Paint Resource

[Jeff M.]

I removed my engine and have re-painted, re-built and/or replaced just about everything on the engine and in the engine compartment that wasn't correct. I am now re-installing everything. I replaced all of the hardware with new hardware, I had a mix of correct, worn and who knows what in there. I am trying to determine if some of the hardware should be painted or left metal. Items such as the engine mount bolts, generator support, wiper motor, expansion hardware... Some parts are more obvious then others for painting. Is there a resource you recommend that I can use as I continue to re-install the engine compartment? The technical booklet helps but has a lot of gaps.

Thanks,

Jeff
'61

[Bob B.]

Re: Paint Resource

Jeff,

The engine mount bolts are installed after engine painting, so they are not painted per se. However, after torquing, they put a dab of engine orange on the bolt tip and nut. Sometimes, this was so generous, it went onto the washer and even part of the ground strap end ISE.

If you ask some specifics, I'll bet you'll get lots of responses.

Bob

[John H.]

Re: Paint Resource

Chevy engines were essentially "bare-naked" when they left the engine plants, as shown in this photo from the Flint V-8 plant shipping dock in 1955; Corvette engines looked the same as this passenger car engine except the Corvette engine as-shipped also had the front motormount bracket between the water pump and the block and didn't have a generator brace. What you see was orange (red in '55-'56), and anything added at St. Louis was not.

[Bob B.]

Re: Paint Resource

John,

GREAT photo!!! I note that the engine has the distributor and plugs. I think I have heard you mentioned that they put a coffee can or something over the distributor, so the base can have overspray. Did they put paper tubes or something over the porcelain ends of the plugs? And something over the end of the water pump where the pulley attached since that looks like bare metal?

Bob

[John H.]

Re: Paint Resource

John,

GREAT photo!!! I note that the engine has the distributor and plugs. I think I have heard you mentioned that they put a coffee can or something over the distributor, so the base can have overspray. Did they put paper tubes or something over the porcelain ends of the plugs? And something over the end of the water pump where the pulley attached since that looks like bare metal?

Bob

Bob -

Yes, they used a coffee can over the distributor and cardboard tubes over the water pump hub and the spark plugs, taped-off about 1" of the snout on the thermostat housing, tape-masked the fuel pump mounting surface, taped-over the stamp pad, used a paper plug in the oil fill tube hole, and used a cardboard mask on the carb pad surface on the intake manifold.