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Re: Electrolysis and Skid Strips

To: "S. Allen" <sallen3663@gmail.com>, mgt <mg-t@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Electrolysis and Skid Strips
From: <rgt3000@fuse.net>
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 11:59:15 -0500
During the restoration of my 51 TD, I used Stainless flat head screws, nuts and 
washers.  These are readily available from most of the big box stores.

Rick

From: "S. Allen" <sallen3663@gmail.com>
Date: 2005/03/09 Wed AM 07:57:25 EST
To: mgt <mg-t@autox.team.net>
Subject: Electrolysis and Skid Strips

Hi Everyone,

O.k., here's one that I haven't heard in my seven years on the list...

One of the projects I decided to do over the winter was strip and
re-paint the running boards on my '52.

What made me decide to do this was ugly what-I-thought-were rust
bubbles coming up from beneath the skid strips.

When I stripped off the paint what I found wasn't rust, but ugly
yellow-green splotches.

Which, drawing on my Alfa Romeo aluminum block days I took it to mean
that the screws that were used to attach the skid strips had too much
zinc in them, and the bubbles were caused by the gas given off the
resulting electrolitic reaction between the zinc in the screws in
contact with the aluminim in the strips.

So here's my question: I recently got a gander of a TA that was being
professionally restored and the strips were connected by aluminum
rivets, but my father who inherited his old '51 from grand-dad back in
'61, (grand-dad bought it new) insists that they should be attached
with screws.

Rivets would prevent electrolysis, but I don't want some person
cursing my memory fifty years from now when they're removing them for
whatever reason so I'm wondering what the opinion of the list is:
screws or rivets?

And if screws, since ones with too much brass or zinc are out what's a
good grade to look for?

Thanks in advance,

Scott Allen

52 TD
74 1/2 BGT

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