ZINC PLATING WITH THE CASWELL COPY CAD AND ZINC KIT

I have a 1990 Golf Cabrio GTI which I have owned for 10 years. Just over two years ago I had the engine rebuilt with a few mods:

Rebored engine block 1.9 litre
Ported and polished cylinder head
"Newman" fast road cam
Vernier cam pulley

The block had been painted with some red paint stuff and it's all flaking off! Also the gearbox is on it's way out the usual crunching from first to second.

So this is the plan:

Remove engine
Complete engine & bay detailing
Have gearbox rebuilt professionally
Refit engine

So this is how she looks at the moment.

 

If you want to see the FORUM page then click on this link and see the development and chat.

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=77812&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=flywheel&start=0

 

Please click on any of the pictures below to enlarge the shot.

 

This is how my VW Golf GTI looked before the restoration

I bought a Zinc plating and Blackener kit from Caswell Europe with Yellow Chromate, to duplicate the original finish on the bolts and brackets for aesthetic and corrosion resistance.

I clean the parts first in hydrochloric acid 36% (brick & Patio Cleaner) diluted one part acid two parts water. Remember always acid into water NOT the other way around! I leave the part in the acid until it's clean and the old plating has come off (when the fizzing stops). (if you don't want to use a mineral acid use Caswell's Comscale 650 rust remover - Caswell comment)

Then clean and degreased. I heat the electrolyte with the fish tank heater to 30 degrees I also heat the yellow chromate to around 27 - 30 degrees too.

Zinc plating takes around 30 - 40 Minutes stiring electrolyte every now and again to remove the bubbles off the parts. (You can use one of the Caswell air bubblers - Caswell comment) The power supply current is set to 0.9 volts and amps adjust automatically. Once plating has finished its rinsed in water.

Before chromating I use a bright acid dip. This is 5% Sulfuric Acid (Battery Acid) diluted with water for 3 - 5 seconds then rinsed and moved into the chromating tank.

The parts are in the yellow passivate tank for about 15 - 20 seconds with light movement in the solution. The longer it's in the passivate the darker it will become. The parts are then rinsed in water and dried with a hairdryer.

Here are the yellow zinc parts

Last edited by chrissy on Mon Sep 13, 2010 6:22 pm; 

Looks awesome man...Some painstaking effort going in there Very Happy  Diesel Possessed - Feeby
Thanks for the comments guys. Plating kit is from Caswell Europe. Took me a bit of time to perfect the technique to do this but I finally got there! Very satisfying though.

Got some more plating done today.

This is what it is going to look like when put back together

Looks awesome man...Some painstaking effort going in there Very Happy allana13 Member

 

A bit later

I've Been putting some of the parts back together once the plating is done.
Water pump halves bolted back together with new gasket and freshly plated bolts.

 

Cleaned distributor with Ali-Clean then a light spray of Diamond Clear. 

Then put back together with the newly plated parts.

Looks brand new!

 

WOW spot on fella imagine how much this process would cost to do at a company!!?? bet you saving thousands!!! looks top dollar as well!  Amazing work, only wish I had the patience to do something like this
keep up the fantastic work mate
Matt

Last edited by chrissy on Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:43 pm;
 

Can start putting stuff back on the block now it's finished

 

Stripped sump down to bare metal then Degreasing,

Metal Ready, Etch Primer and top coated in 

Under Hood Black spray

 

Sump bolts and a few other bits being Zinc Plated in tank

 

Bolts out of tank

  

Now this is the clever part, the freshly zinc plated bolts are immersed into a zinc blackener solution until uniformly black

 

The newly blackened parts are sealed with WD40 then refitted

 

 

More plated stuff!

 

 

Wiper mechanism components stripped. Frame and motor painted with Eastwood Clear Zinc spray

 and other parts yellow zinc plated ready to be rebuilt and when rebuilt

 

 

Bonnet lock stripped, cleaned and yellow zinc plated

 

 

Refitting

Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:04 pm

 
 
Stripped alternator down and rebuilt with new bearings and regulator from JCR Supplies
Yellow Chromate, Zinc Plated Fan, Pully, screws and fastenings

 
Red primer from Halfords is used and top coated with Diamond Clear

 

Gear linkage parts cleaned up and zinc plated. New bush and ball kit from Crazy Quiffs

 

 

Oil cooler stripped, sprayed with Aluma Blast. Bracket and bolts cleaned up and zinc plated and all re-assembled

 

 

Head lights cleaned and back plates zinc plated

 

Part of the gear change linkage fitted

 

Professionally rebuilt gear box sprayed in Aluma Blast and newly zinc plated parts put back on. 

New engine mount rubber pressed in.

 

 

Been finishing off the refit.

 
Zinc plated bonnet catch fitted

 

 The ends of the braided fuel lines were cleaned then zinc plated.
"E" Clips zinc plated and put through the Blue Passivate bath

New stainless steel clips used through out engine bay

 

Horns cleaned and brackets zinc plated and reassembled
 

Fitted clutch and speedo cable and finished off with the cable ties. (changed them to black!)

 


If you want to see more please go to:

http://www.vwgolfmk1.org.uk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=77812&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=flywheel&start=0

Caswell Europe would like to thank Chrissy for permission to use the words and photographs in this page.


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