67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

[Chris E.]

Ok gang, so the clutch cross shaft is next on my To Do list. The TIM/JG says it was cad plated. Mine is a little rusty and caked with grease and dirt. Also, the inside is packed with grease (as it should be, probably).

My question is, how does one get all the grease out such that I could re-finish it?

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Ok gang, so the clutch cross shaft is next on my To Do list. The TIM/JG says it was cad plated. Mine is a little rusty and caked with grease and dirt. Also, the inside is packed with grease (as it should be, probably).

My question is, how does one get all the grease out such that I could re-finish it?

Chris-----

You can push most of it out with a wooden dowel. Keep in mind that about an inch, or so, in from each end the ID of the tube "steps down" to a smaller ID. So, you need to select a dowel of an outside diameter about the size of the smaller ID and not the size of the end ID. After you get most of it out, you can finish cleaning in a solvent parts washer.

I believe that these cross shafts were GALVANIZED and not zinc electroplated. Finding some shop to re-galvanize it might not be so easy. I believe the reason that galvanizing was used was to avoid problems with hydrogen embrittlement which can result from electroplating.

You can substitute zinc electroplating for the galvanizing but you MUST make sure that the piece is PROPERLY annealed after electroplating. Otherwise, you may find that the welds attaching the levers to the shaft will crack in relatively short order and, possibly, at a very "inopportune" time.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Galvanized sounds about right. Many years ago I reversed (modified) one to use in a 50 Chevy and my Dad had to reweld it. He complained about the "popping" of the galvanized material. Can hear him to this day, God rest his soul.

Are all the cross shafts equipped with a Zerk fitting? I recently replaced the one on my 63 which had been frozen for years and couldn't be popped.

Stu Fox

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Galvanized sounds about right. Many years ago I reversed (modified) one to use in a 50 Chevy and my Dad had to reweld it. He complained about the "popping" of the galvanized material. Can hear him to this day, God rest his soul.

Are all the cross shafts equipped with a Zerk fitting? I recently replaced the one on my 63 which had been frozen for years and couldn't be popped.

Stu Fox

Stu, I can't speak for the rest of the midyears, but I just looked at the 67 TIM/JG last night, and it says it had a Zerk fitting with a plastic cap over it from the factory.

[Gerard F.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Chris,

I don't think that is right, I think the clutch cross shaft on a 67, only had the plastic plug from the factory and not the zerk fitting. However, I think that the zerk fitting came with the first lub job and the plastic plug was usually discarded.

I could be wrong and it may be different for other years.

If so, maybe someone will straighten me out

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Chris,

I don't think that is right, I think the clutch cross shaft on a 67, only had the plastic plug from the factory and not the zerk fitting. However, I think that the zerk fitting came with the first lub job and the plastic plug was usually discarded.

I could be wrong and it may be different for other years.

If so, maybe someone will straighten me out

Oh, I see what you're saying. So the factory just plugged the hole with a piece of plastic, shipped the car to the dealer, and then as part of dealer prep before delivery to the customer, they pulled the plug, inserted a Zerk fitting and greased it? Hmm.....

[Ray G.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Hello;
Believe Gerald is correct.
Back in the day, clutch cross shafts came w/ a red or black plastic plug.
Just removed plug and used a rubber tip on the grease gun to replenish grease. There were no threads in the grease replenish hole.

Hope this helps.

Just my 2 cents.
Ray

[John D.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

63 had the zerk fitting. See the new 5th edition to back that up. 64 up did not. Orange is the correct color according to Peter the key guy. Where has Lindahl been anyhow??? Although others prefer cheep red cap plugs. Orange ones available for buk each from PL. Heee

Chris, NOS service replacement appear to have cadmium on them. Now if Terry is looking in the plating could be zinc also without the blue tinge as I am no scientist.
Meanwhile you had better be d sure you get all the grease out of it or you will have one unhappy plater. Soak it in gas. I had a 5 gallon container of varnished poc gas setting outside. Well someone stole the gas and put the empty can back. I had my suspicions who took it. Wouldn't you know his car broke down. If you don't want to use gas use mineral spirits-cheep paint thinner.Or get a can of carb cleaner in a spray. Whatever. Just get it spotless.

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

So, 63s had Zerk fittings, and 64 on up didn't?

When I restore it, I should TAKE THE ZERK FITTING OUT????

(just trying to get a clear picture in my mind of what you guys are saying)

[Wayne M.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Here's a service Z-bar for '65-6 BB's. Surface treatment looks kind of mottled at the end. I always thought galvanized coatings had a sort of crystalline pattern ?

This one is threaded for a zerk, but hole is empty.

[John H.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

So, 63s had Zerk fittings, and 64 on up didn't?

When I restore it, I should TAKE THE ZERK FITTING OUT????

(just trying to get a clear picture in my mind of what you guys are saying)

Chris -

For correct presentation on the judging field, a '67 should have a red plastic plug in the hole in the shaft (see A.I.M., UPC 7, Sheet C1, item #10), as that's the way the car was delivered to the customer.

Both ends of the shaft and ball studs were greased at the factory during subassembly (see A.I.M., UPC 0, Sheet D4, item 15C), and the dealer removed the plug and installed a self-tapping grease fitting when the car was brought in at 36,000 miles or sooner for a "lube job" (see '67 Owner's Manual, page 44, "Clutch Cross Shaft").

[John D.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

MY NOS service replacement for 63 to 66 has a threaded hole which I am guessing was a work order change so the mechanics could use a typical grease fitting. But I don't know.
I do know that the AIMS calls for a zerk fitting in the 63's and the 5th edition reflects this. In the ashtray of my 63 I have several plastic plugs in case the zerk falls out.
Story: I can remember Marlbrough 06 getting drenched in a down pour while laying on the ground using a nice pair of bubba pliers removing the jerk fitting and installing a fake plastic one on the 63. Then when the soaked LWC finally got thru ops and was inside the huge display building old CC came over to check for the plastic plug. It was sooo funny. We all had a good laugh. JD

[Randy R.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

When my car was used for daily transportation, the clutch was always very stiff. When the car was put into retirement, it was cleaned up. That is when the missing plug/zerk was noticed. It had never been greased. A little grease sure made the driving experience more pleasant.

Randy

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Ok, so it looks like to get full points, I need a plastic plug instead of the Zerk fitting.

If I leave it the way it is (including the Zerk fitting), I could lose a few of the 6 originality points and the corresponding condition points. At most, I'm thinking that would be 4 points total (2 orig, 2 cond) for that plastic cap.

The flip side is the long term driveability of the car. I think I'm better off leaving the Zerk fitting in there to provide a good weather tight seal, don't you guys think?

[Ridge K.]

Re: 67 clutch cross shalf refurbish

Chris:
I've attached some photos of the original clutch cross shaft from my 43,000 mile "barn find" 1967 Corvette, photographed beside two NOS service replacement parts. For a 1967 Corvette, the correct part number is #3888279. One photo is taken without flash, to get that prespective of finish appearance.
On the original cross shaft we pulled off my car, one can tell it never had a grease zert installed. I did not find the original plastic plug. My '67 was parked in a barn sometime in 1979, and never pulled out until I bought the car, early in 2006.
The NOS service replacements appear to be either cadmium, or zinc plated. I do not believe these are galvanized. As you can see from the original part, one cannot really determine the exact original finish.
I believe these two NOS service replacement parts were originally purchased in either the late 1970s, or very early 1980s. I've found these parts for sale in the $75 to $100 range.
Hope these photos aid in your quest for the correct finish, and presence (or absense) of grease zerts.
Ridge