Is there anything that can be done about pitting of the drive tubes?
before re chroming
pitting of the drive tubes?
Moderators: John@sos, charlesp, Charles uk, RickUK, Petergalileo
Plating companies usually have a tame polisher in-house - for pitted parts, linishing (using abrasive belts in various grades) is done prior to buffing, which gives the final plateable surface.
However, the depth of the pitting is the amount of metal which has to be removed before buffing.
I have had a number of drive tubes re-plated, but then I have others which are just too deeply pitted to reasonably polish/plate.
Show the tubes to your plater and ask his opinion - the pitting also becomes apparently deeper when the plater has stripped any remaining chrome off the part and has pickled rust off the part and out of the pits.
The other thing you need to do is to stress that the end two inches or so which fit into the water pump casting should not be linished, as it is all too easy to loose the interference fit which the clamp bolt cannot then compensate for. Rick.
However, the depth of the pitting is the amount of metal which has to be removed before buffing.
I have had a number of drive tubes re-plated, but then I have others which are just too deeply pitted to reasonably polish/plate.
Show the tubes to your plater and ask his opinion - the pitting also becomes apparently deeper when the plater has stripped any remaining chrome off the part and has pickled rust off the part and out of the pits.
The other thing you need to do is to stress that the end two inches or so which fit into the water pump casting should not be linished, as it is all too easy to loose the interference fit which the clamp bolt cannot then compensate for. Rick.
[tis my trade]surely it would be easier and cheaper to get/make a new piece of tube and get that plated?
I would say you had 2 chances trying to fiil/weld all the pits, slim and none!!
If any one knows the exact sizes needed i'm sure i could source a suppler
(i work for a major enginering company with many contacts)
I would say you had 2 chances trying to fiil/weld all the pits, slim and none!!
If any one knows the exact sizes needed i'm sure i could source a suppler
(i work for a major enginering company with many contacts)
regards paul
Sounds like a lot of trouble - never done it, but I believe you would have to get the tube turned out of the top flange casting to be able to replace it. Check around for a second hand (or 'experienced' as our US colleagues might say) part.
John has almost certainly got some to pick from.
Forgot to say in my first message that a tube with anything more than surface rust is probably not worth trying to recover. Rick
John has almost certainly got some to pick from.
Forgot to say in my first message that a tube with anything more than surface rust is probably not worth trying to recover. Rick