Fixings - Do you renew anyway?

Purchasing Ferrari hardware will quickly turn into bankruptcy

But, cross referencing the hardware is no short task. Some stuff you can't do as it's specific and made for Ferrari (like bolts with the horse on them).

 

No, if it breaks, I replace it. But I don't replace it because it is old.

 

Fixins ? I was thinking gravy, mashed potato and cranberry sauce

Anyway I always replace any bolt that is critical on the motor, header bolts head nuts etc

For the fixin parts like valve cover I may use the old

 

I don't do rust. That being said I do replace a lot of hardware. While I do not use Ferrari hardware I find sources that provide identical or near identical hardware. I like everything to be indistinguishable from original.

 

I've ordered new fixins when all of them didn't match. For example, I pulled my seats out and the bolts didn't match all around. I ordered all new because they aren't expensive and I like knowing things are done right.

For other parts, I use Evapo-Rust and it works great. Evapo-Rust Rust Remover - Evapo-Rust Super Safe Rust Remover

 

Another option is to have them refinished. If they're gold colored they're plated in yellow zinc. Not hard to find platers who will redo them for you.

 

True, but if you have heat-treated fasteners, you run the risk of hydrogen embrittlement.

For critical fasteners, better to replace with new than risk it.

 

AFAIK, hardened fasteners are not plated.

 

They most certainly are

 

Agreed - typically cadmium plated (goldish). Just 10 minutes ago I finished putting a new muffler mount on my F430. I delayed it a day because during dis-assembly one of the muffler bolts broke in half. Kind of a no-brainer to replace all eight of the bolts and nuts for about $10. FYI, this car is less than 10 years with just over 18,000 miles.

 

I replace hardware (fixings) if they look rusty or tattered. If I cannot find identical looking pieces at the local "Tacoma Screw Products" store, (yes that is really the name) then I head to the dealer and pay up. I can get about 80% of what I need either at the screw products store, or the local Ace Hardware store.

 

I would agree with Mike except that I would add "mostly". All bolts of grade 10.9 and 12.9, factory installed, that I have seen (or bought new OE), were not plated. This grade of bolts is used where high strength is required (and in critical areas - suspension, brakes, flywheel etc.) and the factories will not take the risk using plated versions. Of course, there are aftermarket bolts in the mentioned grades that are plated but I would not take the risk. After all, bolts of these high grades do not corrode much at all.

 

On non "structural" bolts (rated bolts for stuff like flywheels, wheel bolts etc.) I have a personal policy of replacing any hardware I touch with stainless.

 

With all due respect, in this photo I show an A-arm bolt, an axle bolt and a subframe to main uni-body bolt: do you really want to tell me they are not plated?

Unplated steel corrodes, that is a fact. Every bolt I show is 100% OEM
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

We need to clarify a few points - I think that when we said "plated" we meant zinc plated or electro-plated. Also, I was talking about bolt Grades 10.9 & 12.9 (SAE Grades 8 & 9) that I consider "hardened". Bolts up to and including Grade 8.8 are usually zinc (electro) plated. As for grades higher than that, they are usually not plated but, if really required, a safer organic type of coating is normally used.

What are the grades of the bolts shown on the pictures?

 

I'd need to look up the grades. But I can tell you with 100% certainty as a mechanical engineer, fasteners are plated for a reason. Rust eats metal. Rust weakens metal. Any fastener that is not cold rolled steel has been heat treated for strength. Proper plating methods are totally fine. Replating is fine too if the supplier knows what they are doing but it's not worth the risk (IMO) for critical fasteners.

I can find another 20 examples from my 355 if you like. In fact, I can't recal a single unplated fastener. Even head studs are black oxide (which I realize is not a coating so to speak)

 

I now remember seeing some grade 10.9 bolts having a kind of coating that looks more like a very thin coat of silver paint (matt), not like the usual "gold", "silver" or "cadmium" shiny appearance of electro-plating. Do you know whether this is plating or coating and what type it is?

 

I think it's cadmium. Years ago we designed and build some fixtures and had some of the parts cad plated and they came out a satin silver.

Here is a nice link: http://www.deltaspecialtycoatings.com/capabilities.php
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Just to add, these are some shots of a brand new 348. As you can see the bolts are yellow zinc/cadmium plated. This is what I found on stripping mine too. Although the bolt heads and nuts were pretty corroded the unexposed bolt shafts were the give away. Note the calliper bolts are the same too. Pics are taken out of a magazine. Ferrari story No. 21. Quite an early car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Don't blame Ferrari. All car manufacturers do that.

 

You're wrong. I have bins full or special application Ferrari fasteners in both grade 10 and 12 that are cad and zinc plated. It is quite common.

 

Seeing those bright fasteners and factory paint dabs puts my OCD at ease

 

The bolt heads that are clearly visible on your pics show that these are Metric Grade 8.8. These are normally zinc plated and there is no problem re-galvanising them.

However, for the Metric Grades higher than 8.8 (Metric Grade 10.9 <=> SAE Grade 8 and above) plating with any metallic coating is not recommended by the standards to avoid hydrogen embrittlement. Here are some useful extracts:
Image Unavailable, Please Login