One pretty good substitute for white lead would be to go to an artists' supply store and buy a small tube of white oil paint pigment. A 2-ounce tube would be a lifetime supply unless you're building several rear ends a day. The idea is to have a thick, slow-drying or non-drying indicator dye that allows you to visually check the contact patch between gear teeth. It's also useful for checking seat width while doing a valve job.
Jerry
The first rear end I put together, I didn't know what to use. I did have a tube of yellow ochre oil paint. it worked like a champ! This type of oil paint is used by painters using the spatula method of painting. No brushes. It is like a paste. In the right hands, this technique results in some amazing interpretations of landscape scenes.
I would bet money that this paint contains lead.
