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What color should the transaxle be?
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hines67
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:28 pm    Post subject: What color should the transaxle be? Reply with quote

I'm getting ready to put my transaxle back in, but I need to paint it before it goes in. It had a bad black paint job on it, but I don't know if that is stock, or if it was painted by someone previously. Does anyone know if these were painted from the factory? Is black paint the original setup?
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VOLKSWAGNUT
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Varying answers for this question... its been covered quite a few times.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=479969
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=348674
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=540666
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=408210
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=226193

Some will say natural.. no paint
Some will say black....

Bottom line... no one really knows why some are and some are not.... Laughing

The only rational theory I read...was cars known to be delivered to high corrosive areas had painted transaxle cases...

That theory was never proven..
.
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Last edited by VOLKSWAGNUT on Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Northof49
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The one's around Winnipeg that I saw from the 1970's were a satin black.
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hines67
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies. Good info.

I'm on the fence about whether to paint it black or silver. Seems like silver would look better, but black would be more original. I'm leaning towards silver.
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Bob Loblaw
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember painting one Caterpillar Yellow one time. I was so happy when I flipped the Bug on it's side one day, so everyone could see it.
Stupid yoots.
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txoval
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you like silver, paint it silver
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drscope
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Who's going to see it?
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Researching this myself, as I am getting ready to go thru my cars original transaxle and reinstall it(by the way, it's black. coulda been rebuilt though). I wonder if it had to do with the quality of the cases coming out of the molds. Maybe some were ugly and were spruced up with paint to avoid dealers and owners thinking they were defective (checking, fissures imperfections, etc.)

Last edited by Z00mie on Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Black will hide leaks. Do you want to know, or not know?
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After some research it seems pretty well split between raw and black. I'm leaning toward bare metal and just powdercoat the axle sections...
What do you think they were from VW KTPhil?
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 1:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The real question is, did they use Oetiker type clamps or the sardine tin type clamps on a 1963 beetle axle boots?
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Dr OnHolliday
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have to ask, paint it pink...
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't have to ask, but hey, many thanks to the gallerie cacahučte for the input! Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The shop that rebuilt mine painted it black. They said it MUST be painted after they (dip or hot) tanked it to clean it. They said it has a coating (not cosmoline but something else) from the factory that closed the pores, and the cleaning opens them up. I didn't like black, so I painted silver over the black. All those I've seen that I know were original were "bare" metal so silver seemed to be more like factory to me. Perhaps more of a gun-metal silver might look more natural, but here is mine:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I wanted to see any leaks right away.
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks good! Very tidy. I was thinking Alodine 1201 for the finish after bead blasting. It should protect reasonably well. My A&P used it in the past on my airplane(s) castings. It seems pretty tough from a corrosion standpoint. It has cadmium (goldish hue) though, which for me isn't necessarily desirable.
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Bruce
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KTPhil wrote:
.... that closed the pores, and the cleaning opens them up.

I'm calling BS on that. Unless they had a video camera hooked up to a microscope to observe this phenomenon, they're just making things up.

I oppose painting because they always end up looking really bad after a couple of years so most of mine go bare. If you want to paint to protect the metal, paint with clear. That way when it starts to peel, you don't see it and it doesn't look bad.
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VOLKSWAGNUT
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 4:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Im with Bruce.... I've never noted any sealer.. and doubt any were sealed with anything from VW...

Alloy occasionally can have porous leaks... its not common..but does happen....
It would have been cheaper for VW to replace the 1 in 100,000 transaxles that "seeped" than seal them all....

Bottom line... Vw was cheap..and frugal.. hmmmm... just like the eventual owners... Laughing

Its under your car....and will be covered in grime, grease, and dirt... IF you actually drive it..... so the color really doesn't matter.. Laughing

If your that anal.. just polish the case....and forget about driving it... Laughing

I've painted some...and left some bare...
I prefer black.. as it "seems" to appear cleaner longer....

.
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aka Ken {o\!/o}
Its your vehicle- stop askin' for approval-do what YOU like for cryin' out loud
Better to roll em' how you want and wear em' out-than lettin' em' rot out
Its about the going not the showing
Rebuilt to drive not decorate
WANTED: Local Eatin' Joints, Triple D for TheSamba contributions here http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=570510
Search "VOLKSWAGNUT" on YouTube since you cant watch a "certain" BELT change video round here
Usually and often edited
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Jon Schmid
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 11:20 am    Post subject: What color should the transaxle be? Reply with quote

Z00mie wrote:
Looks good! Very tidy. I was thinking Alodine 1201 for the finish after bead blasting. It should protect reasonably well. My A&P used it in the past on my airplane(s) castings. It seems pretty tough from a corrosion standpoint. It has cadmium (goldish hue) though, which for me isn't necessarily desirable.


Alodine does NOT have cadmium. Cadmium has a silver finish. The color you typically see on a cadmium plated part is an added chromate conversion finish which looks much like Alodine in color. Alodine contains chromic acid and is usually used as an undercoat finish prior to applying paint to aluminum. Personally I wouldn't use it as a stand alone finish, especially on an assembly that's under the car. I would paint the transaxle silver or black.
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Z00mie
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jon! I meant that it it resembles a cad plated look ,not that it is a cadmium finish. Kinda gold tint...
I always understood the silverish blue finish to be zinc chromate. Learn something every day!
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Zundfolge1432 Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

VOLKSWAGNUT wrote:
Im with Bruce.... I've never noted any sealer.. and doubt any were sealed with anything from VW...

Alloy occasionally can have porous leaks... its not common..but does happen....
It would have been cheaper for VW to replace the 1 in 100,000 transaxles that "seeped" than seal them all....

Bottom line... Vw was cheap..and frugal.. hmmmm... just like the eventual owners... Laughing

Its under your car....and will be covered in grime, grease, and dirt... IF you actually drive it..... so the color really doesn't matter.. Laughing

If your that anal.. just polish the case....and forget about driving it... Laughing

I've painted some...and left some bare...
I prefer black.. as it "seems" to appear cleaner longer....

.


A friend of mine now deceased with a good reputation used to advertise in hotVWs and was well known within the VW community rebuilt thousands of them over the years. He painted all of them semigloss black but only for cosmetic reasons, we discussed it at length. The raw casting even when cleaned came out of the hot tank with stains and other appearance irregularities he didn't like. All the boxes I got from him went without paint because that was my preference. It only matters what looks good to you. Very Happy

RIP Bill Shanks
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