Here's a preview, after the POR 15 coating, but before the primer and top coats. POR 15 is not a finish so much as it is another layer of preparation before finish is applied. I'll point out again that it's going to be satin when finished.
I also blued the shock and track rod mounts.
I managed to get every single spot easily with that stuff; even right into the tiniest, deepest welds on the mounting tabs. Given the care taken in preparation, those areas won't be corroding any time soon at all, and should be very easy to clean. I'm not sure whether I finished it as well as possible, but I got that stuff in places GM didn't know it had. It's not thin, but it still manages to creep everywhere and fill the tiniest of voids.
To paraphrase The Tick: POR 15 has it's mitts all
up in that housing's puppet.
I already can tell it bonded well, and it's hardening at a solid, steady rate. This stuff is going to last. Test applications were extremely durable, taking abuse that would easily strip factory paint and even damage an average powder finish.
The POR will be left to harden until Tuesday, when I will scuff it down well enough to prime it with their own product. Waiting allows me to control the high humidity events POR 15 requires to harden in order to more evenly and thoroughly cure the finish. That also removes any risk of finishes curing at different rates and weakening their bonds.
After that, it'll be painted satin black. I am likely to choose Rustoleum Professional enamel for that. That's not actually the best rust resistant paint, but it's not bad, and it's job is only to protect the POR 15, anyway. If damaged, it is quite good at keeping it localized, and is very easy to repair. It also cures harder than other top coats, and yet maintains a fair amount of flexibility. The high amount of solids adds a tendency to smooth over a rough surface, which (along with the satin texture) will help reduce the visibility of pitting.
Flat would hide it even more, but it's difficult to clean and touch up. I prefer having the history visible, anyway. The axle is 53 years old. It's
earned that pitting, damn it.
Yes, I coated over the hardware for the shock mounts and track rod mount. Having removed those on the other axle, I found that the metal under them was perfect, and the way they are mounted prevents slipping and finish flex. Weighing the certain finish damage of applying that much torque in their reattachment if removed before painting (and the fact that they are unlikely to be removed) against the benefits of full encapsulation, I determined that was the best course of action.
This was accomplished on jack stands supporting the axle via long bolts through the backplate mount flanges. The case wasn't touching the stands at all, and was easily rotated. As such, I was able to get the entire tube in one shot, with only a tiny amount of support area in two small holes at either end. Those will be sealed when the axle is ready to support it's weight without the risk of finish transfer.
I can't vouch for any long-term durability or age issues with POR 15, as that can only be determined after several months of use, but I can certainly say it stuck to every single spot it touched... And it touched
all the spots, without any hassle at all.
Here's another shot:
That is a close-up of the condition of the metal during the acid etch after all that degreasing, blasting, and cleaning/drying, before the POR 15 application. It's quite solid, and there are no little hidden away spots that didn't get the full treatment.
I also remembered to spray out, clean, and fill any factory casting voids, such as those common around the spot welds. I want this to hold up as well as possible, and that sort of thing bugs me, anyway.
Cheers,
Kennith