55 question

[Mike M.]

color of crankcase vent tube on 55 265 ci. -----chevy orange or black? thanks,mike

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 question

color of crankcase vent tube on 55 265 ci. -----chevy orange or black? thanks,mike

ORANGE have you just rebuilt the engine or detailing it.

[Ray G.]

Re: 55 question

Hello Mike and Roy;

Always believed '55 engines were/should be a darker red than later engine.

Any facts you know of to back that up or shot it down?

Thanks
Ray

[Stuart F.]

Re: 55 question

Only actual Vette and Passenger car red engines I am aware of were 56's.

Stu Fox

[Mike M.]

Re: 55 question

agree with stuart--55 sbc orange, 56 sbc red.mike

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 question

Every one has a opinion mine is reddish or red for 55 , 56 was red (early 283 57 Car was yellow). Just go by the JM

[Stuart F.]

Re: 55 question

Guess it depends on the age of our eyes as to how orange or red they are, Ha! Come to think of it, several 56 Corvette judged cars I saw most recently, including John Neas's SR-2 had what my eyes saw as orange blocks/heads. Perhaps the only real RED ones were the passenger car engines?

Stu Fox

[John D.]

Re: 55 question

When I bought a 55 Corvette engine out of a wreck in 1961 the engine was RED. I will never forget that. Now I don't know what shade of red but it definitely was NOT orange. I am not into these cars now and no nothing about what is correct or not correct. Just stating a fact.

TO back this up I just made a phone call to confirm the above. Hopefully my NCRS buddy will speak up. JD

[Stuart F.]

Re: 55 question

John;

I think I have to fall back on the eyes concern for me. I bought a 55 2-barrel 165hp engine to put in my 50 Chev and it was orange. Then I replaced it with a 56 Vette engine 225hp (w/o manifold) and it was dark red. I recall I did not like it so painted it gold (uck). Then, as I mentioned before, I have seen 56's being judged which I recall as being Chevy Orange, and I also worked on a 56 factory hot rod Vette back in the day that had a claimed 301 cu in and it was Orange - go figure. I think between the years the colors blurred - 55-56 and 56-57.

Let's hope one of our more studied friends can shed some light.

Stu Fox

[Gary C.]

Re: 55 question

'57 pass car 265 cu in was painted yellow. Same block and stroke as 283, but less bore. Used several of these to get a clean standard bore 283. The tri-5 guys says only the very early 265's were yellow and they were changed to orange in late '56. Tri-5 guys also say all 55's were orange and all 56's were red. 56-7 JM says red for '56 & orange for '57. 53-5 JM says '55 V/8 were orange. Gary....

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 question



After many years and heat may be the reason I feel there red (its what I've seen over the years ) Here is one of a few original never removed engine I saw and was red. And like I said if your going NCRS go orange .How many points do you lose??

[John H.]

Re: 55 question

color of crankcase vent tube on 55 265 ci. -----chevy orange or black? thanks,mike

Mike -

The Engineering Bill of Materials for the '55 V-8 engine indicates that the '55 road draft tube was installed at St. Louis, not at Flint V-8, so it should be black. See Ken Kayser's article in the January, 2002 issue of "Vette Vues", page 81.

[Mike M.]

Re: 55 question

After many years and heat may be the reason I feel there red (its what I've seen over the years ) Here is one of a few original never removed engine I saw and was red. And like I said if your going NCRS go orange .How many points do you lose??

steering col looks red, portion of intake semi-grease-free looks more orange to me but not as orange as VHT chevy engine orange i've used for years. perhaps a visit to the local ophthamologist in order.regrds and thanks for the pic of what appears to be an unmolested 55 engine bay.mikie

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 question

Mike thanks , I know my eyes are getting old but it was red . I dont mean to repeat myself because it really dont matter to me ether way , my engine is painted red and will stay that way and if I show my 55 I'll take the hit along with other JM statments that I feel needs a second thought.

[Mike M.]

Re: 55 question

Mike -

The Engineering Bill of Materials for the '55 V-8 engine indicates that the '55 road draft tube was installed at St. Louis, not at Flint V-8, so it should be black. See Ken Kayser's article in the January, 2002 issue of "Vette Vues", page 81.

thanks john. i suspected it would have been installed in st louis but wasn't sure. it's now black. mike