Restoring Pinion and Outer 3rd Member Case

This afternoon, I cleaned the remaining grease and paint from the pinion and outer 3rd member case.

I put two coats of Rustoleum Red Oxide Rusty Metal Primer on the pinion piece. It is misting and cold outside so I decided against painting it today. I would have waited to primer the piece but I did not want any surface rust to develop. I'll paint it a cast iron color once the primer dries (2 days according to the label).

The outer 3rd member case was painted with a single coat of the Brite Touch Red Oxide Primer. I'll put a second coat on it when it is not as humid outside. Again, I just put a little on it now to avoid surface rust.

I don't think I'll have everything ready to have the new gears installed until next week. I plan to refinish the main casing, two parts which screw in on either side of the carrier, and the bolts which mount the outer casing to the main casing. I'll then reassemble the 3rd member so the shop is able to see it completely assembled. This will likely help with assembly.

I'm sure the primer on the case will be messed up while the gears are installed. However, the factory painted the case before it was installed. This ensures all the little areas are covered properly. I expected to clean it up once the gears are installed and put another coat on the part and then cover it in a satin clear paint.