Another C2 Engine Painting Question

[John H.]

Re: Tonights Trivia question...

1965 250hp and 300hp engines (Carter carbs) used that clip on the passenger side to locate the oil fill tube-to-carb hose, and it was part of those engine assemblies as-shipped from Flint Engine; it was indeed painted engine color. Holley-equipped 350hp and 365hp engines didn't use it, as their oil fill tube-to-carb hose went to the driver's side of the carb, where it connected to the metered-orifice brass fitting in the carb main body.

[Michael H.]

Re: AND THE WINNER IS......

John,

I happen to have one of those cardboard plugs that was used at Flint engine to plug, I believe, the oil filler tube hole during engine paint and for shipping. It's quite interesting because it still shows a mist coat of paint on the top side. The most interesting part is the fact that the paint color is silver, not orange.

I found this plug under the FI unit of a 64 4100 mile coupe that I had in the late 70's. I was obviously the 1st to ever remove the FI unit and the plug was wedged between the runners of the FI intake. I have a scan and will post as soon as I find it.

[Michael H.]

Re: AND THE WINNER IS......

John,

I happen to have one of those cardboard plugs that was used at Flint engine to plug, I believe, the oil filler tube hole during engine paint and for shipping. It's quite interesting because it still shows a mist coat of paint on the top side. The most interesting part is the fact that the paint color is silver, not orange.

I found this plug under the FI unit of a 64 4100 mile coupe that I had in the late 70's. I was obviously the 1st to ever remove the FI unit and the plug was wedged between the runners of the FI intake. I have a scan and will post as soon as I find it.

[Michael H.]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug *NM*

[Michael H.]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug *NM*

[Michael H.]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug

I can answer several emails with one post. The silver paint on the cardboard plug was because the engine was FI but any aluminum intake manifold engine would have had the same silver paint on it. The silver paint comes from the final color application for these engines that was intended to cover the otherwise raw intake manifold gasket surface on the cylinder head. This surface would normally have been painted orange on iron intake manifold engines. The silver paint went everywhere, including most of the tops of the valve covers and much of the intake manifold.

This same plug was used on iron intake manifold engines but it then would have been painted orange instead of silver.

[Michael H.]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug

I can answer several emails with one post. The silver paint on the cardboard plug was because the engine was FI but any aluminum intake manifold engine would have had the same silver paint on it. The silver paint comes from the final color application for these engines that was intended to cover the otherwise raw intake manifold gasket surface on the cylinder head. This surface would normally have been painted orange on iron intake manifold engines. The silver paint went everywhere, including most of the tops of the valve covers and much of the intake manifold.

This same plug was used on iron intake manifold engines but it then would have been painted orange instead of silver.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug

When you were mentioning plugs, my first thoughts were something like a cardboard roll or wooden dowel to simply fill the hole for painting. But then somewhere , the idea of metal pipe plugs entered the discussion and I figured those would be oil-coated.

But the difference in the cost of cardboard and a metal plug is staggering on the volume that would be required, so cardboard makes sense.

As one enginer mentioned once, if the item is only $1 less, you figure that on a 1 million production, and you have saved a LOT of money. That penny cardboard plug compared to a nickel metal plug saved $40,000 on 1 million engines.

And then there is the time to install...

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Filler Tube Cardboard Plug

When you were mentioning plugs, my first thoughts were something like a cardboard roll or wooden dowel to simply fill the hole for painting. But then somewhere , the idea of metal pipe plugs entered the discussion and I figured those would be oil-coated.

But the difference in the cost of cardboard and a metal plug is staggering on the volume that would be required, so cardboard makes sense.

As one enginer mentioned once, if the item is only $1 less, you figure that on a 1 million production, and you have saved a LOT of money. That penny cardboard plug compared to a nickel metal plug saved $40,000 on 1 million engines.

And then there is the time to install...