1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

[Monte M.]

Back in 1972 most of the big blocks I remember had an orange oil filler plug. I know they came on trucks, Monte Carlo, and my folks Chevelle. My guess is they came on the Corvette as well.

I have not seen one for sale in forever and very rarely even see one on a vehicle very often. Seeing one this morning reminded me about them.

Has any body seen one recently or have any way to get one.

Do you guys remember them? If our Chevelle did not have one I do not know if I would remember them.

I worked for a local shipping company as a kid. I had to check the oil in all the trucks once a week. I do remember a few of those trucks having the orange plug too.

Any thoughts?

Does anyone know how much rubber shrinks when you cast it or mold it.
For example: If I took a black plug and made a mold from it. Then mixed up some orange rubber for the mold. Would the rubber shrink too much to use.

From what I have seen, some small blocks had black plugs and some had orange. Big blocks had the orange plugs though.

Is there any interest from you 1972 big block owners?

[Dick W.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

The orange is engine paint. They were all black and got painted at the same time as the engine

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Some were actually orange. I have had a number of them.

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

This is a 19,000 original 1972, 402 with original hoses, belts and everything else.
The owner said, YES, the oil filler is orange rubber all the way through.

They only thing not original to the vehicle is the front shocks.

My folks car had one of the orange oil filler plugs. every time I changed the oil I handled it myself.

Also, back in the day, I remember a handful of other vehicles having one as well.

There is no dought that they were made. I do remember them being a little more brittle than the black ones.

I actually had a number of them at one time.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

This is a 19,000 original 1972, 402 with original hoses, belts and everything else.
The owner said, YES, the oil filler is orange rubber all the way through.

They only thing not original to the vehicle is the front shocks.

My folks car had one of the orange oil filler plugs. every time I changed the oil I handled it myself.

Also, back in the day, I remember a handful of other vehicles having one as well.

There is no dought that they were made. I do remember them being a little more brittle than the black ones.

I actually had a number of them at one time.

Monte,

If that oil fill plug is made of orange material rather than painted orange, it will be the first one I have seen -- but then I have not seen every oil fill cap used in the rubber cap era.

On that car, Monte, add to the changed list with those shocks the added fuel line filter, a replaced red heater hose and the refrigerant conversion replacement caps. What appears to be an AIR hose has an aircraft type hose clamp that looks out of place, but I need more of the engine compartment to be sure. What you show is very nice, but it is short of being ENTIRELY original. Maybe none of that reflects on the oil fill cap, and maybe it does.

This is a good example of why I did not like to use photographs of items for the TIM&JG. Regardless of how hard one tries there will always be something besides the object intended that draws the readers attention. Drawings work much better at restricting the view so that only the intended object is seen. Of course in this case drawings would not show the orange of the oil fill cap.

[William C.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

My old '72 454 last week of production car had a painted oil cap. Remember it well...

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Terry,
I have personally seen a number of the orange rubber oil fillers myself.
As far as vehicle not being all that original, it is what it is.

I even called a buddy of mine from when I was a kid. He had a few of the orange oil filler plugs as well.

To me and a few of the guys I know, there is no question they exist.

I cannot believe that that is a question at all. I know they existed. I used to keep my old razor blades in one that was rotten. It sat upside down on the corner of my work bench. The whole bottom was gone and it was a small hole on the back side. I would put the corner of the razor blade into it.

I do not see them very often any longer. Most have rotted away. Next time I have my hands on one I will take pictures.

I remember them most from changing my Mom's oil, but more than that I remember the company I was working for had Bobtail trucks. I remember them on a few of those trucks too.

When I was in High School I worked at a gas station. We were full service and did oil changes along with doing repairs. I saw a lot of engines back then.

One will turn up so you can seeit.

monte

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Terry,
I was not trying to influence any of the JG stuff.
I would put a black oil filler plug on the car if I were to have it judged.
this was just a personal thing for me.

I was honestly asking if someone knew about rubber shrinking. I know they exist. I was not asking anyone to give me information about the oil filler plug.

I just thought I might make one for the fun of it. I will not bring up the orange plug here again. My intent was not to ruffle feathers.

I just know nothing about making rubber things. I have seen some of the really nice things people have done with small rubber molds and things.

I have no clue if my car came with an orange oil filler plug or not. That is one we will never know.

Enough said

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Monte,

Having always thought they were orange painted, if you know of one that is orange rubber and you can photograph it and post it I'm sure we would all learn from it.
I can't say I've seen one, but then I was not looking for one either.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Monte,
You haven't ruffled my feathers. I just enjoy playing these kinds of games.

The last big debate I have heard about the rubber oil fill cap (and there was one at Hampton) is to whether they are painted orange or not. To the best of our knowledge the answer to that is "yes". Someone might want to take the time to see if a discrete part number is called out for that rubber plug, and if so at what time that number began to show up in the AIM. That might, or might not, nail down the painted/not painted issue.

As to the orange rubber plug: I am happy to wait to see one -- especially on an unrestored COrvette.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Terry,
I have personally seen a number of the orange rubber oil fillers myself.
As far as vehicle not being all that original, it is what it is.

I even called a buddy of mine from when I was a kid. He had a few of the orange oil filler plugs as well.

To me and a few of the guys I know, there is no question they exist.

