Getting the (drive) shaft!

If I have learned one thing so far being on “school vacation” this year it is this. No matter how much time I am given to do things, it is never enough! I have managed to actually touch some car parts during this past week and a half, though.

I am still working on cleaning and re-organizing my workshop and finishing my shed/garden project. But now I can finally tell the great drive shaft story that I promised before.

Here are the two passenger side drive shafts.

I needed two because the original one had worn and crooked gear teeth, but a good shaft and flange.

The second had a missing flange for the universal joint coupling, worn rubber boots, but good gear teeth.

So I disassembled them and matched the parts to make a good one. Once I stripped the old boot off the original one, the flange slid right off.

I put it in my vat of primordial ooze (straight white vinegar) to strip the paint and grease off of it. I usually let it sit and soak in there for about a week before I take it out, clean it and paint it.

It comes out looking like this. EEWWW! And it smells like greasy Easter eggs!

But moments later after I hit it with a wire brush and rinse it off, it looks like this.

And then it is primered.

And I let it sit for a day before I paint it…which I will do tomorrow along with a couple other parts that need it, too. Here are the flange and shaft (and my four year old New Balances).

I like using vinegar because it is environmentally friendly, although it works slower than most people would like. It does not look like there is much restoration going on but in reality there is. Most of the action is happening behind the scenes; ordering parts, following up on things like my wiring harness, and always cleaning and re-organizing…most of it is “unblogable”. As always feel free to send me a message or post a comment. I have enjoyed the ones I have gotten this past week!

Thank you for visiting.

Toddy