Rear axle paint/dotology

[mercakungen]

Hello,

I started to work on my rear axle and found some interesting details. It seems that the axle has been painted twice (at least partially) at the factory.
Straps that hold hand brake cables and cables itself had black (grey?) paint on them. Straps that hold brake lines were not painted.
There are also some yellow, red and blue markings.

BR,
Matti

[Shvegel]

Thanks for posting these.  I have never seen the stamp on the center section before.  Is that a "K"?   The red on the axle housing end is most likely a drip from the application of red to the caliper bolts.  I have not seen much red on the axle beside calipers.  I have never seen the clamps painted from the factory but that doesn't mean it never happened.  It looks like there is paint under the clamps for the parking brake cable strap?  I am curious if the ends of the parking brake cables were painted as well.  It seems like maybe someone replaced the cables and painted the straps after install?

You should have a big blue stripe under the axle across the bottom of the axle and a small blue swipe across the fill plug as well?  Also a dot of yellow on the inside face of each rear control arm.

It is nice to see confirmation of the yellow at the bolts where the axle housing meet the control arms.  Since it appears the axle was installed with the arms installed and painted I wasn't sure if they would have tested these.

[ja17]

Seems like the inspection marks were not ever perfectly consistent in color or location. It may have depended on who was doing the marking that day or shift or what period of production. It also seems that some assemblies were painted after partial assembly involving some masking or overspray.

[Shvegel]

I think you could almost make it up there are so many variations.  I try to look for it on my car whenever I can but there are some spots where it was gone.so only a partial list.

[mercakungen]

I don´t know what that stamp has been. The color has been yellow. When I started to clean these parts with thinner I found out that the yellow and the red marks has been under the black paint, including the stamp. Red marks were a lot bigger than the previous photo shows.
I believe the brake cables are original. Notice the red mark on the right side cable and white on the left side.
Quite hard to believe that someone had paint that strap without messing the brake line.

[mercakungen]

Some middle blue paint is still left on the left side of the  fill plug. None on the bottom of axle.
Some blue also on the top of right axle tube just under the brake line. This mark is on the black paint.

[mercakungen]

more

[mercakungen]

More photos.
Notice the steering shock bolt: green and pink.

[mercakungen]

Some of the front axle.
Those special brake lines for the front calipers are painted black and have green marks on the black.
Locking plates are also black with red marks. Calipers were also black and had some red paint on them. Weird.
The master cylinder and the brake booster have been replaced so calipers might be also replaced.
"Holy Grail" has black calipers. My calipers are now yellow zinc and I wonder should I paint them black.

[Shvegel]

Wow! very kind of you to post these.  It fills in a few gaps in the "Dotology" for my car. 
It looks like your lower shock mounts bolts are black oxide rather than yellow cad?  This is what I assumed on my car so it is noce to have the confirmation.

[Shvegel]

This is my car:

[mercakungen]

Shvegel, you have done awesome job with you car.

If you mean bolts on the "1326" photo they are yellow cad with yellow and green paint.

Caliper bolts and front A-arm bolts (and nuts) are black oxide.

[Shvegel]

Interesting,  Since your shock bolts are painted and the rest of your car is in such a beautiful state I will assume your bolts are correct and mine are not. my car carried the original green marked shock absorbers but there was no paint on the bolts so I assumed it had just worn off but the bolts must have been changed at some point.  It would also makes sense from a "Philosophy" standpoint since the rest of the black bolts on the car are either fully painted like the bolts tht hold the halves of the rear axle housing, high strength like the caliper bolts or special shouldered bolts like the bolt that mounts the alternator to the block or the pivot bolt for the brake at the rear of the booster.

Thanks again for the fantastic resource.

[mercakungen]

My car had factory installed shock absorbers. There were yellow paint on the top end nuts. You can check it from my first message at "Matti´s 280 SL" topic.

[Shvegel]

I see now.  Thanks!