generally bright silvery white. Supplementary treatments for type II can be golden. iridescent, amber, black, or olive drab. The corrosion resistance is very good, especially with the type II finish. Cadmium plating is still the preferred metal over zinc, in the aerospace industry. This is partly due to its excellent adhesion properties for painting, and it can't be stripped off as readily as zinc. Cadmium is excellent for plating stainless steels that are to be used in conjunction with aluminum, to prevent galvanic corrosion. TPP offers the following chromate conversions for cadmium: Clear, Yellow, Black and Olive Drab. Parts with a hardness greater then Rc-40 shall be stress relieved prior to cleaning and plating, and should be given a hydrogen embrittlement relieve post bake." Interesting that there's no mention of post baking (re hydrogen embrittlement relief) in their discussion of zinc plating.

Thanks, Patcon. This is really helpful. Success with this process seems to be really dependent on uber-cleanliness and getting all the details correct (hence the long list of detail-y questions ). I just made a sweep of the Dollar Store yesterday after work to pick up a new set of virgin pans, pails, buckets, and spray bottles. I'm going to create a fresh acid bath and bust out a brand-new wire wheel, too. Taking no chances!

It was good to meet you and the other CZCC-er's at Z-Fest on Saturday. Hope everyone arrives home safely. Don't forget to post the group photo when you get a chance.

The consensus at Z-Fest was that the best route to plating success might be for us to send all of our parts to you! I have a lot of questions (apologies if you've covered some of this earlier) How would you describe the nozzle setting you're using to spray your rinse water after the yellow chromating step: 'mist'? 'jet'? Or somewhere in between? Are you heating your electrolyte bath? What temp? Are you heating your chromate dip(s)? What temp? Are you using a bubble-stream agitator in your electrolyte bath? What acid concentration are you using for the pickling step? Have you been using the Caswell brightener in your electrolyte bath? Any signs detected yet that it may need refreshing? Have you been taking any special steps when plating parts that would be susceptible to 'corner' effects? What are the approx. dimensions of the wet part of your electrolyte bath? (I'm assuming your using a pail, so that would mean diameter and depth of fluid volume) What is the layout and approx. total wet surface area of your zinc anode plate(s)? (I'm assuming that only one surface would come into play, so a single plate with wet surface measuring 4" x 6" would equal 24 sq.in. rather than 48 sq.in.). I'm trying to get an idea of the ratio of anode surface are to electrolyte 'wall' area, as well as how you've placed your anodes. Are you taking any special measures to clean or polish your anode plates between plating sessions? Are you using a metal wire wheel or a fibre wheel to dress your parts before final cleaning? If your cleaning process involves a solvent, what solvent are you using? Are you taking any kind of de-rusting measures other than media blasting and wire/fibre wheel? (e.g. chemical/'Evapo-Rust, or electrochemical) When you've determined the amps setting you need for a given batch of parts, do you: 1) simply adjust the power supply setting up to this level and then connect to the part, or; 2) perform '1' as a starting point only, followed by using the read-out from an ammeter hooked into the circuit to do the final setting? (In other words, you've said earlier that the amps need to be set at the power supply in a no-load condition, but it would seem to me that the actual current flowing will change after a load -- i.e. the part and the bath -- is applied.) Looking at the overall process, when is the last time you actually touch a part with your hands? (I'm guessing that it's when you hook up the wire that will be used to suspend the part in the various baths and dips).

Just the basics: Electrolyte, brightener, blue chromate and yellow chromate. Only enough for a 1.5-gallon tank, but these cost close to Cdn $200 and that's about all I'm prepared to spend on this adventure. I still need to buy several small plastic pails for distilled water dipping. I've read some comments about not sharing the distilled water bath from one step to another, so I'm going to use separate baths for each step along the way. I'm also going to buy a squeeze dispenser that I'll use after each water bath, just to make sure that the part isn't carrying any residue from the bath into the next step (Caswell says to rinse the part in fresh cold water). I'll get at this next weekend, while I've still got the use of Grannyknot's controllable amp/volt power supply. I may have some questions for you during the week as I get closer to being ready to start..

Just keep in mind that it may have a shelf life, due to the acetone evaporating away over time (leave a small bowl of acetone out sometime and see how fast it vanishes). Although I've used this DIY mix, I can only say that it doesn't work any worse than any of the other penetrating oils I've tried -- and it costs a lot less. Overall, though, I had only limited success any of the penetrating oil (and WD40 is useless). Fasteners that have finally been coaxed free using an impact tool showed very (very) little oil penetration below the surface, even after repeated applications and having sat for days beforehand. I like heat (controlled) and impact (also controlled). That's just my experience, though. Your results may vary.

