63 Transmission linkage

[Michael G.]

The 5th Edition of the 63-64 Judging Guide says that the transmission "shift levers, rods, swivels nuts and clips have a black phosphate finish". Is this correct?

Thanks

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Perhaps I should phase this in a different way: Anyone know what the factory finish was on the 63 trans shift rods and other associated stuff?

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Mike, I believe that this has surfaced before, and that there were phosphated ,Its more of a gray phosphate than the black phos.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

That's curious. Both my cars have plain steel rods, etc. Since they came from wildly different circumstances, I wouldn't think they'd both be wrong in the same way....

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

That's curious. Both my cars have plain steel rods, etc. Since they came from wildly different circumstances, I wouldn't think they'd both be wrong in the same way....

Mike, the judging manuel could be wrong, as I am not positive, Natural rods would be rusted after all these years, and the finish would be hard to tell. I think that the lt. gray phosphate does almost have a natural appearance.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Ed, The rods on my blue Dunotv car, which have been indoors for twenty years, are slightly corroded, with no evidence of ever having been phosphated. The rods on my recently restored black car are plain steel.

Phosphate's pretty easy to do on the blue car (its apart), so that's not the issue, I'm just trying to make sure that I do it just once and get it correct.

Thanks,

[Edward J.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Mike, put in a email. to the 63/64 team leader he will answer as to what is correct. I am surprised that no one else has responed.

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Thanks Ed, I'll do that. I'm also a bit surprised no one else has chimed in, it'd be nice if we could get some other owners opinions here too....

[Loren L.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Mike, put in a email. to the 63/64 team leader he will answer as to what is correct. I am surprised that no one else has responed.

Really? (The AUTOMATIC POLICE have told me my response is too short....)

[Jeff Z.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Thanks Ed, I'll do that. I'm also a bit surprised no one else has chimed in, it'd be nice if we could get some other owners opinions here too....

Michael,

I have two sets of linkage in basement I just looked at. One from a 62 and another from a 63. I agree with Ed they have a very light gray phosphate coating. Some areas look almost natural but there is coating.

Jeff

[Duke W.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

As an original '63 owner, my recollection is that nothing in the transmission linkage had any kind of surface treatment except, maybe, fasteners.

If anything was phosphated, it would likely be gone and replaced by surface rust after a few years of daily driving in most environments.

All of my shift linkage parts are now cad plated. I hate rust!!!

Duke

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Thanks, Jeff. I'll take a closer look at the parts. While they are definitely not black or dark gray phosphate, it is certainly possible that I mistook an oil-stained, light-gray phosphate for corrosion. I only inspected corrosion tests for 10 years, so perhaps I've lost it....

[Jeff Z.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Thanks, Jeff. I'll take a closer look at the parts. While they are definitely not black or dark gray phosphate, it is certainly possible that I mistook an oil-stained, light-gray phosphate for corrosion. I only inspected corrosion tests for 10 years, so perhaps I've lost it....

Michael,

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Thanks Jeff, you have better eyes than I do, or your copy of Nolan's book is clearer than mine. Anyway, based on my years of drafting at GM, as well as my long association with the finish committee, if there were Phosphate finish specs, they almost always would be found in the same note as the steel spec.


After cleaning one of my trans linkage rods with degreaser, I'd say the thin brown coating on my linkage is just surface rust, nothing else. I think that the phosphate requirement is incorrect.

[Joe R.]

Re: 63 Transmission linkage

Ok here's the skinny on shift linkage.

1. The repos have phosphated rods and stamped steel levers with no plating.

2. The judges (including the midget) have never seen anything but repos!

3. The original owners of 63's are so old they have CRS!

In a nutshell!

JR