yellow cad plated or not

[carl888]

Funny, you look at something regularly and don't take notice.  I just checked, the oil cap on the W116 is blue zinc, the W126 is yellow.  Petrol caps are blue in both cases.  Of course I cannot say if they are the original caps.


Here is the W126 oil cap, albeit somewhat faded.




W126 fuel cap:






W116 oil cap:




W116 fuel cap:






Selection of old faded junk, upper row oil, lower row fuel:





Cannot comment on the tank for the SLS/Hydropneumatic suspension and its cap.

[rumb]

Yes, I looked for all the sales brochures that I could find. They are a great reference.  Unfortunately I could not yet find one that shows the oil sump.  I have looked closely at the 2 old ones I have and I swear that you can find the smallest remnant of yellow color in the ring recess on both.  Anyway, based on that and 2 internet pictures (yah, I know that proves it!?!?!)  I dipped mine in yellow.  It looks stunning.  Gas cap, I left clear.

[rumb]

utnboy,

"Yes,  this is what I get when I go to any place now that does re-plating. A flat, dull yellow.  I just don't like it.  Without the chromate in the mix, there is no tri-color hue to the yellow zinc."

You need to specify that "brightener" be added to the plating, that is what creates the shiny surface to make it look correct.  I has to be added at regular intervals to the solution as it seems to dissipate over time, not actual use.

As I have done this, that is what I have learned.  most of the initial parts I did, I redid and achieved the correct glossiness.

[ptashek]

Is it possible that those brochure pics have been "pimped" to look better in a brochure, and add contrast to the engine bay for show?
Having seen some very low mileage examples, where wear and tear haven't done their thing, I honestly find it hard to believe those engine bays left the factory like this on all, not just the show cars.

[karmann_20v]

Is it possible that those brochure pics have been "pimped" to look better in a brochure, and add contrast to the engine bay for show?
Having seen some very low mileage examples, where wear and tear haven't done their thing, I honestly find it hard to believe those engine bays left the factory like this on all, not just the show cars.

that's entirely possible. I was also thinking about freshening up my engine bay, but that is a pretty low priority right now.

[UTn_boy]

Rumb, when I have specified the addition of chromate, I always get the same answer; "we aren't allowed to use that anymore.  EPA has banned it".   Who am I to argue?  Though, I probably need to contact EPA myself to confirm that. 

[marku]

I plated some engine parts yellow zinc myself. They are really bright and I think OK. Just the problem of getting the current right. Working up to having another go on some other parts as I have replacing hoses etc on the injectors and thought that the retaining plates would good bright yellow.

[UTn_boy]

Mark, the big test is to leave these parts outside under the hood of a car for about a month and see if they start oxidizing or not.  When done correctly, the sacrificial zinc coating should last about 10-15 years.  This new process can last just as long, but they have to be kept in a low humidity environment.....which usually makes no sense from an automobile standpoint. 

[marku]

Some of the parts I did have been out over winter here which really varies between cold, wet, freezing and mild at times. It plays hell with the surface of the stone of our house. Any way the car has been outside over winter but under cover and the plating I did is still bright. I know nothing about plating and just fancied seeing if I could do it. It wasn't expensive at all to set up and apart from being told that I looked like a mad scientist it went reasonably well. Some things at first got over plated and some too little but more or less OK with it now.