finsh of some engine hardware

[Steve L.]

For a 73 SB:
Distributor clamp bracket
Distributor clamp bracket bolt
Carb bolts -2 short, 2 long
EGR clamp bolt
Water pump bolts including the one stud


Thanks

[Terry M.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

For a 73 SB:
Distributor clamp bracket
Distributor clamp bracket bolt
Carb bolts -2 short, 2 long
EGR clamp bolt
Water pump bolts including the one stud


Thanks

Steve,

A hint: Look in the AIM. If you see a part number for the bolt or bracket, it was installed at St Louis. If it was installed at St Louis it was not painted orange. St Louis had no orange paint. Of course that doesn't tell you if the finish was silver (zinc or cad) or gray or black -- but at least it eliminates one possibility.

The converse is NOT true. Just because the fastener or bracket was shipped as part of the engine assembly it does NOT mean it was painted orange. Some of us have spent a lot of time studying original engine compartments in order to determine what parts were on the engine when it was painted, and what were added later in the final operations before the engine left the engine assembly plant.

There is no easy answer because those procedures changed from time to time, and sometimes even within the same model year. You need to find some original engine compartments near to your build date, or someone who has spent their lifetime studying 1973s. I can't imagine who that might be.

[Russ S.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

For a 73 SB:
Distributor clamp bracket
Distributor clamp bracket bolt
Carb bolts -2 short, 2 long
EGR clamp bolt
Water pump bolts including the one stud


Thanks

#1and 2 painted
#3 black phos
#4 black phos
#5 Stud and nuts cad. Left lower bolt on my car has orange on it. RH water pump bolts on my air car (which also hold on the compressor bracket) appear to be black phos

I am currently working on a 73 L-48 with a very original low mile engine and everything stated above from my original 73 match this car with one exception- The RH upper water pump bolt which holds the air compressor bracket, orange air pump bracket and the water pump has orange over black phos.

[Steve L.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

Thanks,
I would have guessed that the distributor clamp bracket was painted black since mine had no hint of orange and it's bolt would be zinc since it would have been added post block painting.

So then pre and post block painting may not follow the rules for the coil bracket bolts. Is the slotted hole bolt painted orange and the round hole bolt, zinc on the coil bracket.

I have all the water pump bolts as zinc, but it doesn't look right. I don't remember them being so obviously bright.

I love the Caswell kits, I can change the finish on any of this hardware to whatever I want.

[Terry M.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

Steve, I can tell you about the 1970-1972 engine painting, but I have no way of knowing if that extends into 1973 -- that is why I said you need someone who has spent time looking at 1973s.

All that said:
If your distributor clamp bracket had no paint on it, and your engine was unmolested by "spray can Bubba" you can probably believe what is there.

In general the water pump was bolted to the engine before paint, so all the bolt heads had orange on them. Some of those fasteners were removed to add brackets for various accessories. The bolt (usually longer than the originally installed bolt) would not be painted orange because it was installed at St Louis. In some cases the accessory bracket was installed at the engine plant -- especially for Air Injection Pumps. Of course the bracket and fasteners would be orange in that case.

In some cases studs were installed as a water pump fastener at the engine plant. In that case the stud was painted orange, but the nut, and maybe a lock washer, that held the added bracket would be unpainted. Of course that nut and lock washer would have a part number in the AIM. Look up those kinds of things for your answer for your specific engine/engine accessory combination.

[Russ S.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

Thanks,
I would have guessed that the distributor clamp bracket was painted black since mine had no hint of orange and it's bolt would be zinc since it would have been added post block painting.

So then pre and post block painting may not follow the rules for the coil bracket bolts. Is the slotted hole bolt painted orange and the round hole bolt, zinc on the coil bracket.

I have all the water pump bolts as zinc, but it doesn't look right. I don't remember them being so obviously bright.

I love the Caswell kits, I can change the finish on any of this hardware to whatever I want.

Both coil bolts on both of the cars I mention above the bolts are cad plated with no paint in them. These are untouched motors. On both of them the distribitor clamps and bolts are orange.

[Steve L.]

Re: finsh of some engine hardware

Thanks for your help