Engine painting 65 FI

[Jerry G.]

Can anyone tell me if the french locks and the shield brackets that install under the exhaust manifold bolt were on the engine when it was painted? How were radio delete motors handled? Mine is not a radio delete, i'm just curious.

[Joe L.]

Re: Engine painting 65 FI

Jerry-----

For 1965 the exhaust manifolds were not installed on small block engines when the engines were painted. So, the french locks didn't get painted, either.

The ignition shielding supports used on radio-equipped cars were added at St. Louis. This, of course, required removal and reinstallation of the manifold bolts and french locks.

[Jerry G.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

Am I interpreting what your saying correctly? The exhaust manifolds on small blocks are NOT on the engine when it was painted.

[Bill Clupper]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

I believe that change was made in '66 or later, not '65

[Joe L.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

Bill and Jerry-----

I thought that the change to the engine assembly order affecting the painting of the exhaust manifolds occurred in 1963 or 1964, but I could very well be incorrect on that.

[Ray C.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

I am confused about paint on the 1965 exhaust manifolds! N. Adams Restoration & Technical Guide pg. 262, engine carpartment. Engine painting procedure change (mid 1965) called for the optional painting of the exhaust manifold. If optional; where in the assembly process would the painting take place and would this change affect when the manifold was installed on the engine? Was the optional paint GM orange? I have a late 1965, base 250HP with 70,000 miles and there was small traces of a off-white, cream color paint on the exhaust manifold.

Thanks! Ray

[Jerry G.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

Good question! My 65 car is also a late (July) car. I'm pretty sure the manifolds were painted, but were the small angled brackets for the shielding that mount under the exhaust manifold bolts also painted? Not all cars came with shielding so did they put these brackets on at a later date? Jerry

[Joe L.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

Jerry----

As I mentioned, the radio interference shielding support brackets were installed at St. Louis. So, regardless of whether the manifolds were painted or not at the engine plant, the support brackets could NOT have been painted engine color. Unless, of course, the folks at St. Louis decided that they'd paint these brackets engine color prior to installation "just to be tricky". I doubt it, though.

[Jerry G.]

Re:Makes sense.. Thanks *NM*

[John H.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

The "optional" painting of the exhaust manifolds mentioned in Noland's book is an internal releasing term, and refers to giving the engine plant the option to paint them or not, as they saw fit (to give them process flexibility); it has nothing to do with "optional" in terms of something a customer could order (the engine plant had no idea what individual car the engine would eventually end up in).

[Robert W.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

I know this is always a point of arguing but some very low mileage original small blocks I have observed indicate motor paint on the exhaust manifolds where it hasn't burned off. Nolands book also indicates that the manifolds were on during engine painting and he even offered to put me in touch with a GM engine plant engineer in one of my e mails to him to clarify this position. I agree about the shield brackets not being painted since they were added later.

[John H.]

Re: Manifolds NOT painted?

The presence or absence of the exhaust manifolds on the engine when it went through the paint booth (and the location of the paint operation relative to hot-test) changed numerous times over the years with production process changes and plant rearrangements, and it's not entirely clear what the breakpoints were for all of those running changes. I have several contemporaries who worked in supervision at Flint Engine in the 60's and 70's when I was at Flint Assembly and the Chevrolet Pilot Line next door, and their recollections of those Flint Engine operations conflict between them - it was a long time ago, and I don't think anyone knows for sure - there are few absolutes in our hobby.