Fan Shroud(housing) - original finish?(gold) (Type 4)

[SGKent]

all the images have Gibbs on them. It is a better protectant than WD40. The shroud is an aluminum and magnesium alloy. It would not be as dark as pure magnesium.

Pure magnesium is brittle and gets dark. Gibbs is mostly petroleum distillates, white mineral oil, and propellants. It dries with more residue than WD40 so that it slows oxidization better. The CRC HD corrosion is similar except it has wax in it, like waxoyl, so that the wax forms a hard shell to keep corrosion away. You could also just wax it but be sure not to use a wax with silicone in it or you'll never be able to paint it without fisheye. I decided to paint mine aluminum because gold was too dense for me, and faux anodizing paint too expensive.

The original had sort of a golden pickle on it that was just to slow corrosion. It wasn't designed to last.

_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[Paul Hatfield]

[SGKent]

from gallery - glass beads and Gibbs (beading such a large area with large beads will give a mottled look. Finer beads or walnut shells should have been used if beading and not painting.)

[Paul Hatfield]

Thanks for the tip Steve. When it comes to this part, I guess it is all subjective as to what a bus owner is striving for. Gold, silver, painted, powder coat, dull, shinny, etc.

I used the CRC stuff on my trans, and I am happy with the result. But,,, I think that look is just to gold for my taste on the fan shroud.

I like a silver look, and although the photo I posted looks very shinny, it does dull down to where I like it. Just don't have any good photos of that handy.
As stated in this string of posts, polishing the shroud can make it clean and shinny, but actually too shinny. I would suspect the Gibbs would help dull it down, but without a good photo to see first, I did not want to test it out.

The WD-40 is a fairly good water dispersant (not great at lubricating), and in doing so I think might slow down the corrosion compared to no coating at all.
I don't smell any oil burning, and I avoid overspray by applying the WD-40 to a cloth and then wipe on. Takes almost no time at all.

Anyway, just thought I would share my photos and thoughts. Lots of ways to deal with getting the engine compartment to look clean and well maintained.
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http://EnginesInBack.com

[SGKent]

maybe some Gibbs on it if you are seeking the natural finish.
_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[Paul Hatfield]

I posted earlier on my efforts to clean and service my transmission for my 77 bus, and thought I might add a couple of photos of my engine. I had it out when I first bought it and did a top end rebuild. While doing the work, I just can't resist, I am a cleanliness freak and freely admit it.
For the fan shoud, it had perhaps never been thoroughly cleaned, and I used everything I had as a resource to clean it up. Started with the pressure washer, and then used Simple Green, mineral spirits, even gasoline.
Used a little polish, and I have been keeping a very light coat of WD40 on the shroud to keep at least some water vapor away. Seems to slow the corrosion process.

Anyway, here is how it looks.

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http://EnginesInBack.com

[SGKent]

[raygreenwood]

By the way.....a lot of your NOS...very old...brake master cylinder pistons in kits....were either magnesium...or zinc. Both can and were chromate coated and then usually wrapped in anti-rust paper. If you get a really old one...you can find that the pistons are sloughing off this tan-ish...skin. That is the mark (usually) of a magnesium piston set....and that sloughed off "skin"...... is the Alodine coating.

This happens...because as a passivation.....it only s-l-o-w-s the oxygenation and corrosion of the magnesium. Eventually ...through small microscopic pores...or from the edges where the pistons were machined...oxygen seeps in....the surface starts to patina.....and it separates the "skin" of Alodine.

The brake pistons I am working on right now....are zinc. So I can treat those. First they get a short dip in diluted...non oxidizing acid. Actually the cool recipe I found was.....soak in sodium hydroxide to totally strip all oils.... about a minute...in a mix of hydrochloric acid...methanol and water...to neutralize...then a minute or two in tri-sodium phosphate...a dip in distilled water...and straight into trivalent chromium as a "passivation"....or chromate treatment.

These pistons will live another 20 years in oil paper as a kit...or forever when submerged in clean brake fluid or oil. Ray

[notchboy]

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[Jeff Geisen]

Only on the Bay Window Forum, four pages on fan shroud color. Closing in on 11,000 views.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[notchboy]

There we have it. If I missed it in the past, I didn't this time.

It was coated. Due to the manufacturer process, and or even product sourcing, color varied from clearish to goldish.

Im taking that with me for now on.

Thanks Ray.
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[raygreenwood]

[SGKent]

this discussion is going in circles. It is getting to be like the mirror angle discussion.
_________________
George Carlin:
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

Skills@EuroCarsPlus:
"never time to do it right but always time to do it twice"

[notchboy]

See this is the part where it gets interesting. Opening up for pages of debate and speculation limited to one's imagination based on their reality.

One may assume that the pictures are equal, being used in an official capacity by VW. But how is a static engine used for publicity equal to an off the line - made to use one?
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[SGKent]

[notchboy]

Pretty obvious.

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[notchboy]

Hanover Factory Shot - known finish we were not there to witness.

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[jtauxe]

Here's a photo of my engine as I got it. Someone had painted the shroud black:

Now, with a few years on the refit. I like the shroud in its natural finish (just sandblasted clean (I do not recall what blasting medium was used):

Here's another from an unmolested 1973 Wild Westerner:

_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[raygreenwood]