Hi,

Been a lot of work so far but now have a rebuilt diff and new wheel bearings all ready to go back into the Cortina axle but for one thing -

After stripping down 3 axles, everyone of them had huge amounts of flaky rust inside the axle tubes that had played havoc with the bearings, it was the main reason the other diffs and all the wheel bearing were knackered (Be warned your axle may very well be the same!)

So to prevent this happening again I have decided to remove the rust through electrolysis and then paint the whole inside to stop future rust happening.

What would be a good paint to use, seeing that it will be exposed to hot oil, which I think rules out enamel? would have to be quite a tough paint and easy for me to do myself.

Any ideas??

Thanks

I wouldn't use any paint, shouldn't the oil keep it rust free?

Wouldn't paint flake/dust off and become an oil additive!

I would just 'paint' it with thick engine oil prior to assembly - simples

how do you intend to electrolosis inside the tube??
Drop a rod down it??

Something like Glyptal paint from Frosts Auto Restorations, made for painting inside engines so should be ideal for an axle . Not cheap though

Interesting..So that's what they used to seal old time potentially porous Blocks with.
Glyptal paint is currently widely used to paint/seal electric windings..
So there may be a more current and perhaps Cheaper source than the often usurious "restoration supply sources"

I don't think oil stops rust inside as it eventually just runs down to the bottom. The rust is forming from condensation inside, there is a hell of a lot of rust too, never noticed till I stripped them down but you could fill a cup from each side, mixed with the oil it becomes good grinding paste

As for the electrolysis I plan to run a 2m iron rod down the middle of the axle with wooden plugs at each end (I'll post a picture) then just fill it up with water, should be simple and effective, then I'll just hose it out with the pressure washer

Thanks, I'll have a look at this Glyptal paint and see if it will do the job, I don't plan to be rebuilding this axle for a very long time. Tbh I think had it not been for the rust the wheel bearings and diffs would have been just fine...

Guinea pigs. Get a couple of the big fluffy ones and dip them in paint. Stuff them in the axle casing and let them scurry about. Keep rotating the casing a few degrees every half hour or so to ensure complete coverage. I got the idea from BP who use sea birds to clean up oil spills.

i´ve stripped down certain escort axle´s (banjo type) and non of them showed any corrosion. bare metal and clean, as on the first day

are you talking about axles which had been laying around somehwere outside or ones fitted to cars in regulary use?

quote:

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Originally posted by owelly
I got the idea from BP who use sea birds to clean up oil spills.

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Maybe attaching a strong Magnet close to the bearings would help to catch rust before it gets to them.

i wouldn't paint it either. what about grease? i think grease is used in some chain diff set ups instead of oil, so cover a bit of rag in grease, and drag it through the axle tubes with a bit of string several times maybe? that should help

but again, i'd have thought paint flaking off (oil unsticking it) would cause just as much damage to the bearings as rust (or nearly as much anyway)

Hi

The only reason some manufacturers used to paint inside diff casings and engine blocks was to aid the speed that the oil would run off the casings and back to the sump / base.

If you have serious rust inside it has been stood around in dampness at some point or / and the breather is probably blocked.

Cheers Matt

quote:

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Originally posted by Angel Acevedo
Maybe attaching a strong Magnet close to the bearings would help to catch rust before it gets to them.

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again...why should i paint an axle inside which normally doesnt rust?

if there is rust, there is something wrong.

again: i´ve never seen an axle in regulary use with rust inside!!!

erm, scott, just from my dodgy memory, rust isn't magnetic is it? i honestly can't remember, but i don't think it is...