56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

[Mark P.]

There is some great information out there in the archives on engine paint and what is covered and what isn't by John Hinckley. One question that I didn't get a definitive answer on, on a 56 aluminum manifold, are the valleys between the manifold and the heads/aluminum valve covers painted or not? Silver, red or nothing? I've heard silver in the later C2s and maybe nothing on the 56-57 cars.

I'm ready to paint and want to do it correctly. I'd prefer to not let it get rusty after time because of not painting it at all, but if that's the way it was, so be it.

Thanks for the help,
Mark

[Gary C.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Mark, John Hinckley posted info that explained the "mask" for C1 engines and there was no paint in the valleys on aluminum intake engines. Gary....

[Barry H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Mark, & Gary, I believe the area between the alum intake, & alum valve covers was painted with a low grade aluminum paint with a touch up gun at the same time they painted the cast iron thermostat housing. I found evidence of this on many low mileage 57 cars over the years. My 57 FI car with 45,000 miles had evidence of this alum paint, even silver overspray on the nozzle blocks of the FI unit. Also found similar silver paint on 16,000 mile 57 2x4 245 HP car, also on cast iron thermostat housing. Over the years found many orig 57 FI units with silver overspray on the nozzle blocks. Also I remember an 11,000 mile 56 2x4 car that had the the silver paint. The problem is that this low grade alum paint got washed off the head area with gasoline, or even with kerosene when cleaning engine.Barry Holmes #940

[Gary C.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

John, thanks for the info. This's link to John Hinckley's posts on the engine paint mask set up: https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...=9572#poststop
Have only taken apart about half dozen aluminum intake/FI 57 engines and they didn't have anything but oily scale in the valleys. Will check with Dick Robinson for his input and update later. Best, Gary....

[Mark P.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Thanks, John and Gary for the responses. The dull aluminum paint would sure make it look better. I'll wait for your feedback before proceeding, Gary.

On another paint related subject, two more items: Is the backing plate that goes behind the fuel pump and accompanying lower two bolts painted along with the engine?

What about the dipstick tube? Painted red, black or natural steel?

Thanks for the help!
Mark

[Dennis C.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

No engine paint on fuel pump plate or bolts.

[John H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

What about the dipstick tube? Painted red, black or natural steel?

Thanks for the help!
Mark

Mark -

The dipstick tube was installed at St. Louis, most commonly seen as natural/unpainted.

[Mark P.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

John,

Seemed appropriate to not have it hanging out there in shipping. More susceptible to damage that way. Thanks for the response.

One more question. On a 56 Corvette, would the lower bolt holes for the passenger car engine mounts in front of the block be filled with bolts or left open either before of after the painting process? (except for the one in front by the fuel pump?) Sorry my engine isn't in front of me right now and it has been disassembeld so long, I can't remember what was plugged and what wasn't. I saw on some of the pictures you shared that 4 of the bolt holes were filled, but they appeared to be passenger cars.

Your thoughts?

Thanks, Mark

[John H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

One more question. On a 56 Corvette, would the lower bolt holes for the passenger car engine mounts in front of the block be filled with bolts or left open either before of after the painting process? (except for the one in front by the fuel pump?) Sorry my engine isn't in front of me right now and it has been disassembeld so long, I can't remember what was plugged and what wasn't. I saw on some of the pictures you shared that 4 of the bolt holes were filled, but they appeared to be passenger cars.

Your thoughts?

Thanks, Mark

Mark -

Chevrolet used a single standard shipping rack for all V-8 engines, and at the front of the engine, the rack used the two passenger car engine mount brackets to locate the engine in the rack, using two large pins on the rack that went through the holes in the brackets, with a clamp over the ends of the pins.

Corvette engines were shipped the same way as the passenger car engines, in the same racks; St. Louis removed the passenger car front mount brackets after pulling the engine out of the rack and shipped them back to Flint V-8 for re-use. That arrangement changed during the 1958 model year, when all the small-block racks were changed to support the engine in the rack from the new tapped bosses on both sides for the side engine mounts.

Photo below shows a close-up of a '55 passenger block on the shipping dock at Flint V-8; you can see the passenger car front mount brackets with large holes in them for the pins in the 1st-design V-8 engine racks.

[Mark P.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Great picture, John. Now for the dumb question....since Corvettes didn't use these mounts, do you fill the holes with bolts and paint over them or just leave them unused and paint the block?

Thanks,
Mark

[Barry H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Mark, The front "shipping brackets" were removed from the engine at St Louis & returned to Flint eng plant, only one hole was filled with a bolt, to keep oil from leaking from fuel pump pushrod guide. You now had 3 empty holes, 1 bolt, & not much paint. The block was bare under where the brackets were installed at Flint. On the orig engines I have seen there was no effort to touch up the area with engine orange, so the area was mostly bare, with some slight overspray.
Barry Holmes #940

[Mark P.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Thanks, John. Just what I thought about the bolt and also about the small amount of paint in that area... I just wasn't sure about the other bolts. Didn't think they'd go to that much trouble to put bolts in or to touch up the paint. One exception is that it's a 56, so the paint is red, not orange.

Thanks!
Mark

[Mark P.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Mark -

Chevrolet used a single standard shipping rack for all V-8 engines, and at the front of the engine, the rack used the two passenger car engine mount brackets to locate the engine in the rack, using two large pins on the rack that went through the holes in the brackets, with a clamp over the ends of the pins.

Corvette engines were shipped the same way as the passenger car engines, in the same racks; St. Louis removed the passenger car front mount brackets after pulling the engine out of the rack and shipped them back to Flint V-8 for re-use. That arrangement changed during the 1958 model year, when all the small-block racks were changed to support the engine in the rack from the new tapped bosses on both sides for the side engine mounts.

Photo below shows a close-up of a '55 passenger block on the shipping dock at Flint V-8; you can see the passenger car front mount brackets with large holes in them for the pins in the 1st-design V-8 engine racks.

John,

Since the engine and bell housing were painted separately, were the bell housing to block bolts painted or left natural? At what point was the bell housing painted?

Mark

[Barry H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

Mark, I believe the bell housing was installed at Flint eng plant, along with flywheel, clutch, & both tin clutch covers, for all std shift engines. My bellhousing was painted along with all mounting bolts. Easy way to check is look at the AIM, the engine is shown as an assy, (including bellhousing), and anything that was added at St Louis assembly is shown as a seperate part number. Such as transmission, throwout bearing, various pulleys, fuel pump & mounting plate, generator brace, generator, & starter, to name a few. Everything that was assembled on engine at Flint is painted orange, or in your case red. This also includes exhaust manifolds, & bolts, waterpump, vibration damper, & so on
Good luck! Barry Holmes #940

[John H.]

Re: 56 Engine Intake Overspray/Coverage

John,

Since the engine and bell housing were painted separately, were the bell housing to block bolts painted or left natural? At what point was the bell housing painted?

Mark

Mark -

As John noted above, the bellhousing was attached to the engine before it went through the paint booth, so the bolts will show engine color.