Hardware

[Guy Monjure]

Does anyone know were I can buy 3/8 x 24 x 1 1/4" phospete bolts and j-nutts for the engine bay. These are the fender, battery tray, and radiator bolts. I have tried a lot of places but cannot find them.

I will be removing the front fenders and sandblasting the front end to restore the engine bay while my engine is being rebuilt.

Guy

[redfalken]

The best place I've found for hard to find automotive hardware is Restoration Specialties Supplies:

http://www.restorationspecialties.com/

Not a fancy website and you just have to download the catalog to read through it but they have a lot of stuff!

[Guy Monjure]

I found the correct 5/16 x 24 x 1" phosphose flanged under hood bolts. You can purchase a box of 50 for $20.00 @ Dennis Carpenter Restoration Parts.

Took me a week of searching to find them, hope this helps someone else with their restoration.

Guy

[Luva65wagon]

I restore all my original bolts by first using CLR (Home Depot has a less expensive version of CLR that is better than CLR) to remove the corrosion. The bolts are pristine afterwards and then I use Eastwood's Black Oxide kit to restore the finish. Have done hundreds of bolts, nuts, washers, J-nuts. The Eastwood kit lasted years, but this last project finally the oxide chemical failed (gets over-diluted I think). But it can be replenished. The kit has saved me hundreds.

You can get a lot of this hardware from Wesco - assuming you are here in the NW - but the 24-TPI bolts are not to be found much in stores anymore. All on-line, it seems.

[Guy Monjure]

Hello,

Hey thanks for hanging in with me on this. I think your approach is great, I always wondered how that Eastwood kit worked. I think I may have gotten a bad report on those kits. I do use a corrosion remover I buy at Napa. It is pink in color, but I cannot remember it's name.

Can you tell me more about it? It would help me make a dissision about gettin one.

Guy

[Luva65wagon]

Guy,

I've had not troubles with it at all. The hardware holds up well, looks great - just like OEM. The $40 kit contains enough chemicals and sealer to do at least every bolt you want to do on 3 or 4 cars (that's about how many I've dealt with since I bought it).

If bolts are painted, that has to be stripped off or buffed off. I use the CLR in a big plastic (2-quart) paint pail, with lids, and I fill it with bolts, etc., and cover them with the CLR. In a couple days I pour off the fluid into another tub for next time I need it, and rinse all the bolts and blow them off. Then I drop them into the Blackening tub, about a dozen at a time, and use a magnetic tool to retrieve them in about 2 or 3 minutes> Then you rinse in distilled water and place immediately into the sealant for about 3 minutes (while I blacken more bolts). I use the little cardboard french-fry trays I got at Costco Business, with a 1/4 sheet of paper towel folded into the bottom of it, to let them dry off and cure overnight. And then use them as if they were new.

Here's a link to the Eastwood page:

http://www.eastwood.com/metal-blackening-kit-with-diamond-clear.html

[Guy Monjure]

That sounds like a good product to invest in. Thanks for the detailed reply. I may get me one after I complete the engine project I am into. I'm holding my breath at what its going to cost!

I have been using 'Rust Removal Gel' from Napa. It works good but if I leave bolts in the solution to long the phosphose coating comes off, which means I'm one more bolt short.

Cleaned up the shop today, just getting ready for the engine to come back from the machine shop. Hung a couple of 1940s serving trays my Dad gave me. Check them out, ones 'Falstaff' and the other is 'Jax Genuine Draft'. They are serving trays girls in New Orleans used to serve drinks on in the bars back in the day.

Guy