<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90279">Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about the
carbonized finish on some of the engine compartment bolts. As near as I can tell, this subject has not
been addressed in the Tiger list before, and I could not find references on
Google, so the comments were much appreciated.<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90280"></o:p></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90279"><br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90281">Larry Mayfield provided the most comprehensive description
of carbonizing:<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90282"></o:p></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90283"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Segoe UI","sans-serif";color:#1F497D" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90284">Carbonizing is not a process for
increased look of the fastener, but a metallurgical process to increase the
strength of the fastener. Black bolts and fasteners have increased carbon
to increase the strength: ie the bolts that hold the front cross member in
place with the frame. Or the bolts that hold the motor mounts to the
engine block and the plates to the frame. And inside the engines, head bolts,
main and rod bolts. So do not put a grade 2 bolt in place of a grade 5 or
grade 8 bolt just to make it look better. If you need black bolts, but
them from ARP. Or Caterpillar. And don’t paint them or try to heat treat
them yourselves. </span><o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90285"></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90286"><br></div><div style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90286">So if you
want to keep your original bolts, the problem boils down to refreshing the look
of those bolts which have already had the carbonizing process. For a quickie refresh on the bolts, they
could be painted flat black, but it is not exactly the same look, and bolt
painting is tricky because it’s easy to chip the paint when installing the bolt.<o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90287"></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90288">What I plan
to look into is applying a black oxide finish to the bolts. There are a few kits available on-line,
although they are not cheap. Here is a
link to a Caswell video on their product:<br></div><div style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90288"><o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90289"></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90290"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4qeen12fuc" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90291">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4qeen12fuc</a><o:p id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90292"></o:p></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1535994286368_90218">
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