What is the chemical they use for dyeing the holley carbs. I have a friend that works for a large chemical company and can get ANYTHING. I want holley dye!!!! If anyone knows please let me know. I know the process is VERY simple. Not as hard as all the big guys tell you. It's a type of dichromate that is applied at room temperature. It reacts with the zinc castign forming the conversion layer that protects it. I am thinking it's sodium dichromate but I am unsure. Holley wants way too much money to recolor. And Eastwoods paint sucks in my opinion. Let's figure this out!!!

I want to say they are either zinc or cadmium plated and then dipped in a gold chromate solution but I'm not sure of the exact process and know nothing about plating.

I have finally found out what it is. It is a chromate that they used. It is nothing to do with plating at all. It is what the call a mordant or in lamens terms a dye. I ordered some last night to try and see if my hunch is correct. If so I will let everyone know how to do it. I do know that the slight bit of reflectiveness that you can see on the carbs under the gold color is a result of the smooth shiny casted surface after it is molded. It is then dipped in the solution. If my hunch is correct lots of people are going to be happy. I will keep everyone posted.

Years ago I had a small quantity of a solution I got from a plating company that I cold dipped Holley carbs in that gave a gold looking finish. Only problem was that the carb had to be spotlessly cleaned down to the raw casting to make the stuff work. The finish was shiny, not like the muddy brown you see on Holley carbs now.

This looks like a pretty good article on the chromating process. Maybe this will help.

chromating process (http://www.pfonline.com/articles/pfd0021.html)

Here's a company that looks like it could help with suggestions and sells the supplies. On top of that they state they don't have a minimum order.
US Specialty Color (http://www.usspecialty.com/product/prod_chem.htm)

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I finally figured it out guys. If anyone is intrested just let me know. I am in the process of writing up some instructions on how to do this. I just figured it out about 10 minutes ago. Now we can all SAVE some cash and get the correct look without spending tons!!! The chemical is $50.00 a gal shipped to your door. I used to be in the aviation field. We used to treat aircraft skin with ALODINE to produce an anti corrosion conversion coating. Well it works on Zinc as well. But there is an extra step with Zinc that you dont do with aluminum. When I get intructions written up I will post them. Here is the picture of my 5 minute quickie job that worked. After the 10th try. smile.gif

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421594238/0.jpg?x=600

Fantastic !! You'll have my thanks. Big graemlins/thumbsup.gif

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When I get intructions written up I will post them. Here is the picture of my 5 minute quickie job that worked. After the 10th try. smile.gif

http://www2.freepichosting.com/Images/421594238/0.jpg?x=600

Hey...did instructions every get written for these? I could sure use them!