Engine stamp pad cleanliness

[Michael G.]

I'm freshening my blue 63 prior to judging. The stamp pad has some oil and dirt, but no rust. I can try to clean it with acetone or a similar non-abrasive solvent, but I don't really want to mess with it much because the broach marks are very faint.

Does the surface have to be really clean, or just free of paint and corrosion?

Thanks,

[Terry M.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

The surface has to be free of paint and anything else that obscures the background or numbers. Minor corrosion is no big deal, and many owners apply oil or grease or some other surface preservative. If the judge can't see what he wants you will be asked to clean the surface on the field. In that case a shop towel or paper towel is generally all that is needed.

[Marlin F.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Along a similar line, how does one best get paint off of a pad that was apparently shot during a repaint of the block?

[Don H.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Try lacquer thinner or other non abrasive cleaner. Don H.

[Tom H.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Along a similar line, how does one best get paint off of a pad that was apparently shot during a repaint of the block?

I spray some paint stripper in a small container and brush it on the pad with a small brush. Let it sit 5 minutes and wipe the paint off the pad.

[Robert K.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Is the assembly date stamped before the paint? Wouldn't that date possible have orange paint in it and not the vin #?

[Terry M.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Is the assembly date stamped before the paint? Wouldn't that date possible have orange paint in it and not the vin #?

For the orange colored engines paint followed (by a lot) the assembly stamp. The engine assembly instructions called for masking or shielding the pad from paint, but this didn't always happen. Arguably TFP has the pad devoid of paint, but it has been interesting to deal with the exceptions. I am not sure the owners of those exceptions think it is as interesting as I found it as the NTL.

For the blue 8-cylinder engines (much newer than the subject of this thread) -- the pad was not shielded from paint, but the VIN derivative was stamped onto the painted pad. Thus in these engines there is blue paint in the engine assembly stamp characters, but not the VIN derivative stamp characters. Sweeping generalizations don't always work.

[John H.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

For the orange colored engines paint followed (by a lot) the assembly stamp. The engine assembly instructions called for masking or shielding the pad from paint, but this didn't always happen.

I might add that masking the pad was an Engineering requirement in those days, so Production could read the suffix codes readily at 300 engines per hour so they knew which conveyor to switch the engine to so it would end up at the correct spot on the shipping dock to go into the right rail car for shipment to the correct assembly plant.

When they started using paint sticks to write the suffix code on the ends of the cylinder heads and, later, applying suffix stickers on the end of the valve cover, that guy still had to be able to read the suffix code on the pad, and he couldn't if it was painted.

The requirement for a paint-free pad on the judging field is different - that's so the pad surface and stampings can be evaluated.

[Terry M.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Every time you post that 300 engines per hour number I get shivers. That is an absolutely astounding number.

And each of those got 8 pistons hand stuffed and the rod and main caps hand torqued. I wish there was a movie or video of that operation. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. It should also be seen by anyone who criticizes auto workers. It gives new meaning to the term a$$holes and elbows.

[Robert K.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

Some years ago, I attended a tech session with a man that worked at the plant. He described the painting process, including the silver paint (that was the first time I heard that the aluminum intakes had silver paint). He stated, I recall, that he used a rag to wipe the pad after painting. That would leave paint in the assembly stamp and probably make them easy to read the suffix because of the orange paint.

[Peter M.]

Re: Engine stamp pad cleanliness

I spray some paint stripper in a small container and brush it on the pad with a small brush. Let it sit 5 minutes and wipe the paint off the pad.

Use a small brush, as Tom suggests, to apply the paint remover. If the pad just has grease, dirt and rust, you can clean it up with PB Blaster and very fine steel wool. The PB Blaster will not effect the paint, but will help remove any dirt & rust.