'65 rag joint blackout?

[Tony S.]

Can anyone tell me if '65's have evidence of blackout on rag joints?

Thanks.
Tony

[Gene M.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Tony,
My car did not appear to have nothing on it except rust. So when I restored the joint I blasted the castings and used cast spray on them. The sheet metal I zinc plated. The copper strip is natural. The shoulder bolts are natural but I zinc plated them. The twelve pointed screws I plated black phosphate or possibly black zinc I can't remember. And lastly the rubber circle shock joint is cleaned but left natural.

[Tony S.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Hi Gene. Thanks for posting. I know that the rag joints started out that way, but something is rattling around in the back of my brain that some rag joints got some blackout. I'm trying to confirm that.

Best,
Tony

[Jim D.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Mine shows traces of black paint on one side but the opposite side has none.

[Gene M.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Tony,
I would expect if you find traces of black out on the rag joint you would also find it on the steering box too. But that is just my thought. In my previuos posting I just shared what my 65 was (rust) before I restored it.

I hope John or Mike will chime in as they were there back in the days............ They are always interesting to hear from.

[John H.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Jim Shea would know if the rag joint was on the input shaft when the gear was painted (on those gears that were painted at Saginaw), and if it was shielded or not.

Chassis blackout was significantly reduced for '65, as Engineering didn't want any overspray on the new disc brakes (didn't matter with drum brakes); there was very little other than on the mufflers.

[Tony S.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Tony,
I would expect if you find traces of black out on the rag joint you would also find it on the steering box too. But that is just my thought. In my previuos posting I just shared what my 65 was (rust) before I restored it.

I hope John or Mike will chime in as they were there back in the days............ They are always interesting to hear from.

Thanks Gene. I've got some blackout paint on my steering box--it partiall obscures the yellow inspection paint. I'll add some blackout on the rag joint for good measure.
Tony

[Jim S.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

My Saginaw engineering drawing indicates that the 1965-66 Corvette flexible coupling (5692974) used with the telescoping steering column was painted black at Saginaw.
However, the 1963-66 Corvette flexible coupling (5690809) used with the standard (non-adjustable) column was not painted.

Most flexible couplings were attached to the steering gear input shaft at Saginaw and then shipped to the assembly plant. I would think that your 1963-66 AIMs would indicate if the flexible coupling was installed at St. Louis or if the gear came to the plant with the flexible coupling already attached. If the flex coupling was attached to the gear at St.Louis there would be a callout for either of the two flexible couplings in 65-66 and there would be a pinch bolt needed (and called out) in order to fasten the proper flex coupling to the gear.

I think that I just answered my own question. If the flex couplings (in 1965-66) were attached to the gear at Saginaw there would be two gear assembly callouts in the AIM. One for the standard column and one for the telescoping column. I doubt that there were two gear assemblies.

It is still difficult to explain why the later flex coupling (65-66) for the telescoping column was painted and the original early flex coupling (63-66) was not.

Jim

[Jim D.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Thanks for the detailed reply. That explains why my coupler (with telescoping column) was painted black.

Jim

[Mike M.]

Re: '65 rag joint blackout?

Yes, Jim S. prudent theory of the AIM. It appears that there were two different steering gear assemblies supplied the STL with the couplers attached.
The '66 AIM (suspect the M-Y's Standard columns to be the same).
Shows the standard gear assembly, 5677641 with the coupler attached and the only call-out being the 12 pt. column lock bolt installation. (8, B4, F186)
The N36 Section states: "The following parts are installed same as regular production" and lists a different PN for the gear assembly as 5694401 as well as the 5694271 column assembly and the 3869768 support assembly. (N36, A1, F377)

HaND