I cannot believe that that is a question at all. I know they existed. I used to keep my old razor blades in one that was rotten. It sat upside down on the corner of my work bench. The whole bottom was gone and it was a small hole on the back side. I would put the corner of the razor blade into it.

I do not see them very often any longer. Most have rotted away. Next time I have my hands on one I will take pictures.

I remember them most from changing my Mom's oil, but more than that I remember the company I was working for had Bobtail trucks. I remember them on a few of those trucks too.

When I was in High School I worked at a gas station. We were full service and did oil changes along with doing repairs. I saw a lot of engines back then.

One will turn up so you can seeit.

monte

Monte-----


I've never seen a known-original that was anything but black rubber, painted orange. However, I've not seen too many originals because these things are often replaced. These were only used for 1971-72 on small blocks and 71-74 on big blocks. The rubber does not shrink but what it does do is HARDEN due to heat and exposure to oil. When it hardens, it becomes difficult to remove and re-install. That's when they usually get tossed and replaced.

Another problem for colored caps: the original cap was GM #3980273. This cap was black rubber. Of course, it's possible that this cap was a SERVICE-only cap and that another was used in PRODUCTION. However, if such was the case then GM must have had FOUR different-colored caps because the same style cap was used on Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, and Buicks of the period as well as Chevrolets and each car line engines were painted different colors.

In addition, there were at least three different SERVICE caps which succeeded the 3980273. These were GM #14067301, 14094764, and 10110859. It's possible that one or another of these were orange but NONE of these was ever used in PRODUCTION. It's also possible that aftermarket examples of this cap were orange. For instance, Fram once supplied these caps and they have a habit of liking orange.

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Is this the first time this orange oil filler plug has come up on this site.

On a few of the other sites it has come up as well.

For me it is a non-issue. I know they exist. I am very surprised it has come up on a truck site, a Chevelle site and a few others from what I have heard.

I am not going to try to convince you guys. A few of you are open to the idea while others seem to think it never existed. One thing I know is how little I know. And I know more than most. If you get my point.

I do not know if it came on my 72 big block.

I do know the first time I saw the Vette Vues Fact Book book where on page 196 it calls out the "Right side 454 with A/C oil plug is orange", I just assumed they meant made from orange rubber, not painted orange, as I knew to be true.

Again, my car may have not had one, but my folks car had one for sure.

Too many closed minds had had a bad affect on this hobby before. Let's just all keep an open mind.

The nice thing is I know they exist, that is all that really matters.

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

IO just happen to be going through the vette vues fact book and it not only calls out the oil plug being orange on page 196, on page 193 "The oil filler plug is orange, large cover grommet is black."

One would think that if they are going to go to that much detail in the description of the parts it would have call the oil filler plug as being painted.

To see this in that book and to think anything different than the plug is orange rubber would make me wonder how peoples brains work. It was different enough to call it out twice. Yet, they call out the black rubber as black. If the plug was painted one would think they would have said the black grommet is not painted like the plug, or something similar.

My point is, it seems pretty black and white at this point. Or should I say black and orange.lol

Wake up guys. This is a little frustrating in that I know they exist as I have had a number of them in my hands.

Enough said on the subject by me. I have done my part on the matter.

Best of luck.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

IO just happen to be going through the vette vues fact book and it not only calls out the oil plug being orange on page 196, on page 193 "The oil filler plug is orange, large cover grommet is black."

One would think that if they are going to go to that much detail in the description of the parts it would have call the oil filler plug as being painted.

To see this in that book and to think anything different than the plug is orange rubber would make me wonder how peoples brains work. It was different enough to call it out twice. Yet, they call out the black rubber as black. If the plug was painted one would think they would have said the black grommet is not painted like the plug, or something similar.

My point is, it seems pretty black and white at this point. Or should I say black and orange.lol

Wake up guys. This is a little frustrating in that I know they exist as I have had a number of them in my hands.

Enough said on the subject by me. I have done my part on the matter.

Best of luck.

Monte------


I have absolutely no doubt that the orange filler plugs (made from orange-colored rubber) exist. The question is if they were originally installed when it left the factory. I can tell you that I have NEVER seen a known-original rubber filler plug that was anything but black but painted orange with the engine for engines with painted valve covers.

The reason that the oil filler plug was painted but the PCV grommet not painted is that the filler plug was installed on the engine at the engine plants prior to engine painting and the PCV grommet installed at St. Louis.

The oil filler plug is a very "portable" and easily changed part of the car. So, in very few cases would one be able to conclude that ANY oil filler plug they find on an engine, and especially the rubber plug type which deteriorate, is original to the engine.

[Monte M.]

Re: 1972 Orange Oil Filler Plug

Joe,

Thank you for the conformation that they do exist.
In the Vette Vues, the small block (base engines) some have orange and some black plugs. Why would some be painted and not others on the same engine.

Along the same note: on 1971's it appears that all the plugs are black. They are even called out as black rubber. Does this mean that they started painting them in 1972 making the 1972, 454 car with 8,000 original miles on it (In the vette vues) a one of a kind mistake.

At least step one has been determined that they did exist.

It is just interesting that the 8,000 original mile car has an orange one on it.

Personally, I think they were on all big blocks from the factory. My folks Chevelle and all the trucks at work way back when had orange ones..

At this point it does not matter to me if they were on my car from the factory or not. At least a few of us agree that they even existed.

Time might tell.

You can't push a rope.