TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed May 28, 2025 6:30 pm

For original tools like the pliers, open-ended wrenches, and spark plug socket that came in a roll for a pre-52 Beetle, were they black oxide coated, painted black, or something else when they were new? I'm down to bare metal after rust and grease removal, and I can't tell from pictures in the forum or classifieds what the exact coating should be.

Fri May 30, 2025 8:05 am

black oxide would be my bet

Fri May 30, 2025 8:19 am

the hazet V-10 wrenches might have been oxided , they are a rather dark color originally , if you clean em too much they look silver .......... sometimes there so rusty you have no choice .

the 36 mm generator wrench was originally painted black on VW , plated on porsche's .

i dont think the sparkplug/lug wrench tool was plated or painted , they just look to be raw steel to me , again dont clean that original finish off or it looks silver not old . !!! painted looks wrong to me

the 14 mm socket may have been plated originally but most of mine were rusty .

here is one of my kits , the generator wrench has been re sprayed over the old paint , looks kinda bumpy .

lots more pics here https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=40

Sun Jun 01, 2025 9:13 am

for clarity, oxide black has no rust preventing properties. I worked for a major automotive bearing manufacturer and we had a production black oxide process. bearings have a proper orientation in the application, so the black was used as a visual at the transmission factory, such as, "black facing up" during assembly. after the bearing component was blacked, it was then run through a rust inhibitor then dried.

Sun Jun 01, 2025 10:14 pm

Sure, but black passivation is good against corrosion. That's the correct method for early VW HW and also those tools:

"Black passivation

Black passivation, or black chromating, gives a zinc-iron coated piece a clean, shiny black appearance. Black passivation is particularly recommended for applications where very good corrosion protection is required. Black passivated articles are now also RoHS compliant. The black-passivated surface has a very finished look and is suitable as a replacement for a painted piece in many cases. Black passivation is done on a zinc-iron coating, which gives very good corrosion resistance."

https://www.pinnoitushelin.fi/en/coating-techniques/zinc-passivation/