We had a short but lively discussion about electroplating at Z-Fest yesterday. I've now received my shipment from Caswell and I'm getting ready for what I hope will be my final (and successful) attempt. I'm pulling my notes together before getting started. Thought you might be interested in what I've learned about three topics that don't seem to be well understood: chromate dips, acid pickling, and hydrogen embrittlement: Chromate Dips Aka ‘chromate conversion’... The effect is called ‘passivation’ The purpose is to create corrosion resistance for the underlying metal surface. The zinc from electroplating is intended to provide corrosion resistance for the underlying steel part. However, the chromate is applied to provide corrosion resistance for the zinc (which is susceptible to tarnishing and becoming dull over time). ‘Passivation’ involves creation of an outer layer of shield material that is applied as a microcoating, created by chemical reaction with the base material. The technique involves the application of a light coat of a protective material (such as a metal oxide) to create a shell against corrosion. Passivation strengthens and preserves the appearance of a metallic surface (like zinc). The tarnishing of metallic surfaces is a natural form of passivation, called ‘corrosion coating’... When exposed to air, many metals naturally form a hard, relatively inert surface (e.g. silver ‘tarnish’). Corrosion coating (tarnishing) reduces the rate of corrosion of the underlying metallic surface. The thin, hard and relatively inert outer shell of corrosion inhibits deeper corrosion. The protective effect varies, depending on the kind of base metal and the nature of the surrounding environment. At room temperature, the protective effect is notable for aluminium, chromium, zinc, titanium, and silicon. When corrosion coating (aka tarnishing) occurs, the inert surface layer -- termed the ‘native oxide layer’ -- is usually an oxide or a nitride. For aluminum, even after several years, it will have attained a thickness of only about 50 Å. Pickling Pickling is a metal surface treatment used to remove impurities, such as stains, inorganic contaminants, rust, or scale from ferrous metals, copper, precious metals and aluminum alloys. A solution called ‘pickle liquor’, which contains strong acids, is used to remove the surface impurities. It is commonly used to de-scale or clean steel in various steelmaking processes. The primary acid used is hydrochloric acid, although sulfuric acid was previously more common. Hydrochloric acid is more expensive than sulfuric acid, but it pickles much faster while minimizing base metal loss. Hydrogen Embrittlement Hydrogen embrittlement becomes a problem for the pickling of some steel alloys and high-carbon steels. The hydrogen from the acid reacts with the surface and makes it brittle, leading to cracks if flexed… Carbon steels, with an alloy content less than or equal to 6%, are not very susceptible. Either hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid may be used. Steels with an alloy content greater than 6% must be pickled in two steps and acids other than the usual sulphuric or hydrochloric are used. Substitute acids include phosphoric, nitric, and hydrofluoric acid. Nickel-chrome steels (which offer rust- and acid-resistance) are pickled in a bath of hydrochloric and nitric acid. It appears that some plating shops err on the conservative side on the matter of hydrogen embrittlement, recommending that any steel part that has been plated be heat treated afterwards if its going to see vibration or flexing in use.

Maybe a short step-by-step explanation of the re-and-re process (photos are nice) would encourage more tire-kickers viewers to become buyers? Maybe Grannyknot can do this as he works through his installation. As discussed yesterday at Z-Fest, this may be more about preventing bad stuff from going into the tank, rather than good stuff coming out of the tank.

Maybe he meant $8000 Canadian dollars (which would be roughly $6K US)? On the other hand, it's hard to find a good, rust-free S30 in these parts. You and your cars offer a degree of being 'pre-vetted' and US $7000 isn't an extreme price. This guy may be just trying for a knock-out bid so that he can bypass many of the unknowns that are usually part of shopping for and buying a rust-prone type of car from a distance. I'd take the chance and hear him out. Maybe keep it to email, though, until you get a better feel for what he's about. We have just as many scam artists here in Ontario as there are in any other part of the world.

I've had mixed success with freeze sprays. Worked like magic in one case (frozen brake line connection), but failed miserably in another (snapped-off distributor clamp-down bolt). In the latter case, I had the part on the bench and worked away at it for a week, using various sequences of heating, freezing, shock, and penetrating oil. I finally had to drill out the remainder of the stud and re-tap the hole for an oversize bolt). My theory (and that's all it is) is that the freeze sprays work well to break up ferrous-metal rust, but not so well to break up the thread bonding that occurs between dissimilar metals (i.e. aluminum casting / steel bolt). Nevertheless, your results may be different -- and I hope they are! One warning: Freeze sprays are quite flammable, so be careful about spraying a part that you've previously heated with a torch. You'll end up with a dandy little fire and you better have an extinguisher close by (ask me how I know this).

This past March, a friend of mine -- mid-60's in age -- contracted 'legionnaires disease' (legionella) and had to be kept in a medically-induced coma for over a month. It's been a long road to recovery, but she's now up and walking and working through daily rehab at the hospital to recover sufficient strength and mobility to be ready for discharge sometime in September. Your son is presumably younger and -- all other things being equal -- should be able to enjoy a comparable, if not more rapid, recovery. So, be patient, be positive, and reach out to others -- including your friends here at CZCC -- for your own support.

Will do.

Sorry. I'm out.

No. There is no quick fix. Buy a dash cap (molded and textured black ABS plastic shell). Use the 'Search' function on this website to do some studying about dash caps. There is extensive discussion available, along with lots of great photos and advice.

