Correct Finishes?

[Michael M.]

What are the correct finishes for the following items?
Shifter rods and attachment levers from the shifter to the transmission?
Natural, Black phosphate or semi gloss black paint?
Carburator mounting nuts? Natural or zinc?
Distributor hold down clamp? Gloss black or zinc?
How much orange paint on the bell housing? I've heard from total coverage to 3-5" of heavy orange fading with over spray on the rest?
I'm ready to set the drive line in the rolling chassie this Sat.
Working on a frame off 67 327/350 HP #276, an early car built in Sept of 66.
Thanks in advance!

[William C.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

Transmission rods and levers....Black Phosphate
Carb mounting nuts....Zinc
Distributor hold down...Zinc
Bell Housing...Orange totally

My car Top Flighted without deducts on these items.

[Michael H.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

What are the correct finishes for the following items?
Shifter rods and attachment levers from the shifter to the transmission?
Natural, Black phosphate or semi gloss black paint?
Carburator mounting nuts? Natural or zinc?
Distributor hold down clamp? Gloss black or zinc?
How much orange paint on the bell housing? I've heard from total coverage to 3-5" of heavy orange fading with over spray on the rest?
Thanks in advance!

Michael,

I think transmission rods may have been natural, as were the levers. Not 100% sure on this though.

I think the carburetor mounting nuts were also natural. If they were plated, it definitely wasn't a shinny plating.

The wire portion of the distributor clamp was a shinny black plating of some sort. The small retainer was natural.

The clutch housing was not a target for paint so the orange paint that was on it would be mostly on the forward edge but trailing off to a mist coat as it neared the center or rear.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

Would the bell housing orange apply to the 427 as well?

I know we had recent posting on the Tonawanda engine paint booth, would seem that the spray application there would get the bell housing pretty good.

Would seem, and original cars out there with pictures???

[John H.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

Would the bell housing orange apply to the 427 as well?

I know we had recent posting on the Tonawanda engine paint booth, would seem that the spray application there would get the bell housing pretty good.

Would seem, and original cars out there with pictures???

Ron -

Coverage varied a lot, but many Tonawanda big-blocks had the entire bellhousing painted; photo below shows fresh racks of big-blocks being unloaded at St. Louis with full coverage.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

...Coverage varied a lot, but many Tonawanda big-blocks had the entire bellhousing painted; photo below shows fresh racks of big-blocks being unloaded at St. Louis with full coverage.

Full coverage is what I had always heard here for big blocks, and that small blocks typically had only a margin back onto the bell housing.

Most small blocks would have been Flint built, but this raises the question whether Tonawanda small blocks (not sure what years apply) were likely to have full coverage on the bell housing as on the big blocks.

[Terry M.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

Full coverage is what I had always heard here for big blocks, and that small blocks typically had only a margin back onto the bell housing.

Most small blocks would have been Flint built, but this raises the question whether Tonawanda small blocks (not sure what years apply) were likely to have full coverage on the bell housing as on the big blocks.

NO Tonawanda assembled small blocks in Corvettes EVER. NEVER EVER. Some Tonawanda cast cylinder cases were assembled at Flint and painted there and subsequently found their way into Corvettes -- but that is another story for another time.

[William C.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

I'm with Michael on the trans rods and levers, I've had a lot of them in my hands over the years, and originals were all natural, not to be confused with "NOS" items from the parts warehouse.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

John, Thanks for the confirmation. Do you have that picture in color?

[Ronald L.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

Engine lines are massive fixed automated lines, if you are making a 327 that is all you will make without millions to change and then what every you change to, is fixed as well. So you will see that the big ones came from Tonawanda. Castings could and did get trucked other places to be machined.

[John H.]

Re: Correct Finishes?

John, Thanks for the confirmation. Do you have that picture in color?

Ron -

Nope - that's a GM Photographic image, and they very seldom shot in color in those days. And, the negatives of virtually everything they shot at St. Louis is gone now - when they disbanded GM Photographic and outsourced that function in the early 90's and then brought it back in-house as the "GM Media Archives" later in the 90's, hundreds of thousands of original negatives were "lost" in the transition, including everything from St. Louis in the 60's.