You can forget about PB Blaster (or any other 'penetrating' oil) having any useful effect in getting stubborn exhaust manifold fasteners loose -- even if you add a bit more every day for two weeks. What you'll probably need is heat. Not just any heat, either. You need to get the fastener just close to glowing. I've read that an oxy-acetylene torch provides the best flame for this purpose. However, I've never had access to a gas welding kit, so I use a special torch head (provides an air bleed-in just downstream of the tip) on a regular propane cylinder to get the flame temp up. A regular (plumber-type) propane torch set-up won't get the job done. Even with this kind of heat, you'll probably only succeed at breaking the threads free. Let things cool a bit and add some oil to the threads before you do any more wrenching. You'll need to coax the fastener out. Loosen two increments, re-tighten one increment. Repeat until the fastener either starts to turn freely (good luck) or is fully out, adding a bit more heat and a bit more oil from time to time. Do not give in to the temptation of trying a power impact wrench. I -- like you and many other Z owners -- have had to deal with a snapped-off rear exhaust manifold stud. Mine snapped off about 1/16" below the surface of the head. I started a thread on this about six months ago and got lots of helpful input. However, there are no 'silver bullet' solutions. I you're handy with a MIG welder, that may offer the best solution. Fill the cavity on top of the stud with weld and then -- using a flat washer as a spacer -- weld a nut on top of the stud. The combination of heat shock and restored leverage gets the job done. Drilling the core of the stud out for follow-up with an ez-out is usually the road to hell (although some claim that using a left-hand drill bit works wonders). I would only let a competent machine shop try this -- and that means taking the head off. I certainly wouldn't try it with the engine in the car (limited access, no arm support, tiny stud diameter, engine mounted on an angle -- 'What could go wrong?'). The 'perfect world' solution is to have the stud material vaporized using an electric induction process. However, this isn't something a hobbyist can do and you may have difficulty finding a shop that has the equipment (unless you live in/near a major urban centre). Once again, the head will have to come off the engine. I believe that one of this site's senior members did a write-up (some time ago) about getting the air injection pipes loose from the exhaust manifold. Use the 'Search' tool to locate.

I suggest that you either get used to the crack or buy a full-coverage, glue-in-place dash cap. Otherwise you're in for either: 1) a long wait and an expensive-but-perfect fix from 'Just Dashes' (Van Nuys, California), or; 2) a long wait and a challenging, risky, D-I-Y fix by a local shop or you. Both options require taking the dash out of the car. Based on your adventures to date with getting your car fixed, I'd say that Option 2 isn't something you should attempt.

I`m beginning to wonder whether the US Northwest has replaced LA and Phoenix as the place to look for restorable classics.

I'm going to take a day off from my garage activities and come up from Burlington (Ontario) for the Saturday events. Hope to meet the CZCC 'cast of character's while I'm there drooling over the 90+ point S30's on display. I believe that Grannyknot will also be there on Saturday (looking for tips on how to program an ECU for a BMW M3 engine ).

I have a similar issue with my Harada. I think that Siteunseen's solution looks best -- buy a cheap replacement antenna and hope that you can steal the needed part for use on the antenna that's in your car. You risk only $19. Let us know if it works!

I'm afraid you're going to find some % of ethanol in just about every brand and grade of pump gas sold here in Ontario. For example, the Petro-Canada (owned by Suncor / Sunoco / Sun Oil) website has this to say: "Due to the fact that various fuel grades are blended at the point of sale, most grades of Petro-Canada fuel may now contain up to 10% ethanol. This represents a change from the previous state, where premium fuel was ethanol-free at Petro-Canada." In fact, they make a big deal about the use of ethanol in their 'Ultra 94' extra-premium gas, noting that its cool-burn characteristic is a key contributor to the high-octane number. The other big gas retail chains here in Ontario are Shell, Esso ('S-O' = Standard Oil = Exxon-Mobil), and Canadian Tire (who just sell somebody else's gas under their own retail banner). BTW, pump gas here is typically sold as either 87-octane (regular) or 91-octane (premium). Prices in the Toronto area right now are around Cdn $1.00 per litre, which works out to about US $2.85 per US gallon (1 US gallon = 3.8 litres). Chris is quite right about banks being the best place to get a decent exchange rate on your US cash. And they won't scowl at you when you ask. However, because you'll be a non-accountholder, they may want to limit the transaction to US$200. Anywhere else, you're probably going to pay a premium of between 5% - 15%. An alternative is to just draw Canadian cash from a bank's ATM, using your own bank card. Just check the machine and your card beforehand to make sure they're compatible (e.g. 'Cirrus', etc). IIRC, you'll end up paying a slightly premium rate ( +2%, say) and your own bank will ding you for a per-transaction fee of about $3.00. So, slightly worse than an over-the-counter transaction, but very convenient. This is the way I keep myself in local cash when I'm traveling in Europe -- usually ~ $300 at a go.

What about the threaded stud? Metric or SAE? Stock length, or extra?

(Almost) all of the commentary so far seems to apply to the DEA (never heard of them) and Anchor (ditto) brands. I've always had good luck with Beck Arnley parts in the past and, as noted, they do offer the front motor mounts. Anyone tried them? Any fitment issues?